We were listening to a bit of Car Talk in the car on Saturday, and they had a great Puzzler. I think this one needs some group think. As best I remember it (because it's not on the site yet):

There is a model of American car, that, if you remove the last letter of the name you get another word. Remove the last letter of that word and you get another word. You can do this two more times for a total of four. In addition, you can take the original word (the car model name), remove the *first* letter, and get yet another word.

They didn't say that the first set of words were distinctly different, so I don't know how similar the words are to each other.

Any guesses? (No, I haven't got a clue. I got last week's, but I don't know enough cars to start on this one!)

Well, the way I figure, it has to have at least six letters. (Remove total of four from the end, remove one from the beginning and you're left with one, which could be A or I)

No answer or guess yet, but I did find this site that you might like, Melanie!

Oh, good thinking on the A or I, Lynn!

One thing, I may be wrong about it being an American car. But it is a car whose name is a word rather than a number/letter combo.

Oh, no, wait, you're thinking wrong - you put the whole word back together and *only* remove the first letter to get a new one. For example, with the word "pears" you could get:

Pear
Pea
Ears

Okay, let's try this then.

Ford
For
Fo
Ord

Nope, that doesn't work, but is that the concept?

As I understood it, yes. Except it's a model like Escort or Legacy, not a maker.

I don't know the answer yet, but I found the complete question:

Quote:Most motor vehicles sold in this country have both a manufacturer's name and model name, like Chevrolet Malibu, Toyota Corolla, where Chevrolet is the manufacturer and Malibu is the model, or Toyota is the manufacturer, and Carolla is the model.

Some manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes, Audi, to name a few, don't think enough of their cars to actually give them model names and use a bunch of numbers and letters instead. But I digress.

Let's take one of those motor vehicles that has an actual model name and is currently being sold in the United States and it could be a car, a truck, an SUV, it doesn't matter, it's a model that is currently sold in the United States.

Take that model name. Remove the last letter, and the remaining letters, in order, spell a new word. Now remove the new last letter, and you have yet another new word. Do it again and you have now another new word. Do it once more and you have another new word. So you'll have done it four times, and have four different words, all of which you can find in the dictionary.

Here's the last piece of it. Now put all the pieces back, go back to the original word, and remove the first letter. And you have yet another new word.

What's the model name?

Maxima works with removing the final letters, but not the first one

I think I have it. I'm going to submit it to car talk, then repost here.

Edit, no I'm not... I want the prize all to myself. Muahahaha!

Quote:Thanks for sending us your answer to this week's Car Talk puzzler!

In case you were wondering, here's the process we go through to select each week's winner:

First, we have to be certain you have the correct answer. We start by sending your answer to Paul Murky, at Murky Research. Murky, working with our Statistician Marge Innovera, will place your puzzler answer in one of two heaps: "not even close" and "pretty much right."

Assuming it passes by Paul and Marge, your answer will then be zipped along to Central Processing, where it will be date and time stamped, and searched for attached currency. Next, it will be shipped electronically to our Correct Answer Verification Center, where our legions of lackeys once again search your answer for any lingering currency-- just in case someone at Central Processing missed it. Then, they make certain that your response fits the criterion we have established for correct answers.

Please note that since we're often unsure of what the right answer is ourselves, we have very wide latitude in determining what constitutes a correct answer. Incorrect answers, however, will be sent to the Jehovah's Witnesses for immediate inclusion in their mailing list.

Lastly, correct answers will be sent to Ms. Shirley Wright, who operates under the auspices of the Committee for Reviewing Answers to Puzzlers. There, operating under complete secrecy, Ms. Wright will pick a winner.

If your response is selected as this week's winning entry, we'll announce your name on the air. You'll also get a $26 gift certificate to our Shameless Commerce Division-- but only if you catch us. Which means, what? You'll need to e mail us and mention that you heard your name on the air. If you're smart, you'll then trade your new Shameless Commerce Gift Certificate to an unsuspecting co-worker, for a cup of coffee and twenty-five cents. Why $26? Simple. It used to be $25... but we adjusted for inflation. About ten years ago. (No kidding.)

Cordially,

Tom and Ray Magliozzi
Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers

So since I don't have satellite radio any more, and I don't get "good" NPR any more, you'll have to let me know if I won

The answer is Ranger.