Rare factory options thread

[Heldenzeit]

Wow, I've never seen that on a 360! Cool.

Celsior rear seat audio and front passenger seat control. Also notice the cloth seats, which the Japanese find more luxurious than leather, as it doesn't make any unwanted noise.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

I'm glad this thread exists because rare optional extras are just plain cool. Toyota offered a bunch of odd extras for the Japanese market Starlets throughout the 90s (although you could get them on pretty much any JDM Toyota from the time). Some of these include:

The Navi Boy, which was basically an electronic compass.

The aptly named Secret Box, which was a storage compartment...

...which flipped open to reveal a combination lock. Was apparently intended to hold jewellery and credit cards.

The Air Fantasy unit, which would spray one of three different perfumes through the air vents, and was controlled much like a climate control system. Apparently, you can go into a Toyota dealer today, and provided you know the part number, still order some refills of each of the perfumes.

Magnetic map torch

There are a whole bunch of other optional extras that are definitely rare, but I mostly picked out the strangest ones. There are a few other interesting ones, including a proper colour sat nav/GPS system and TRD racing paraphernalia, which meant you could buy one from factory with a roll cage, bucket seat and harness if you wanted.

 

[Heldenzeit]

I want all of those for my LS400! ^

 

[SVX]

Unsure if it's rare, but it's the first I've heard about it:

Automatic NSX. Featuring one paddle shifter.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

IIRC one of the Japanese tuning shows (may have been Hot Version) mentioned that tuners buy auto NSXs and then just swap a manual in as the overall cost is far, far lower.

That said, I was unaware they had a single paddle shifter. That is odd.

 

[Tornado]

Plus they were probably going to strengthen the gears anyway, so they already had to take the manual out if it was already in there.

 

[D.Kadettdriver]

According to the brochure, you could order the Daihatsu Sirion/Storia with gold-coloured wheels:

 

[Dennisch]

You're driving rich and these rims show that.

Pimpin.

 

[VXR]

I don't think I ever saw one in the UK with any of those factory option wheels, let alone gold ones.

 

[Grandea GTR]

Astras had the option to have a panoramic windscreen.

 

[synchromesh]

Astras had the option to have a panoramic windscreen.

It's like a Citroën

 

[McLaren]

A rare option for the Lexus LS is the Executive-Package, which runs around $16,000 now-a-days.

Usually seen more often on the Hybrid model, but that's a rare car in itself.

 

[Grandea GTR]

A rare option for the Lexus LS is the Executive-Package, which runs around $16,000 now-a-days.

Usually seen more often on the Hybrid model, but that's a rare car in itself.

I actually see a lot of these in used LS460 L models.

 

[McLaren]

I actually see a lot of these in used LS460 L models.

Because that's the only model they're available in. LWB models are not built in large numbers and most do not have the executive package in them.

Chance are what you're seeing are mostly Ultra Luxury packages.

 

[VXR]

Astras had the option to have a panoramic windscreen.

It's also available on the current GTC 3-door. They are pretty rare. There's a red one of that generation in the picture 2 minutes away. As a Vauxhall man, I do covet it.

 

[Grandea GTR]

Leather seats were apparently rare in the EP3 Type Rs.

 

[Heldenzeit]

W124 Mercedes trip computer.

Mercedes fax machine W126

Mobile office in the W126

 

[Grandea GTR]

W124 Mercedes trip computer.

Mercedes fax machine W126

Mobile office in the W126

There a translation for the trip computer?

 

[Heldenzeit]

There a translation for the trip computer?

Here's what I could find.

 

[Davis]

Saw this article and thought of this thread.

 

[McLaren]

Saw this article and thought of this thread.

I've seen a few pics of those leather seats in F40s & they don't hold up well to age at all. In fact, they seem hurt the value of the car because they're not considered original or true to the car by purists b/c they look so out of place. The Sultan's older silver Ferrari has the entire interior in leather & the car just holds no desirability among collectors.

 

[VXR]

I've seen a few pics of those leather seats in F40s & they don't hold up well to age at all. In fact, they seem hurt the value of the car because they're not considered original or true to the car by purists b/c they look so out of place. The Sultan's older silver Ferrari has the entire interior in leather & the car just holds no desirability among collectors.

I have to agree. Having been fortunate enough to get up close and look around an F40, the raw nature of the car is what makes it. Trying to round off any of that with cushy leather interiors is wrong on every level.

 

[Heldenzeit]

@homeforsummer informs me that you could order a manual transmission for the Jaguar S-type.

You could order that in the X-type (Mondeo Jag) as well with AWD.

 

[Ken]

I just nominated a car for the Cool Wall., the Mohs Ostentatienne Opera. Some of the factory options were ming styled oriental rugs, a refrigerator, and sealed beam taillights. Not to mention, the one rear door.

Then there was the other car Mohs made, the SafariKar. It had such options as a retractable hardtop roof, a TV, and a butane furnace. In 1973! Not to mention the doors, which opened in a very unique way as well. Oh, did I also mention the exterior was upholstered in Naugahyde?

 

[Cale]

modular cargo box

Wood vinyl

dash mounted cup holders and solar powered air freshener (Just saw one come up on ebay)


There's so many more I'll try to find the scans.

 

[VXR]

@homeforsummer informs me that you could order a manual transmission for the Jaguar S-type.

You could order that in the X-type (Mondeo Jag) as well with AWD.

The post '02 V6 with manual can certainly pick up its skirt and go. 220lb ft from an NA engine with 240hp, no wonder my dad is now bored stiff of his diesel Vauxhall. I was gutted I couldn't take his S-Type on.

Red leather and manual. If only they'd made the V8 manual. That would've been some car.

 

[Legro]

@homeforsummer informs me that you could order a manual transmission for the Jaguar S-type.

You could order that in the X-type (Mondeo Jag) as well with AWD.

Not so surprising considering that they were going after the Germans which were, in Europe at least, still relatively popular with manual transmission at the time.

Not sure I'd like one with a manual though, as a Jag saloon with a manual just doesn't feel right.

 

[Tornado]

When I was on the market a couple years ago, I was looking for its Lincoln brother in V6 + stick and I'm not actually convinced that they existed.

 

[The87Dodge]

For over $12,000, you can add a Starlight Moonroof to your Rolls Royce Phantom.

 

[Robin]

The Mitsubishi Debonair AMG package,