Peugeot names the models of their cars in the x0y format; x describes the size of the car (and hence its class), whereas y describes the model number (the higher the number, the newer the model). Therefore, a Peugeot 406 is bigger and newer than a Peugeot 305. This general rule has its exceptions, for instance the Peugeot 309 was produced before the Peugeot 306. Another exception is certain variants, such as the 206 SW, which is around the size of a 40y car.

This tradition began in 1929 with the launch of the 201. All numbers from 101 to 909 have been deposited as trademarks. Although in 1963 Porsche was forced to change the name of its new 901 coupe 911, certain Ferraris and Bristols have been allowed to keep their Peugeot-style model numbers. An unsubstantiated explanation for the central '0' is that on early models the number appeared on a plate on the front of the car, with the hole for the starting handle coinciding with the zero.

Audi's decision to name its new sport-utility vehicle Q7 has no fans at Nissan's headquarters-the Japanese automaker has filed suit in court against Audi, saying the German company's use of the letter infringes on the trademarks it has established for its Q45 sedan and QX56 SUV. The Detroit News reports that Nissan has used the letter to designate some Infiniti vehicles since 1989, and that the company has filed trademarks for phrases such as "the new Q." Nissan, the paper adds, wants courts to stop Audi from using the letter in its advertising or marketing.

Life was good for Uzi Nissan. In July 1999, his wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Ariel. And he was negotiating a $1.2-million deal with a European investor to help expand the business. But three months later, all that changed. A Nissan Motors executive called from Los Angeles. "He said he would like to talk to me about the possibility of purchasing my name," says Uzi Nissan.

Nissan said his name wasn't for sale, but he would discuss other options, such as including links and banners for Nissan Motors on his site. Two days later, the executive flew to North Carolina to talk about it over dinner. "We discussed many things, such as maybe doing a split page, if they wanted to pay a monthly fee," he says. The executive said he would relay the ideas to his bosses, says Nissan, and then jetted home.

Two months passed without a word. But in early December, the executive called back. He needed to meet with Nissan right away and was flying back to North Carolina.

"I remember, he flew on the 10th, which was a Friday, and when he came in, his face was completely changed," Nissan says. "He said, 'My superiors don't want any partnership, they want nissan.com AND nissan.net. And they want a price.' "

Nissan says he again insisted his name was not for sale, but the executive badgered him: "Give me a price, I need a price."

"So finally, I say, 'You know what? $15-million! Now do you understand that I don't want to sell?' " recalls Nissan.

The man excused himself to make a phone call. While he was out, Nissan says, he received a call -- from attorneys representing Nissan Motors, informing him that he was being sued for $10-million over trademark infringement.

When the executive returned to the room, Nissan was stunned. "He said, 'Uzi, I apologize, I did not know anything about that, it was not supposed to end up that way,' " Nissan says.

Two weeks later, however, the executive gave his deposition in the case. "We realized that he had already signed his declaration for the complaint two days before he came to see me," Nissan says. "He just came to entrap me so I would give him a price."

Nissan Motors had the weight of the new anti-cybersquatting law, which had gone into effect 11 days earlier. By eliciting a price from him, Uzi Nissan says, the carmaker could bolster its cybersquatting case.

TOKYO -- Nissan Motor Co. said the key U.S. market may stagnate later this business year and even next, though it kept its own target for small growth in U.S. sales this year.

The cautious prediction on Thursday by Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn comes amid growing concerns that U.S. car sales may slow in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katarina and Rita and sky-high oil prices.

North America is the biggest market for Japanese carmakers, which also include Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., with Nissan relying on the region for about 40 percent of its profit.

"We are starting to see some shifting in consumer demand, some postponing of car buys (since September) ... we didn't see too much of it at the beginning," Ghosn told a news conference. "I'm not particularly optimistic for the U.S. environment for the next six months or even for the next year ... I'm afraid that the second half of the fiscal year is probably going to see a more mediocre scenario in terms of (the) total market."

But Ghosn told Reuters in an interview after the news conference it was too early to assess the impact on the earnings of Nissan, which sees a 3.3 percent sales gain in the United States to 1.05 million vehicles for the year to March 2006.

After years of industry-beating growth since Ghosn took charge of a near-bankrupt Nissan in 1999, the Japanese carmaker, owned 44 percent by France's Renault SA, is forecasting an abrupt slowdown in profit growth for the current business year.

It cites risks from an intense U.S. price war, record or near-record gasoline and raw-materials prices, rising interest rates and uncertain growth in Japan and the United States.

As U.S. consumers demand better fuel economy, Nissan has already shifted more emphasis to higher-margin sedans and away from full-sized pickup trucks and SUVs such as Titan and Armada models. The company has flourished in the U.S. market so far, posting record sales for a sixth straight month in August despite a dearth of new models this year.

FUTURE RISK?

Nissan said it expected sales for the year ending Sept. 30 to exceed 3.65 million vehicles worldwide, compared with its target of 3.6 million and a record 3.4 million in the business year ended March 31, thanks to the introduction of numerous new models in late 2004 under a revival plan.

Nissan plans to raise sales further to 4.2 million vehicles by the year ending March 2008, offering 28 models, under a new three-year "Nissan Value-Up" business plan that began in April.

Further strong growth, however, could hang on whether Nissan can catch up with its rivals in development of next-generation cars such as hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles at a time when demand for fuel-efficient cars is rising, analysts say.

"Nissan had to curtail research and development investment in the late 1990s. It will be a problem if Nissan can't narrow the gap with Toyota and Honda when the market starts expanding sharply," said Tatsuya Mizuno, analyst at Fitch Ratings.

Nissan will deliver its first hybrid car next year to the U.S. market, but using technology licensed from Toyota.

The market is also focusing on how Ghosn, who became chief executive of Renault as well as Nissan in May, will streamline operations of the Japanese and French car giants to introduce new models faster and at lower cost.

Ghosn said, "Having one CEO on two companies is going to make synergies much more intense." He said large synergies that exist between the two firms will help raise their bottom-line profits in the future, but declined to comment on details.

Nissan has ruled out any merger at group level, but its chief operating officer, Toshiyuki Shiga, was quoted by German newspaper Boersen-Zeitung as saying that finance and logistics are possible areas where a combination makes sense and that a cross-border team was working on such issues.

Nissan's 10.8 percent sales jump in 2004/05 was driven by new models such as the Fuga luxury sedan and Tiida compact car, helping it to post a fourth straight year of record operating profits at 861 billion yen ($7.73 billion).