What's behind all the funny car names?

Over the years, Japanese car names have been a source of unending comedy, frivolity and perplexity in international motoring circles.

Let's face it, many of the names that surface only in Japan are simply hilarious. Note That's Century Life Zest Move Latte. Fit Cima Every Inspire Freed Naked President Crown Odyssey. No, that's not some new language from the back of beyond — but two sentences exclusively comprised of Japanese car names.

One look at such names and you feel like you are watching a badly dubbed martial-arts movie. Remember those early Bruce Lee flicks such as "The Big Boss," in which the actors' mouths seemed to move at random as the English voice-over struggled to keep up.