According to car safety expert and blogger Alex Perdikis, car gadgets cover a lot of ground, doing everything from making your car run better to drawing the attention of a crowd. As long as cars have been made, enterprising inventors have come up with gadgets to go with them.
Some gadgets, however, defy logic. Take a look at some of the strangest car add-ons ever made. Have you used any of these?
Just Like Home
Did you know you can turn your car into a home away from home? If you’re looking at a long road trip, don’t spend money on a hotel. Instead, try these vehicle add-ons that make your car a home.
The portable car shower uses four D batteries or plugs into your car’s 12-volt socket. Add water before you leave home and shower yourself with spray using the included houses whenever you need it.
Now that you’re all nice and clean, time to eat. No problem with the 12-volt portable skillet. Don’t forget to pack the bacon before you leave.
But what about your morning coffee? Not to worry – you can brew your own coffee right in your car with the 12-volt espresso maker. Please brew responsibly. A hot spill in your lap is the last thing you need.
Breakfast is covered, but what about dinner? A pizza sounds good right about now, but you’re in the middle of nowhere. You did pack that frozen pizza, though. And that’s perfect if you remembered to bring your 12-volt toaster oven. Imagine the possibilities.
And, since we’re talking about all the comforts of home, add a personal shelter to your car with a vehicle tent. Discreetly hidden in your trunk until needed, the tent attaches to the vehicle so you can enjoy the great outdoors in protected style.
What’s That Smell?
Who doesn’t like the relaxing aroma of lavender? You don’t have to give up lavender when you’re on the road when you have lavender-scented tires. The manufacturer says the scent lasts up to a year after purchase. And, the best time to get the full effect? After a normal driving trip, when your tires are still warm.
If scented tires aren’t enough or seem a bit ridiculous, perhaps a built-in perfume diffuser inside the car appeals to you more. With a diffuser, you don’t have to deal with those clip-on car deodorizers. And the choices are endless.
Light It Up!
So many choices, so little time. Nostalgia reigns supreme with the retro motion lamp. Lava lamps were everywhere in the late 1960s through the early 1970s. Bring back the good old days with the 7″ tall lime-lava lamp. Conveniently mounted on the dashboard, the lamp plugs into your car’s 12-volt socket.
You can light so much more than your dashboard, though. How about a flashing gear knob that has six flashing lights? Or you could go with a customizable car plate billboard. The LED lights create a Vegas billboard look where you can display the message of your choice as long as it’s 120 characters or less.
The Power of Sound
Face it, you don’t have a sports car. A sports car may not be in the foreseeable future, either. But, you can still dream, can’t you? You can do more than that with the Vroominator. The Vroominator synchronizes to your car’s alternator to match its acceleration and fills the air with the sound you crave – the “vroom” of a V8 sports car. Fortunately for those on the outside, the sound remains inside the car.