A rental car can offer you enormous freedom when exploring a new place. But even if you aren’t a multilingual maestro, there is still a good chance that you’ll need to talk with your local mechanic (or anyone else who may need to help you with the car).
So, it’s helpful to know the vocabulary for some of the essential parts of a car in english. For example, the part of a car used to hold items you won’t need access to without stopping the vehicle is called the boot in British English and the trunk in American English.
Similarly, the extra panels on either side of a car’s wheel-arches were once thought to resemble wings and so were given that name. Nowadays however they are usually referred to as ‘panels’, although if they are at the points of a car most likely to come into contact with other vehicles then they might be called ‘bumpers’ (as in a small incident that could result in a ‘fender bender’ in the States).
There are many more terms to learn, from the engine and its various components to the suspension and steering system. But the best way to learn them is by listening and talking to people, so be sure to visit your local English club or practice with italki’s native speakers. If you want to take your learning to the next level, FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized English lessons.