The 10 best April Fools’ pranks car companies have ever pulled

April Fools’ Day gives car brands a chance to swap serious engineering for pure mischief. From wildly impractical “new features” to over-the-top concept cars that could never exist in reality, they use the day to blur the line between innovation and imagination.

These pranks are now almost as anticipated as real car launches – outlandish, surprising, and often just convincing enough to make you do a double take.

Here’s a look back at 10 of the best April Fools’ pranks ever pulled by car companies.

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1. Audi b-tron honey-powered car

In 2019, Audi marked April Fools’ Day with a playful concept that poked fun at the shift toward zero- and low-emissions driving.

The brand said it had created a “honey-powered” car called the b-tron. In typical tongue-in-cheek fashion, it featured quirky ideas such as a hexagonal fuel cap and even an onboard toaster – just to make the concept feel as sweet (and slightly ridiculous) as possible.

As part of the spoof, a fictional project lead from its humorously named skunkworks team ‘Komplett Geschminkt,’ loosely meaning ‘made up entirely,’ claimed early prototypes attracted so many bees that one test car supposedly ended up with a hive in the glove compartment.

2. Cater-ham Sevenses

Driving a stripped-back track car such as the Caterham Seven can certainly work up an appetite. In 2022, Caterham leaned into that idea with its ‘Cater-ham Sevenses’ concept.

Caterham claimed that while burning one litre of petrol produces around 35 megajoules of energy, a 95g pack of Cater-ham Sevenses could theoretically fuel an adult for 24 hours. The ham, cheese, and cracker snack was designed to be as tongue-in-cheek as it was tasty.

To avoid confusion, the snacks were even shaped like the iconic car.

The idea wasn’t limited to the UK either. Variants were said to include ham and brie for France, ham and gouda for the Netherlands, ham and sakura for Japan, and a US version served with a mini can of spray cheese.

3. Dacia DUSTAR

Five years ago, Dacia announced what might be its most ambitious ‘value for money’ idea yet: the world’s only affordable space programme. The idea may have been a playful nod to Elon Musk actually sending his personal Tesla Roadster into space in 2018.

The headline-grabbing plan involved launching a Dacia Duster into space, with liftoff scheduled for 9am on 1 April 2021. The whole thing was even set to be streamed live, just in case anyone thought it might be a joke.

“Going to space is a dream for many, but we want to show that even limited resources can go a long way and make that dream a reality,” said Noel Armstrong, then head of the DUSTAR project. “I’m over the moon that today we begin sending our rugged and robust Dacia Duster to new heights.”

4. Honda’s emoji numberplate

You’re bound to use an emoji or two whenever you’re messaging someone or posting on social media. In fact, Honda decided to join in on the fun with its own “Emoji numberplate.” Instead of letters and numbers, the plates were filled with smiley faces and other delightfully impractical icons.

Honda joked that the idea was driven by demand from younger buyers and even claimed “talks are planned with the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency in an endeavour to exclusively launch the new plates in early 2017.”

5. Hyundai’s i10 Popemobile

Hyundai gave us a delightfully unexpected take on city motoring for April Fools’ Day in 2009 with a modified version of its i10. Dubbed the i10 Special Project Popemobile, the idea imagined the head of the Catholic Church swapping the usual armour-plated convoy for something far more eco-friendly (and far easier to park).

The joke was almost convincing enough. That’s until you spotted the fine print in Hyundai’s press release, which claimed that “all leather from the seat facings was replaced with parts of tapestry woven by monks from the Indian city of Utta Bullacs.”

A noble upgrade, no doubt… though we suspect the now Pope Leo XIV might still opt for a few more familiar comforts when travelling in style.

6. McLaren’s Feather Wrap

Supercar wraps are known for turning fast cars into rolling pieces of art, but McLaren really took flight with things for April Fools’ Day 2017.

The brand “unveiled” Feather Wrap for the McLaren 570GT, a fictional design made from 10,000 artificial carbon-veined feathers. McLaren joked it would take over 300 hours to apply, offer aerodynamic benefits, and add just 2.5kg in weight.

In reality, it was a concept that made the supercar look like it had an unfortunate encounter with Sesame Street’s Big Bird who decided to dye his feathers on a whim.

7. MG’s road-painting tyres

In 2019, MG claimed to have developed “road-colouring” tyres that would leave a temporary trail of colour as you drive, using a water-soluble dye that fades shortly after.

The announcement also featured fictional expert ‘Professor of Pigment’ Dr Gull Abel, who said drivers could pick tyre colours via a mobile fitting service. MG added that the tyres had passed all safety tests with “flying colours” – though the idea itself didn’t quite stick to the road.

8. Skoda’s customisable puddle lights

Skoda loves an annual prank. In April 2019, the Czech brand came up with a new feature called “ProjectaPal” – customisable puddle lights that would project images or messages onto the ground when you opened the car door.

The system was said to let drivers beam anything from reminders to personal photos via a connected smartphone, turning each exit into a mini light show at your feet.

Fictional ‘Head of Infotainment Development’ Dr Ivor Tüchskreen claimed it started as a simple fix for forgetting to put out the recycling, before quickly evolving into a way to flash up anything from daily reminders to photos of loved ones with a single door opening.

9. Subaru’s Suba-Shoes

Stepping into new territory in 2023, Subaru extended its all-wheel-drive heritage into footwear with the introduction of the “All-Heel-Drive” Suba-Shoes. The concept featured off-road-inspired walking boots with shock-absorbing soles and “grill springs” designed for added comfort.

To make the idea feel more realistic, Subaru invited customers to register interest online using the product code AF2300LS. No actual product was released, but the concept was enough to amuse fans.

10. Vauxhall’s mobile kebab shop taxi

In 2015, Vauxhall unveiled the “Taxi Kebabi” – a nine-seat Vivaro Combi reimagined as a moving kebab shop. It featured bold “Abra Kebabra” decals and even rotating chicken doner kebabs in the boot for passengers to admire on the go.

They went all in: built-in spit grills, salad bowls in the armrests, chilli dispensers, and a generous selection of sauces within easy reach. It was pitched as a way for taxi drivers to turn every journey into an extra revenue stream.

As one fictional driver, Jason Donervan, put it, the idea could even help reduce fares thanks to “whole-life cost savings.” In other words, it was less ride-hailing and more ride-and-grill – truly a case of lettuce turn this into a kebab business.

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