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z31maniac
z31maniac MegaDork
8/17/20 8:09 a.m.

I'll admit, I just saw this on another forum and figured y'all would be able to come up with way more interesting answers. 

Essentially, any automobile with an interesting feature.

Whether it's Rolls-Royce and the floating hub cap so the logo is always upright.

 

Or the slide down doors of the BMW Z1, whatcha got? 

 

Tyler H (Forum Supporter)
Tyler H (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand UberDork
8/17/20 8:29 a.m.

Mazda 626 oscillating vents.  

Video

https://i.imgur.com/FvDh0Ws.mp4

 

NickD
NickD UltimaDork
8/17/20 8:38 a.m.

My Toyota Yaris hatchback has 3 gloveboxes, which is pretty strange. One over the steering column and one on the top and bottom of the passenger side dashboard.

z31maniac
z31maniac MegaDork
8/17/20 8:42 a.m.
Tyler H (Forum Supporter) said:

Mazda 626 oscillating vents.  

Video

https://i.imgur.com/FvDh0Ws.mp4

 

Whoa! That's pretty rad, I've never seen that before!

Trent (Generally supportive dude)
Trent (Generally supportive dude) PowerDork
8/17/20 8:46 a.m.

late 50's to mid 60's Lancias have a spring loaded plunger on the brake fluid reservoir that pressurizes the fluid. You lift the plunger and can then crack the bleeders at the wheels to bleed the system without pumping the brake pedal. 

I think that is genius. 

NickD
NickD UltimaDork
8/17/20 8:50 a.m.

In reply to Trent (Generally supportive dude) :

That's berking amazing.

Appleseed
Appleseed MegaDork
8/17/20 9:27 a.m.

My FR-S (so the BRZ and GT86 as well) have a hidden power port in the glove box.

bluej (Forum Supporter)
bluej (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand UberDork
8/17/20 9:40 a.m.
NickD said:

In reply to Trent (Generally supportive dude) :

That's berking amazing.

yeah, now I'm trying to think through 3d-printing my own version you can size for whatever cap size your reservoir requires. hmm. 

 

Edit: not sure what other markets outside the US have cruise like this, but the recent gen focus we rented in NZ had a max speed cruise option that I loved. You could set a max speed, and it wouldn't let you past that unless you floored it. Helped keep a reasonable cruise. I learned of it after getting a ticket for what was essentially 65 in a 60. indecision

calteg
calteg Dork
8/17/20 9:43 a.m.

S2000's have a small hidden compartment between the seats:

 

 

Several vehicles had optional refrigerated center consoles, this one is in a Ford Flex:

 

TurnerX19
TurnerX19 SuperDork
8/17/20 9:47 a.m.

In reply to Trent (Generally supportive dude) :

That is just so Lancia Before Fessia of course.

KyAllroad (Jeremy) (Forum Supporter)
KyAllroad (Jeremy) (Forum Supporter) UltimaDork
8/17/20 10:10 a.m.

My Passat does something I haven't seen on any other car.  Every time you shut it off the wipers "flip" to the other side.  This way the rubber never takes a set (always on the down sweep) and does that unpleasant chatter on the upsweep.  Wipers seem to last a lot longer on this car because of it.

Also, if you have the wipers on and shift into reverse, it will give the rear window a wipe without you asking for it just to clear the visibility out back.

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter)
Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
8/17/20 10:14 a.m.
Trent (Generally supportive dude) said:

late 50's to mid 60's Lancias have a spring loaded plunger on the brake fluid reservoir that pressurizes the fluid. You lift the plunger and can then crack the bleeders at the wheels to bleed the system without pumping the brake pedal. 

I think that is genius. 

They also apparently come with a bungee cord as a throttle return spring.  Fascinating.

californiamilleghia
californiamilleghia Dork
8/17/20 10:16 a.m.

old Fiat 600s do not have a starter button , 

when I first got it I could not understand  what to do , so I took the cover off in the back seat so I could get to the starter.....

What did I find,,,,,,you need to pull the lever between the seats which pulls the "solenoid"  metal cable !

its a little like old pick-ups where you pushed down on the solenoid button.......

Great anti-theft  idea , except it only weighs about 1000 pounds anyway !

irish44j (Forum Supporter)
irish44j (Forum Supporter) MegaDork
8/17/20 10:18 a.m.

I find it kind of funny that my 2018 GTI has a CD player an SD reader, and multiple holders for USB drives in the glove box. It also has a smaller glove box on the left side of the steering column that I constantly forget about.

93gsxturbo
93gsxturbo SuperDork
8/17/20 10:20 a.m.

C5 Corvettes can access and clear all the error codes through a dance of the buttons next to the instrument cluster.  Can even do it while in motion on the road.  Gives more error codes than a standard OBDII scanner since it also does all the other modules.

A2 VWs and maybe a few others can do the VW Power Trick where you turn on the headlights and hold the brights and the accessory power will return to the car even with the key off/removed.  Maybe not that exact sequence, but close to it.

 

 

Trent (Generally supportive dude)
Trent (Generally supportive dude) PowerDork
8/17/20 10:29 a.m.

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

It looks like that is the owners attempt to hold the crankcase breather in situ. I accept no credit or blame for the state of this engine bay wink

Recon1342
Recon1342 Dork
8/17/20 11:27 a.m.

Our 2013 Odyssey has a "cool box" at the base of the console on the dash. Can confirm, it will keep stuff cold on a hot day. 
 

My favorite, though? The turning center headlight on a Tucker 48. That car was light years ahead of its time...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucker_48

P3PPY
P3PPY GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
8/17/20 11:51 a.m.

bluej, I've always wanted something like that!

 

E85 Z4s have a floating coolant level stick when you open the cap so that you don't have to try to peer through some mostly-opaque container to see it.

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand UberDork
8/17/20 11:53 a.m.
SVreX (Forum Supporter)
SVreX (Forum Supporter) MegaDork
8/17/20 11:58 a.m.

My 2003 Vibe has several things...

- A 110V outlet in the dash

- The front passenger seat back folds forward flat to make a table

- The rear seat folds flat and cargo can be secured with factory tie-down clips and straps which fasten into an adjustable track. 

wspohn
wspohn Dork
8/17/20 12:25 p.m.

I think that the umbrella in the Rolls is pretty darned spiffy

 

 

And my old TRs had an antitheft provision - a petrol shut off valve down on the frame where you would never look unless you were a TR person. Nice antitheft measure.

I used to do the same thing for my old MGs, electrically. I'd run the low voltage ignition side through the unused 'F' for fog light so unless one knew to pull that switch on the car couldn't be started (I also used that switch on one car for the OD actutation on the theory that F = 'faster').

bluej (Forum Supporter)
bluej (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand UberDork
8/17/20 1:41 p.m.

I just remembered the cargo cover in my e46 wagon. It clips into the rear uprights behind the seats, but also clips into the seat backs once folded down, and the net will extend and clip to the roof near the oh-sheisse handles forming a dog/cargo barrier. Took a year and half to realize that, and was quite pleased when I did.

Not my car, but this:

Edit: that's actually an x3, but same thing.

Tactical Penguin
Tactical Penguin SuperDork
8/17/20 6:04 p.m.

I know a lot of cars these days have that odd "hill hold" mode that has always seemed kind of inconsistent to engage for me, but the Elantra GT has an auto hold button that just keeps the brake engaged at a stop once you push it down so far.  Kind of a novelty feature, but it's helpful for acceleration comparisons leaving stop lights. laugh 

Olemiss540
Olemiss540 Reader
8/17/20 6:19 p.m.

Many of my 90s-2000s era BMWs had the feature to force roll up/down the windows and sunroof via holding the lock/unlock button on the remote or holding the key in the door lock in a certain position. Have definately walked out to a rain soaked interior thanks to sitting on my keys.

solfly
solfly HalfDork
8/17/20 7:02 p.m.

1st and 2nd gen CRVs come with small tables in the back.

3rd gen TL and many other Acuras/Hondas will put all the windows down if you hold unlock on the fob.

GMT400 Chevy trucks had an option for a retractable underhood work light.

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