Poll: How do you pronounce the "MK" in "Mk4"?

[Nuje]

Probably because I read it for a long time before I ever heard it referenced, I've always assumed the "mk" was "mark" and thus "mark 4, mark 5, etc."; but lately, it seems most people I speak to say "em-kay four" or "em-kay 5".

Is the "MK" some German abbreviation of "modellerung katerrgorenschliesse" or something like that, but my brain got hung up on the mid-70s Lincoln Continental MarkIV and assumed that was any car-related "Mk" would have to be "mark"?

Poll at the top; add comments below.

 

[dieseldonato]

As long as I've been into cars and wrenching it's always been "mark (fill in the blank)" or generation (fill in the blank).

 

[Zak99b5]

It’s “mark.” Used by many car companies from all countries. Remember the Lincoln MkVII? Pronounced Mark Seven. Then somehow someone (probably a milenial) turned that to “‘‘em Kay” and added random letters instead of roman numerals.

 

[jettawreck]

It’s “mark.” Used by many car companies from all countries. Remember the Lincoln MkVII? Pronounced Mark Seven. Then somehow someone (probably a milenial) turned that to “‘‘em Kay” and added random letters instead of roman numerals.

Exactly

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I answered Mark 4, but I usually refer to these cars by platform, or A4.

 

[Zak99b5]

A4 makes more sense, especially when you’re talking about something like the New Beetle. Or the old Audi A3 (model, that is).

Also, think of the scirocco. MkI and MkIIs are both on the A1 platform. And the corrado (first gen is MkI but it doesn’t matter since we never got an update so really irrelevant) is on the A3 platform. So Mk n as we use it really only refers to the Jetta and Golf, and now those models' platforms are diverging. Only issue with using A platform name is the confusion it can cause with the Audi A n model names.

 

[Cosmo's UNA]

You say 'potato' I say 'potato' let's call the whole thing off. I answered em-kay 4, but hope to use mark 4 in the future for brevity, ease of use and universal understanding.

 

[KLXD]

Is that "A 4" or "Alfa 4"?

 

[Nuje]

Then somehow someone (probably a millennial)

Literally LOL'd at that one.

 

[Nuje]

Only issue with using A platform name is the confusion it can cause with the Audi A n model names.

I remember when first getting into the VWs, having my brain turned to mush as someone talked about how the A3 was built on the A4 platform, same as the 1999-2005 Golf and Jetta / NB cars.....oh, but wait - you have an early '99 Golf? Then that's actually an A3 platform. But then the A4 was built on the B5...

 

[BobnOH]

I pronounce it emm kay. Honda calls it Gen. for generation, but they also use MK. A4 is sort of a VW thing. I see newer Audis labelled A3, don't think they anything in common with the MKIII beyond the chassis.

 

[oilhammer]

I call them "A4", same as VAG does.

A platform, 4th generation.

Gets confusing after that, because the NCS is not really an "A", and the NMS is not really a "B", and things like the Atlas get thrown in to the mix, too.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

The half-year model transitions that VW used to do confuse people. I have a '99.5 Golf, and the Jetta Sedan went from A4 to A5 platform in 2005.5. Passats were facelifted in 2001.5.

VW messed up platform designations after the A5 platform. The '10 and later Golfs are not A6, but they are MK6. The Jetta Sedan after '11 is on a different platform than the Golf or Sportwagen, so it's a MK6 too, even though a lot of parts aren't shared with the hatchback and wagon. And so on.

 

[quartersaw]

It’s “mark.” Used by many car companies from all countries. Remember the Lincoln MkVII? Pronounced Mark Seven. Then somehow someone (probably a milenial) turned that to “‘‘em Kay” and added random letters instead of roman numerals.

Gee, and here I thought that the Lincoln, was pronounced EmKayVeeEyeEye (Sir!)