Weird Car Features That Actually Exist!
Cars have come a long way from simply having four wheels, a steering wheel and somewhere to throw your coat. These days, manufacturers are adding features that sound less like car equipment and more like something someone invented during a very long lunch break.
Some are clever. Some are luxurious. Some are completely unnecessary. But all of them are real.
A Fiat with its own espresso machine
Yes, really. The Fiat 500L was once available with a proper Lavazza espresso machine built into the car. Fiat even described it as the first standard production car in the world to offer a fully integrated espresso coffee machine as an accessory. Because apparently a normal cup holder just was not Italian enough.
It used Lavazza A Modo Mio capsules and fitted into the passenger compartment through a special deck designed by Fiat. It is possibly the most Fiat thing Fiat has ever done.
A Škoda with an ice scraper hidden in the fuel flap
Škoda has made a whole personality out of small, clever features, and one of the best is the ice scraper hidden inside the fuel filler flap on many of its cars. It is one of those features that sounds boring until you are stood outside at 7:30am trying to scrape your windscreen with an old loyalty card.
Some Škoda models have also offered umbrellas integrated into the doors, which feels like the sort of thing every UK car should have as standard, to be honest.
A Bentley dashboard that spins around
Bentley decided that simply having a touchscreen was not dramatic enough. The Bentley Rotating Display allows the driver to switch between a central touchscreen, three traditional analogue gauges or a clean veneer panel at the touch of a button.
It is basically the automotive version of a secret bookcase door, except with more leather and probably a much bigger invoice.
Tesla Pet Mode
Tesla’s Pet Mode keeps the cabin at a set temperature while your pet waits inside the car. The touchscreen also displays a message to reassure people walking past that climate control is keeping the furry passenger comfortable.
It is one of those features that sounds slightly silly until you realise it could stop someone smashing your window because they think your dog has been abandoned.
A Ford Mustang with a drift brake
The Ford Mustang has an available Drift Brake feature, and yes, it does pretty much what it sounds like. Ford says that when Drift Brake is on, the brake handle applies braking to the rear wheels only and locks them up.
It is not exactly something you need on the school run, but it is definitely one of the coolest factory features you can explain to someone in a car park.
A Honda with a built in vacuum cleaner
The Honda Odyssey has offered HondaVAC, a built in vacuum cleaner stored in the cargo area side panel. Honda says the hose can reach all the way to the front passenger area, making it possible to clean virtually the whole interior.
For families, this is not weird. This is survival equipment.
Citroën’s big rubber door bubbles
The Citroën C4 Cactus became famous for its Airbump panels, those bubbly looking side panels designed to help protect the car from everyday bumps and scrapes. Citroën later said slimmer Airbump panels helped make the C4 Cactus more resistant to minor damage in the compact hatchback segment.
It looked like the car was wearing bubble wrap, but honestly, in supermarket car parks, maybe Citroën had a point.
A Mercedes that can perfume itself
Mercedes-Benz has offered the AIR BALANCE system, which can add fragrance to the cabin. Some versions of Mercedes comfort technology also combine climate control, seat heating or ventilation, massage functions, ambient lighting and music to create a more relaxing interior.
Basically, the car can smell nicer than your house and give you a spa day while stuck in traffic. Slightly ridiculous? Yes. Would we complain? Absolutely not.
So, are these features genius or just madness?
That is the fun part. Some of these features are genuinely useful. An ice scraper in the fuel flap? Genius. A built in vacuum? Brilliant. Pet Mode? Actually very thoughtful.
Others are pure automotive theatre. A spinning Bentley dashboard, a perfumed Mercedes interior and a Fiat espresso machine are not exactly essential, but they are the kind of strange details that make cars interesting.
Because sometimes, the best car features are not the ones that make the most sense. They are the ones that make you say: “Wait, that actually exists?”
Credits
Image of LazAzza coffee machine belongs to LazAzza
Image of Skoda of Ice Scraper belongs to Skoda
Image of Bentley dashboard belongs to Bentley
Image of Tesla dashboard belongs to Tesla
Image of Ford Mustang drift brake belongs to Ford
Image of Honda built in vaccum belongs to Honda
Image of Citroën rubber door bubbles belong to Shutterstock Marko Poplasen
References
Bentley Motors (n.d.) Continental GT Speed: Bentley Rotating Display.
Fiat / Stellantis (2012) FIAT and Lavazza Brew Up Fresh Innovations.
Fiat / Stellantis (2013) FIAT 500L: 500 Goes Large Press Pack.
Ford (n.d.) How do I use the Mustang Drift Brake?
Honda (n.d.) HondaVAC: 2020 Honda Odyssey Feature Guide.
Hyundai (n.d.) Remote Smart Parking Assist Operation.
Mercedes-Benz of Stevens Creek (n.d.) What is the Mercedes-Benz Air Balance Package?
Nissan (n.d.) ProPILOT Park.
Škoda Storyboard (2025) An ice scraper, an umbrella, and dozens more: The birth of the Simply Clever phenomenon.
Tesla (n.d.) Summer Driving Tips: Pet Mode.
