17 quirky car features you didn't know you needed

What are some of the quirkiest features in cars of past and present?

When you're looking at leasing your next car, you probably have a fairly standard checklist of features in mind.

Four wheels, an engine, and a decent boot space. 

And if you're a bit more tech-savvy, perhaps an impressive infotainment system with all the bells and whistles.

But some manufacturers have gone the extra mile, adding truly quirky features that give their vehicles real character and a certain je ne sais quoi.

We've scoured the automotive world to find some of our favourites from past and present. And trust us, choosing was no easy task. 

There are some absolute gems out there.

So, buckle up as we take you through 17 of the quirkiest car features that you never knew you existed – but might soon be wishing your set of wheels had them.

Modern quirky features

Mercedes-Benz S-Class and E Class: Energising Comfort Control

Combining climate control, ambient lighting, seat massage and scent, Mercedes-Benz’s Energising Comfort Control is like having your own personal spa on wheels.

Available in premium models like the S-Class and E-Class, it's designed to create the perfect driving mood for you and your passengers.

Because why simply drive when you can make it an experience?

Much like the right playlist creates the perfect vibe for a long road trip, so does this multi-sensory experience from Mercedes-Benz. It might seem extravagant, but after a stressful day, having your car actively help you unwind puts you miles ahead of the competition.

We've not tried it in a traffic jam on the M25, but we'll take anything to make that experience a little more bearable.

BMW: Gesture control

Become a magician behind the wheel with BMW’s gesture control system.

Available in select BMW models, this neat little feature allows you to control things like volume and navigation with a mere flick of your hand. No magic wand required.

Like any good wizard, a clockwise twirl of the finger will increase the volume of your favourite radio station, while a swipe to the right will reject that call that's interrupted your car-aoke session. 

Perfect for when you're mid-chorus and don't want to take your hands off the wheel.

It's not actual magic, but you'll feel magical. And that's what really counts when you're stuck in traffic on your commute home.

This tech might seem like a gimmick at first glance, but there's something undeniably satisfying about controlling your car with a wave of your hand. 

It puts you in the driving seat in more ways than one.

Rolls-Royce: Starlight headliner

Rolls-Royce have one of the most beautiful, yet quirky, features on this list.

The Starlight Headliner essentially turns the roof of your car into your very own personal observatory, with hundreds of fibre-optic lights twinkling away like stars above your head.

And, best of all, you can customise your sky, so you're always looking at your favourite constellation. You can even get it to show the night sky – exactly as it looked mind you – from any meaningful date in your life. 

Got engaged under the stars? Now you can re-live that moment on every drive.

It'll transport you straight back to your childhood bedroom with the stick-on, glow-in-the-dark stars, but without the fear of them falling on your face in the middle of the night. 

Plus, there’s no need for a ladder to put them up.

Range Rover: Event seating

Have you ever driven your Range Rover to an event, say, your child's rugby match, and forgotten to bring your fold-up camping chairs?

Or even gone camping and forgotten them altogether?

Bit niche, granted, but if you ever find yourself in this predicament, you'll be glad that you've added the Range Rover Autobiography's optional event seating to your lease specification.

Finished in a choice of either ebony or tan Windsor leather, this retractable bench turns your boot into a plush seating area, before folding away under the boot floor when not in use.

Handy for those impromptu picnics, unexpected firework displays, or just when you want to feel a bit posh while watching little Jimmy score his first try.

No more perching uncomfortably on the edge of your boot, or worse, standing in a muddy field while everyone else looks cosy in their chairs. This is Range Rover's way of ensuring you never compromise on comfort – even when you're outside the vehicle.

It's the sort of feature that makes you think, "Do I really need this?" quickly followed by "Absolutely, yes I do."

Bentley: Falconry, fly fishing, and the world’s most expensive car clock

If you have a niche interest, Bentley are likely to cater to it. And by niche, we mean properly niche.

The Bentayga options list is crammed with some of the most unusual features we've ever seen, including a Mulliner falconry kit (complete with perch, tether, and storage area for your bird of prey) and a Mulliner fly fishing kit (with four fishing rods in their own leather-trimmed tubes, a cool box for your catch, and a 'Master Tackle Station' for those ever-important accessories).

Not into fly fishing or falconry? No worries, Bentley has you covered – assuming you're into horology instead.

If you've got a cool £117,000 burning a hole in your pocket, you can opt to add the Mulliner Tourbillon by Breitling clock to your dashboard.

That's not a typo – we really do mean £117,000 for a car clock.

Machined out of solid gold with eight diamonds marking the hours, you can choose between mother-of-pearl or black ebony for the face. It's wound automatically by the car's motion, ensuring it's always keeping perfect time while you drive around.

Beautiful? Certainly.

But is it nearly enough to buy a second Bentayga? Yes.

McLaren 720S: Folding display

With the 720S, McLaren have tackled one of the most pressing issues of our automotive times: what to do when the driver's display is so jam-packed with information that it just starts to annoy you.

McLaren knew what to do.

To minimise distractions but maximise visibility, they've made it so that the driver's display screen can be folded away into the dash, replaced by a second, much smaller screen that reveals only the most basic information.

It's McLaren's way of saying, We know you bought this car to drive it, not to stare at pretty graphs.

Genesis GV60: Crystal sphere

Perhaps one of the most useless features ever created, but there’s no denying that the crystal sphere in the Genesis GV60 is dead cool.

Essentially, it’s a glass ball that’s set into the centre console and glows when you approach the car with the key. When you start the car, the sphere rotates in and transforms into the rotary-knob gear selector, which glows the same colour as the spere.

It all feels very The Blue Crystal, which is one of the best plays a primary school can put on.

But Genesis claims it’s not just delightfully useless.

The sphere does act as a safety feature: when it’s retracted, the car is on and ready to drive. If the car is charging, the sphere won’t rotate, saving you from driving off with the cable attached.

Ford Puma: Megabox

Got a big family or muddy hobbies?

The Ford Puma Megabox is exactly what you need.

It's a lower load compartment in the boot, providing an extra 80L of boot space and has the ability to take items up to 115cm tall.

The box is also waterproof, with a drainage plug in the bottom so you can easily clean it (or hose items down in it). Excellent if you're often transporting muddy wellies, football boots, or really anything else you don't want to get all over the back seats.

Perfect for those post-match football days or family beach trips when sand gets absolutely everywhere.

BYD ATTO 3: Guitar strings

The BYD ATTO 3 is the definition of business on the outside, party on the inside.

To look at, you’d never know that the pretty sensible exterior of this SUV houses such fun features, with nearly everything you put your hand on in the cabin having some sort of quirky twist.

Air vents modelled after weight plates? Check.

Gear selector that looks like a treadmill? Check.

Guitar string door pockets that actually let you play a tune? You got it – check.

Even the touchscreen rotates, so you can have it in either landscape or portrait.

Quirky, but useful – we do love the ATTO 3.

Audi: Espresso machine

It’s not just the Italians who love a good coffee. The German’s love it too: pretty much any Audi model can be equipped with an on-the-go espresso maker.

The Audi model plugs into the 12V and can produce piping hot espresso in a matter of minutes.

While you can only use it while the car is safely parked – no mid-traffic jam coffee breaks here – if you like a little coffee when you’re on a long journey, but don’t want to pay service station prices, this is an excellent loophole.

The Audi package even comes complete with Audi-branded carrying cases, two espresso cups, 18 pods and a cleaning cloth.

SKODA: Umbrellas and ice scrapers

Forever one of the most sensible brands, SKODA’s quirky features are less quirky and more, well, useful.

SKODA knows that there’s a high chance you’ve not checked the weather forecast before you’ve left the house. Even if you have, it’s Britain, it’ll probably rain anyway.

No bother, your faithful SKODA lease will have umbrellas in the door pockets, ready to protect your ‘do from the mizzly weather.

There’s even an ice scraper under the fuel cap, if you ever get stuck in the winter.

It's these small touches that make you realise SKODA truly understands British drivers. No fancy light shows or rotating dashboards – just practical solutions to everyday problems.

Sometimes the best features are the ones you actually use.

Historical quirky features

Volvo S80: Anti-kidnapping heartbeat sensor

Volvo has always been at the forefront of thoughtful safety innovations, and the S80's heartbeat detector is a perfect example of their ingenuity.

This clever feature allowed drivers to detect if someone was inside their car before approaching it. The sensor could pick up a heartbeat from within the vehicle and transmit this information directly to your key fob.

It's this kind of forward-thinking that makes Volvo's approach to vehicle safety so comprehensive – going beyond just protecting you during a drive to considering your entire journey.

A quirky but potentially valuable feature that showcases how automotive innovation extends beyond performance and comfort.

1984 Toyota Van: Ice maker

Now this is one that we wish they’d bring back.

The 1984 Toyota Van which, yes, was just called the Van, was designed and marketed to be a family vehicle.

And what does a family vehicle need more than anything else?

Obviously, an ice maker.

The size of a shoebox, this handy little device even came equipped with spill-proof ice trays so you could enjoy a cold beverage no matter how far from home you were.

Volkswagen Beetle: Steering wheel vase

One of the cutest features – and arguably the most useless – the Volkswagen Beetle steering wheel vase.

Yes.

A vase that sits behind the steering wheel.

Not very big, mind you. No fancy bouquets here. 

But if you fancy popping in a couple of your favourite blooms, or maybe you need somewhere to stash a pen – quite a handy feature all the same.

Honda CR-V: Boot shower

Buried deep in the options list for the very first Honda CR-V was the ability to add a shower attachment to the boot of your car.

Powered by the 12V socket in the boot, it was advertised as being useful for hosing down muddy boots. Also useful, we suppose, if you’ve been on a particularly muddy walk and don’t want the dog getting your back seats all mucky.

But it’s set quite low to the ground for a shower.

Not much use if you’ve been caught short camping, and need an emergency body wash.

1955 Dodge La Femme: Handbag and accessories

The Dodge La Femme was launched in 1955 and ostensibly marketed as a car ‘for women.’

And what do women need?

A pink car that comes equipped with its own handbag and all the accessories you could ever need.

While the colour is very pretty, being given a handbag to go with your car does feel a little patronising. 

Undeniably quirky though – the sort of thing that could only be dreamt up in a post-war world looking to a brighter future full of pocket combs and lipstick.

It even had a compartment on the back of the driver’s seat for a raincoat, rain hat and umbrella, which, granted, is much more useful than a handbag full of bits you’ve not chosen.

1981 Datsun Maxima: Voice warning system

The first car in the US to come with a voice warning system, the Datsun Maxima would give you alerts like ‘please turn off the lights.’

As the tech expanded over the years, the car would even thank you if you complied with its demands.

While you can ask your car to do all sorts of things these days if it’s equipped with voice control, it would be quite fun if the car could talk back to you. 

Like a sentient robot, without the taking over the world aspect, obviously.

The road ahead: Quirky features driving innovation

From massage seats and crystal spheres to ice makers and talking cars, it's clear that manufacturers have always pushed the envelope when it comes to adding personality to their vehicles.

These quirky features do more than just create talking points – they often pave the way for innovations that become standard in future models.

Today's gimmick could be tomorrow's must-have.

So next time you're looking for your perfect car lease, why not consider something with a bit of extra character? You can get a factory order lease and personalize your car to be exactly what you need (or want!).

After all, you might discover a feature you never knew you needed, but soon won't be able to live without.