It’s that time of the year again, April 1, when buttoned-down PR folks and self-respecting journalists from all fields try their hand at comedy.
Once again we’ve assembled some of the better April Fools’ pranks pulled by the automotive industry.
BMW Unicorn Parts
Apparently you can now option up the BMW 4 Series with optional Official Unicorn Parts. No doubt PETA will incensed if BMW is using real unicorns for the car’s wing mirrors and bonnet ornament.
We’re waiting to hear back from BMW about whether the Unicorn Parts catalogue includes a double rainbow generator.
BMW dDrive
Not to be outdone by headquarters, BMW’s UK arm has come up with the dDrive doggy basket, which, with the help of a built-in fan, gives your favourite pooch the wind-in-the-air experience without the dangers of sticking one’s neck out the window of a moving vehicle.
Ford Active Thank Assist
Ford Australia’s world firsts include the creation of the coupe utility. Now the Blue Oval’s antipodean arm can add Active Thank Assist to its honour roll.
Via a button on the steering wheel, drivers can project a thank you wave via reverse head-up technology onto the rear windscreen. The system also includes detection technology, allowing it to automatically send a thank you wave should the driver forget to do so themselves.
Honda H-Swipe in-car dating app
If setting aside five minutes for Tinder is too much of an ask, Honda has the solution with its new H-Swipe in-car dating app.
With H-Swipe, potential dates are projected on to the windscreen, and all the driver has to do use buttons on the steering wheel to swipe these candidates with either the left or right windshield wiper.
Road safety advocates will be happy to hear that H-Swipe only works when the car is at a standstill.
Hyundai UK – Click to Fly
Following on from Hyundai UK’s Click to Buy service, an online car purchasing scheme, the company has launched a new drone delivery system. With a fleet of hydrogen fuel cell powered drones, the automaker promises to deliver your new Hyundai in under two hours — for one day only, though.
iRacing.com adds Porsche P133
With Porsche no longer limited to video games from EA, Porsches of all stripes and hues are beginning to populate your favourite driving simulators.
Following up the introduction of the 911 to iRacing.com earlier this year, the racing simulator will be adding “in the near future” a truly unique Porsche, the P133 diesel tractor.
Hopefully they’ll follow this up with some Lamborghini barnyard classics.
Lexus Lane Valet
If you’re sick of drivers hogging the fast lane on the highway, there’s now a better way than flashing high beams, honking or recklessly tailgating.
With the touch of a button, Lexus’ new Lane Valet system can connect to the car obstructing the fast lane, and, using semi-autonomous drivin technology, move them into the next lane when it’s safe to do so.
Lotus Pet Lids
Keen to take your feline friend for a spin around the track? Well, Lotus’ Pet Lids are the solution. Weighing just 25 grams, and available in a range of colours, these cat helmets were available to order for a few short hours on April 1.
Lyft Mono
Once upon a time, in a more trusting era, sticking out one’s arm and raising a thumb would snag you a ride and get you part of the way to your destination.
Lyft, the ride-hailing app, is tapping into some of that nostalgia with the Mono wearable. Connected wirelessly to your phone and the Lyft app, all you need to do is raise your thumb to hail a ride. Coloured indicators on the device let you know when your driver is about to arrive.
Not satisfied with the usual press release, photo and online video, Lyft, in true Silicon Valley spirit, has gone a step further with a dedicated website and working prototypes.
McLaren 570GT Feather Wrap
When McLaren’s engineers wanted to take their aerodynamics to the next level, the looked up to the sky. Until now, automakers had ignored the fastest and most aerodynamic animals on the planet.
In an act of biomimicry, McLaren has hand-applied 10,000 carbon-fibre-veined artificial feathers to the 570GT as part of the new optional Feather Wrap package.
MG M.I.C.E.
MG’s engineers have “infused” LED display technology into the front and rear windscreens, so drivers can now let other road users what they think through the power of emojis.
With the MG Inter-Car Emoji (M.I.C.E.) system, you can let right-lane hogs know how angry you are or, alternatively, thank someone who courteously let you into their lane.
Mini John Cooker Works
We all know that a Mini isn’t the cheapest small hatch you can buy. So, what better way to help defray the cost than to join the hustle economy, and setup your own artisanal sushi parlour with ethically-sourced ingredients from Uganda?
Not only does the lightweight wood surface fold up for storage in the boot, food waste can be fed into the car to help power it, making your next trip to the organic water farm just that little bit more ecologically sound.
What’s your favourite from this year’s crop? Maybe you’ve found a gem that we missed. Let us know in the comments section below.
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