Nowadays, it isn’t enough for a luxury car to simply be flashy. Buyers expect lasting impressions, solid engineering, and, sometimes, a little more in the way of added bonuses. While many top names, including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Rolls-Royce, and Bentley, tick most of the boxes on a modern luxury car buyer’s list, some have gone the extra mile to ensure their product leaves passengers thoroughly satisfied — even after exiting the vehicle.
Luxury cars are one of the ultimate symbols of wealth and fortune; they continue to evolve in order to propel their occupants in the highest levels of comfort possible. But some features have come along that are so excessive that you wouldn’t even think they could be fitted to a car. Whether it be gadgets, refreshments, or even just decoration, here are ten brilliant features.
Champagne Refrigerators
Toasting To The Age Of Success
Think of excessive luxury, and you’ll likely think of even more excessive champagne. Multiple car brands have, too, which is why many of the most luxurious models from the likes of Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Mercedes-Maybach come equipped with fridges containing drinks and glasses between the back seats. This is often an optional extra or part of the cost of the car, enabling you to raise a toast to yourself while being driven along with a tipple of your choosing. A classy way of rewarding yourself after a long day of CEO-ing.
Umbrellas
A Rolls-Royce Staple
This is a minor, thoughtful detail from Rolls-Royce, but one that truly matters the most. Luxury is a state of great comfort or elegance, meaning no inconveniences, such as rain, should be hampering the mind or dampening your finery. This is why every Rolls-Royce comes with an umbrella, conveniently kept slotted inside the door.
Simply pushing a button pops the umbrella out of the side door cavity. There are drainage points for the rainwater as well as warm air pumps inside that dry the umbrella before its owner needs to use it again. This now hallmark feature from Rolls-Royce is priced at an additional $700 to $1,500, but when purchasing a car at around $500,000, that’s a mere raindrop in the ocean.
Aston Martin’s Transponder Watch
For The Ultimate James Bond Cosplayer
This is potentially the most James Bond-like possession it’s possible to own. The Jaeger LeCoultre AMVOX2 Transponder was an optional feature for any Aston Martin, priced at $29,500. As well as being a pristine mechanical watch, it also had a built-in antenna and transponder inside that allowed owners to lock, unlock, or flash the lights on their Aston Martin. This exclusive collaboration spanned from 2006 to 2014, and remains the coolest car key we’ve ever seen.
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Pop-Up Tweeters
Delivering Absolute In-Cabin Immersion
We all love good in-car sound systems, but once again, Aston Martin took it to a new level with these pop-up tweeters that rise from the dashboard. Bang and Olufsen formerly collaborated with Aston Martin to create this sound system; it can be found in the Rapide and some DBS and DB9 variants.
It wasn’t just a show, they were placed like this for a reason, specially designed to optimize high-frequency dispersion directly toward the occupants. This resulted in a crisp, clear sound quality that made for a more immersive and theatrical experience. This option cost $9,000 and was a truly unique gimmick, but speaker technology has evolved, and Aston now opts for fixed speakers.
In-Car Cinemas
Theater-Rivaling Experiences On The Go
Big screens in cars are a touchy modern subject for many, but these are definitely welcomed. TV screens are a common piece in premium cars, but the novelty just doesn’t get old. This is perhaps the ultimate form of rear passenger entertainment, the cure to long journey boredom, and a perfect way to catch up with your favorite shows during a busy schedule.
While many cars come with screens in the back, they’re typically on the smaller side at around 11 inches. Get creative enough with an iPad, and you’re basically there. But the one that knocks them all out of the park is the one in the BMW 7 Series. It’s a 31-inch 8K ‘Theater Screen’ that folds down from the roof; it has high-end audio and even Amazon Fire TV streaming. Forget curing boredom, this is a fully immersive cinema experience, and you’ll be looking forward to long journeys.
Mulliner Hamper
Turning Picnic Into A Luxurious Experience
Mulliner is a coach-building and customization division within Bentley, and this project of theirs for the Bentayga provides the fanciest car picnic one could ever experience. It’s probably the most expensive, too, as the car starts at around $230,000, and the hamper itself is a further $28,000 to $40,000.
This whole hamper set is placed on a docking mechanism that allows it to be pulled forward or even removed; the lids can also be used as seats as you eat with the bespoke china crockery, cutlery, and crystal glassware that’s included. You’ll also have a distinctive Bentley ‘Flying B’ bottle stopper for your booze, additional storage, and a fridge; it’s essentially the perfect setup for a day at the horse races.
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‘Hot Stone Massage’ Seat Functionality
The Highest Level Of Relaxation On Tap
Such wealth to spend on a luxury car is often the result of hard work and high stress. A hot stone massage may be in order, and Mercedes decided that they could incorporate such a feature into the S-Class. Massage seats are a staple of luxury cars and have been around for a while, but it’s Mercedes that leads the way in their sophistication with this incredible functionality. The ‘hot stone massage’ setting utilizes 14 air chambers within the seat that are controlled by a pump, simulating the warm sensation of a professional hot stone massage as you drive along.
Biometric-Secure Stowage
For Storing Your Precious Heirlooms While On The Road
If you have $230,000 to spend on a car, then you’ve likely got some other pretty expensive possessions as well. You’ll be a person who values security, and as a result, you’ll appreciate Bentley’s biometric storage unit that sits between the front seats. Just like when unlocking your phone, your fingerprint will unlock your personal high-pressure die-cast aluminum unit, discreetly finished in black and located under the armrest. It’s the perfect place to secure your finest sunglasses, a delicate phone, or, crucially, your wallet.
Emergency Escape System
A Blast Bunker On Wheels
Money, of course, cannot make you immune from having an accident, and being a VIP may even mean you have a target on your back. Happily, it also means you can be driven around in a Range Rover, and the Sentinel has you covered in a worst-case scenario. In the event of an accident or attack, and the doors are not an option, there’s an escape hatch hidden discreetly in the boot that allows you to exit quickly and safely. This is in addition to the cars’ B7 grade armor, explosion-proof underbody, and bulletproof glass. If such a defense is good enough for a monarch, it’s good enough for us.
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Stars In The Headliner
Reserved For Those Who Shine The Brightest
Only Rolls-Royce could make interior ambient lighting look basic. It’s another example of how they continue to push the boundaries through the finer details. The ‘Starlight Headliner’ is a feature for the Phantom, Cullinan, Spectre, and the Ghost. The infinite-looking stars above those inside are made by perforating the leather with 800 to 1,600 holes, then filling them with fiber optics.
The constellation of each Starlight Headliner is completely unique to the owner. Typically, it takes nine hours to craft, but a personalized pattern needs its own template, which can take as long as a week to complete. Two Rolls-Royce craftspeople marry their skills to create this extraordinary feature.
More amazingly, every single component, down to the stitching details and textile materials, is assembled and installed by hand by the exceptional craftspeople at Rolls-Royce. The development of this unique interior option originates from ‘Rolls-Royce Bespoke’, the brand’s personalization program. After it was done once, many customers were inspired to follow suit and have tailored patterns and constellations of their choosing.
Sources: Various Manufacturers