How to Identify a Car You See on the Street

How can I find out what car I saw?

Look for a maker badge or model name, then compare the body shape, lights and side profile. If you can safely take a photo, include the whole car from a front or rear three-quarter angle: a view that shows one end and one side together.

On iPhone, you can take that photo inside SPOT to get an AI-assisted identification and save the discovery to your garage. Treat the result as a suggestion to check against the visible details, especially when different generations look alike.

Read the clues in this order

1. Badge and lettering. A maker emblem gets you to the brand; readable model lettering can narrow it further. Keep both in your photo when possible. Missing or replaced badges are a reason to check another clue.
2. Body shape. Note the number of doors, the roof shape and whether the car has a separate boot or a rear hatch. These observations help rule out a similar-looking car in a different body style.
3. Lights and grille. Look at the outline of the headlights and rear lights, rather than just their colour. Grilles, bumpers and light graphics can change between generations or updates.
4. Side details. Window shapes, vents, door handles and the line of the roof are useful when the front is obscured. A side intake is a clue, not an identification by itself: see our 911 vs Cayman comparison.

Wheels, paint and extra badges are useful context, but owners can change them. Try to match several independent details before deciding on an exact version.

Take a photo that gives the app more to work with

• Keep the full car visible. Leave space around the bumpers and roof rather than cropping down to a badge.
• Show two sides at once. A front three-quarter view captures the headlights, grille and profile. A rear three-quarter view adds the rear lights and any model lettering.
• Check sharpness and obstructions. Reflections, darkness, another parked car or motion blur may hide the detail needed to tell two versions apart.
• Change the angle when the result is uncertain. Another useful view may reveal more than repeating the same photo.

Stay on a safe, publicly accessible route. Do not step into traffic, enter private property or photograph while driving to get a better angle.

Make, model, generation: what does each mean?

Make is the manufacturer or brand. Model is the car family. Generation identifies a particular design era within that family. A facelift updates a design without necessarily creating a new generation; a trim is a version with particular equipment or performance.

A photo can support the make and model while leaving the exact generation or trim uncertain. Some differences are hidden inside the car, and registration year alone does not settle the question. An honest partial identification is more useful than an unsupported exact answer.

Identify and collect the cars you encounter

1. Open the camera in SPOT and photograph the car in front of you.
2. Review the suggested identity and any details that remain unconfirmed.
3. Keep your discovery in your garage and explore its history and facts when available.

SPOT is free to download on iPhone with iOS 18 or later, with a free identification allowance and optional SPOT Plus. See support for current allowance details. If you are new to the hobby, start with our first car spotting walk.