Help me determine a cool naming convention.

So my day job involves designing airless shot blast wheels.  Part of our projects this year is a sweeping change to the design, moving to a second generation of blast wheels.  Our first generation wheels will still be available as service parts but not going to be our primary products any more.

Our wheels are named as follows

• M1 - smallest
• M2-next largest
• M3 - next larges
• All the way out to M5

Where I need help is naming the second generation.

• G2, Genesis, Gen II is already taken by the competition
• Super is already taken by the competition.
• Owner and my boss is a big military/history guy so naming conventions used by the US armed forces would be in favor.  

Need something that signifies being better, upgraded, easier to work on, lower piece count.  Second generation.

All wheels, M1 to M5, will be getting this monkier applied to them.

For bonus points, we are also rolling out a new smaller blast wheel, smaller than the M1.  Currently in the running for naming is M Zero or M1A.

Any ideas?

M00...M10...M20...etc.

M00 is the new smaller wheel (better not come out with an even smaller wheel though as the naming convention would get ugly)

Some version of Evo/Evolution or Revo/Revolution? The 'Revolution' option could have dual meaning since they're wheels

I'm better at naming race horses.

For the military, an upgrade in equipment while being the same product they add "A1"  upgrading that gets "A2"

So,  M1A1, M2A1, etc.  That could get confusing on google, though as the Abrams tank is M1A1 or M1A2

The new hotness in the military is to add "X" to everything (F-15EX, DDGX, etc)

So how about M0X, M1X, etc?

+1 on the A1, A2. Fun crossover. Use it in your marketing for giggles too

The boss already mentioned calling it the M1A1,  so thats on the table

I do like the M1 Revolution or Evolution - both have a good ring to it and is what the project truly is.

Thanks for the help so far

In reply to Javelin (Forum Supporter) :

Generally "X" means an experimental design.

Mark designations? Mkll.00, Mkll.01, etc. 

Oh. This stuff I like.

edit: had to Google it.  

Mix in a word for the process that uses them. Maybe "batch". I also like the use of zeros and suffixes.  
 

first batch 

M01 Gen 1

2nd batch 

M00 Gen 2

M01 Gen 2

Edit: reading comprehension fail. Read several replies... and forgot the first post said Competition uses Gen2. Homer says dOH!

Mx MLU (mid-life upgrade)? Mx Block (Block 20, Block 30, etc.)?? Former is less open-ended, possibly limiting future extension.

Old_Town said:

Mark designations? Mkll.00, Mkll.01, etc. 

I like this one.

Could go with Fighter jet stuff. 

M1 Block II

M2 Block II etc.

M1-B, 

M1-Eagle or Super Eagle (Hell yeah F-15)

In reply to Mr_Asa :

At the beginning, yes. At the end it's the "neXt generation" moniker.

Just whatever you do don't add i to it.

iM1, iM2, iM3 probably will be a commercial success but I will be sad for you.  

Javelin (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Mr_Asa :

At the beginning, yes. At the end it's the "neXt generation" moniker.

I like this, keep it simple.

Next Generation product:

NXG-Z  (Smaller, more versatile than M1)

NXG-1

NXG-2

Provides new product line, keeps familiar numbering system that your customers are accustomed to.

I would probably just add A after, to indicate the next revision like you would do on an engineering drawing. 

Then when you do the next rev, they become M1-B, then M1-C, etc.

Alpha 1

Bravo 2

etc...

Another taken from the .mil is the "mod" designation.  For example, MK262 is accurized 5.56mm ammo for SOF.  There are a few variants of this and each is a "mod."

MK262 Mod 0

MK262 Mod 1

And so on.  So you could keep your naming convention M1, M2, M3, etc and the new version could be:

M1 Mod 1

M2 Mod 1

This way your customers still know the product is different in the same ways they always have been (M1 Mod 1 different than M2 Mod 1 in the same way M1 and M2 originally were), but that it's an updated version.  Then, moving forward you can have all the "mod" designations you need.

As for the new, smaller wheel, call it the M0.  Mod still applies. Too many fancy marketing names just confuses people I think.  You get so far down the line having changed the name every time you make an update and you lose focus on where the product originated and what it was intended to do.

z31maniac said:

I would probably just add A after, to indicate the next revision like you would do on an engineering drawing. 

Then when you do the next rev, they become M1-B, then M1-C, etc.

This is pretty good too.  And simple.  "V" designations would be similar. M1v1, M1v2...

z31maniac said:

I would probably just add A after, to indicate the next revision like you would do on an engineering drawing. 

Then when you do the next rev, they become M1-B, then M1-C, etc.

This has my vote.  Simple and easy to understand.

Or, someone else's good idea...  

Going forward just give everything the letter Q and some random numbers.  

• Q40
• Q50
• Q60
• Q70

Throw in an X and also have

• QX30
• QX50
• QX60
• QX70
• QX80

But, of course, as an example, make is so the Q60 really has nothing in common with the QX60, etc.  

In reply to John Welsh (Moderate Supporter) :

Don't do that.  That sort of stupidity could go on to infiniti... 

Take a hint from graphics cards manufacturers.  They follow a very logical naming convention.

Or Microsoft.