Defining details: famous features that make cars stand out

Defining details add character to a car.

The form they take on changes from model to model. Some are intentional while others entered the automotive encyclopedia purely by accident. They’re styling cues, technical layouts or upholstery choices that often split the difference between board meeting-bred machines and vehicles with a little bit more soul. From the emblematic to the obscure, here are some of the details that have defined cars and, in some cases, entire manufacturers.

Alfa Romeo – transaxle

Alfa Romeo made sporty family cars well before Audi and Mercedes-Benz launched an assault on the segment. To replace the 1960s Giulia, one of the most driver-friendly four-door models in its competitive set, it set out to build a car with near-perfect weight distribution by integrating the transmission into the rear axle. The Alfetta and the Alfetta GT – which replaced the Giulia and the GTV, respectively – both came with a transaxle. Alfa later used the layout for a variety of models including the 90, the 6 and the 75/Milano (pictured).

In 2018, enthusiasts still fetishize the transaxle-equipped models as some of Alfa’s best-driving cars. There’s no indication the company will resurrect the layout but at least it renewed ties with rear-wheel drive after spending over two decades under the influence of front-wheel drive.

Audi – Virtual Cockpit

Audi elevated the digital instrument cluster to the next level when it introduced a technology called Virtual Cockpit on the third-generation TT. It replaced the analog instrument cluster with a large, high-resolution screen that the driver can configure using buttons on the steering wheel. It displays navigation directions, media and entertainment options or information about the car. Many of Audi’s rivals have copied this clever feature since it made its debut in 2014.

In 2018, Audi offers the Virtual Cockpit across its entire line-up, from the entry-level A1 to the flagship R8 supercar. It has also spread to other Volkswagen group models ranging from the homely Volkswagen Polo to the mighty Lamborghini Aventador. It was recently announced that it will also become available on high-end versions of certain Skodas, from Volkswagen's Czech-based brand.

Bentley – 6.75 V8

Like the original Mini, Bentley’s 6750cc V8 engine was born in 1959. It powered a majority of Rolls-Royce and Bentley models made until 1998 including the Camargue, the Silver Shadow, the Silver Spur, the Brooklands and the Arnage. Rolls-Royce stopped using it when it joined the BMW family in 1998 but Bentley continues to keep it alive in 2018. It’s only found in the range-topping Mulsanne, though.

The V8 has gone through several evolutions. In 1959, its specifications sheet listed 6250cc of displacement and an output of 230hp. In 2018, in the Mulsanne Speed, it has grown to 6750cc, gained a pair of turbochargers and seen its output rise to 530hp.

Bentley hinted its historic V8 engine is not long for this world. It’s expected to retire when Mulsanne production ends in the early 2020s.

BMW – Hofmeister kink

The Hofmeister kink is almost as essential to BMW’s design language as the kidney grille yet it often goes unnoticed. Introduced on the 1500 in 1961, it widens the base of the rear roof pillar and adds a facet to the rearmost window. The Hofmeister kink – named after Wilhelm Hofmeister, BMW’s design director between 1955 and 1970 – has appeared on nearly every BMW introduced since the 1500.

BMW – kidney grille

The 303 inaugurated BMW’s kidney grille in 1933. The Bavarian firm has rarely moved away from this design cue; it only made an exception for the Isetta and its derivatives. Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW’s design director, told Autocar his team seriously considered creating a new front end without the kidney grille when it began working on the electric i3 but it decided not to because it’s such a significant part of what makes a BMW instantly recognizable in traffic. Its shape and size will continue to evolve but we can’t imagine it going away for good.

BMW Isetta – front-hinged door

The BMW Isetta wasn’t for motorists who wanted to keep a low profile. Its tiny dimensions and its cartoon-esque face earned it plenty of attention everywhere it went and it was so slow that on-lookers had more than enough time to study it as it drove by. Its most standout feature was its front-hinged door, however. Opening the Isetta required making roughly the same motion as when opening a refrigerator for a slice of leftover pizza.

Cadillac – tail fins

Cadillac mastered the use of the tail fin. Ostensibly inspired by aviation, the sharp, chromed fins gave 1950s and 1960s Cadillac models an inimitable sense of elegance that many companies unabashedly cribbed. The fins gradually shrunk during the 1960s but designers didn’t dare erase them completely until they styled smaller models like the Chevrolet-based Cimarron and the Seville in the 1980s.

Building a car with 1959 Eldorado-like fins in 2018 would summon a loud chorus of disapproval from safety regulators and design critics alike. Cadillac has nonetheless found ways to channel its finned heritage. The angular rear lights seen on the ATS (pictured), CTS and CT6 – among other models – echo the glorious tail fins of a bygone era.

Citroën – single-spoke steering wheel

For decades, Citroën proudly did nothing that adhered to the definition of the term conventional. It started using a single-spoke steering wheel when it introduced the DS in 1955 and didn’t stop until it gave the XM a face-lift in 1994. The single-spoke wheel – a design chosen to give the driver a clearer view of the instrument cluster – changed with the times. It received a touch of modernity when Citroën added buttons on the spoke but the firm phased it out when it realized that it couldn’t package an airbag into it.

Note: Citroen CX pictured.

Dodge Challenger/Charger Hellcat – red key

Dodge delivers every Hellcat-powered Charger (pictured) and Challenger with two key fobs. The black one instructs the ECU to cap the supercharged V8’s output at 500hp. The red one is the one you need to keep in your pocket to experience the powertrain’s full potential. The ECU unleashes the V8’s 707hp output as soon as it detects the red key’s presence.

Ferrari – manettino dial

Ferrari made its customers feel like Formula One pilots when it added a manettino dial to the F430’s steering wheel in 2004. It lets the driver quickly select one of the built-in driving modes while keeping both hands on the steering wheel. In some models, including the LaFerrari (pictured), drivers who feel particularly confident can also use the manettino to turn the ESC system completely off.

Jaguar XJ – cat claws inserts in the rear lights

The Jaguar XJ’s rear lights and the furniture in a cat owner’s living room have at least one thing in common: scratch marks. The LED inserts in the XJ’s lights are shaped like the scratch marks of a cat’s claws. It’s a clever touch added by lead designer Ian Callum to give the model’s rear end a more distinctive design while making it unmistakably recognizable as a Jaguar at night.

The scratch marks were unique in the industry until the original Peugeot 3008 received claw-like rear lights as part of its face-lift. While Jaguar decided not to add the lights to its smaller models, Peugeot has rolled it the styling cue to other models including the 2008 and the 508.

Jeep – seven-slot grille

The grille on the original Willys MB was made with pieces of flat iron welded together. Ford manufactured Jeeps for the war effort, too, and it fitted its examples with a stamped, nine-slot steel grille because it was lighter and cheaper to produce. Willys later adopted this solution.

The nine-slot design was owned by Ford so Willys merely subtracted two slots to avoid a lawsuit when it began selling the Jeep to civilians in 1945. Different variations of the seven-slot look have served as the central component of Jeep’s design language ever since, though not every model has worn it. The Station Wagon launched in 1949 had a 10-slot grille, as did early examples of the XJ-generation Cherokee. In 2018, every member of Jeep line-up has a seven-slot front end.

Note: Jeep Wrangler pictured.

Lamborghini – flip-up ignition switch cover

The fighter jet-inspired design that characterizes Lamborghini’s 21st century line-up is more than skin-deep. Settle into the driver’s seat and you’ll need to lift a red flap to access the ignition button on the center console. When you press it, it almost feels like you’ve actuated the missile-launching system on an F-16.

Note: Lamborghini Aventador pictured.

Lamborghini – scissor doors

The scissor doors are reserved for V12-powered members of the Lamborghini clan. The Italian firm introduced the feature on the Countach and renewed its contract when it released the Diablo. In 2018, this archetypal styling cue is found on the Aventador (pictured) but not on the smaller, V10-powered Huracan or on the Urus SUV. The scissor doors have spawned countless imitation since they made their debut, especially in the world of tuner cars.

Mazda MX-5 Miata – low weight

Mazda envisioned the MX-5 Miata as an alternative to British and Italian roadsters so it made the phrase jinba ittai (“horse and rider as one” in Japanese) one of the project’s cornerstones. Every step forward was taken with an eye on shedding as much weight as possible. That’s why the firm chose to build the Miata on an all-new, purpose-designed platform, made it a strict two-seater and fitted it with a manual soft top rather than with a heavier power-folding unit. All in, the original Miata weighed 2182lbs (992kg) in US trim.

This obsession with keeping weight in check has guided the development of four Miata models. While new cars tend to get bigger and heavier with every generation, Mazda’s roadster has remained relatively svelte. The 2018 model weighs 2332lbs (1060kg) in its lightest configuration.

Mini – central speedometer

Mini originally placed the speedometer in the center of the dashboard to facilitate the task of making parts for right- and left-hand drive cars. The first two generations of the born-again, BMW-developed Mini featured a mid-mounted speedometer to keep the retro theme going beyond the sheet metal but, in the third-generation car, the space it occupied is reserved for the infotainment system’s screen.

Opel/Vauxhall – hidden sharks

GM's then-European arm Opel/Vauxhall started hiding sharks in its cars in 2004. We’re thankfully not talking about the animal that starred in Jaws. If you look closely in the Adam (pictured) and the Corsa, among other models, you’ll uncover subtle shark graphics in unlikely places such as on the side of the glove compartment and inside the storage bins in the door panels. The idea allegedly came from Dietmar Finger, an Opel designer who was also an avid diver.

Porsche – ignition on the left side of the steering wheel

Porsche’s uncommon ignition key placement traces its roots to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The race used to begin with a standing start, meaning drivers needed to run across the track, jump into their car and speed off as quickly as possible. Porsche figured out that placing the ignition key on the left side of the steering wheel (in left-hand drive cars) allowed the driver to start the car with one hand while simultaneously selecting first gear with the other.

This practice stopped in 1970 for safety reasons but Porsche never looked back. Even as the firm phases out the conventional key, it continues to place the ignition button on the opposite side of the steering wheel as almost everyone else.

Note: Porsche 911 pictured.

Porsche 911 – rear-mounted flat-six engine

Some aspects of the Porsche 911 are variable. It has grown considerably since its introduction in 1964. The 996-generation model left the air-cooled engine behind and adopted water-cooling. Insiders suggest there is a strong possibility the next-generation model will get a plug-in hybrid variant sooner or later. The one feature that Porsche can’t touch without alienating customers is the rear-mounted flat-six engine.

Placing the engine up front or in the middle of the car, 718 Boxster-style, would upset the 911’s balance. The RSR model built exclusively for the track is mid-engined, and it could one day spawn a limited-edition street-legal model, but the standard 911 will always be rear-engined. Porsche wants to keep the flat-six engine alive for as long as possible, too.

Renault 4 – dashboard-mounted shifter

Renault took an unconventional approach to front-wheel drive when it designed the 4. It mounted the four-cylinder engine longitudinally against the firewall and installed the transmission at the very front of the car. Engineers consequently created a linkage that shot straight up from the transmission, turned 90 degrees to go over the engine and entered the cabin through the dashboard. This required the use of a dash-mounted shifter, a feature the 4 and its derivatives (like the 6) kept until the end of production.

Saab – ignition between the front seats, night panel

Saab installed the ignition switch between the front seats after noticing that keeping it on the steering column caused knee injuries, even in a relatively minor collision. It became a feature that enthusiasts looked for in every one of the brand’s cars. Cost constraints and packaging problems prevented the Subaru-based 9-2X from getting it, but General Motors figured the idea of a Saab SUV was so controversial that it went through the trouble of fitting the Chevrolet-derived 9-7X with the ignition on the center console.

Saab couldn’t predict that, as motorists increasingly ate and drank on-the-go, the ignition switch would get doused in coffee, Pepsi and hot sauce -- sometimes simultaneously. The number of Saabs that have failed to start after the ignition switch swallowed a Frappuccino hopefully remains lower than the number of knee injuries prevented.

Another famous Saab-only feature was Black Panel, later renamed Night Panel. First introduced on the Saab 900 in 1993, when activated it dimmed or extinguished all lights on the dash apart from the speedometer; the fuel level dial would also illuminate if the level became low. It was a nod to Saab's aeronautical roots; it aimed to boost driver concentration when driving at night. 

Note: Saab 9-3 pictured.

Subaru – all-wheel drive

Subaru sold its first four-wheel drive car, the Leone, on the Japanese market in 1972 and introduced the model in the United States shortly after. It immediately gained a loyal following in America because, unlike other four-wheel drive models, it drove like a regular car rather than like a truck. Offering four-wheel drive helped the firm nearly double its annual US sales between 1975 and 1977. It took rivals decades to catch up with their own four-wheel drive passenger cars.

In 2018, almost every model in the Subaru line-up comes standard with all-wheel drive regardless of segment, trim level or cost. The notable exception to the rule is the BRZ, which ships with enthusiast-friendly rear-wheel drive.

Note: Subaru Outback pictured.

Tesla – electric powertrains

Since its inception in 2003, Tesla’s mission has been to make desirable electric cars that perform at least as well as their fossil fuel-powered rivals. The firm has never manufactured pistons, spark plugs, mufflers or any other component required to build a car with an internal combustion engine. The four models the company has released since 2008 have all run exclusively on electricity.

Volkswagen Beetle – simplicity

Simplicity plays a key role in the constitution of the Volkswagen Beetle’s character.

It was developed to be as cheap to build, buy and operate as possible and its basic design changed little during its unusually long production run. Volkswagen often presented the simple engineering behind the Beetle as an advantage, especially when it ran a memorable ad campaign during the 1960s that routinely featured self-deprecating taglines. One ad realistically suggested motorists might mistake the oldest Volkswagen in America for the newest model.

The humble Beetle helped Volkswagen become a giant. The firm may not be where it is today had the Beetle been more complicated and correspondingly more expensive.

Volkswagen GTI – tartan upholstery

Gunhild Liljequist, the first woman who worked in Volkswagen’s design department, deserves credit for the tartan cloth upholstery found in the original Golf GTI. Inspired by her travels around Great Britain, she argued the tartan upholstery added a touch of color and quality to the then-new GTI’s interior. It struck an ideal balance between the drabness of all-black interior and the flamboyance associated with vibrant colors. The golf ball-shaped shift knob was her idea, too.

Volkswagen re-introduced the tartan upholstery when it released the fifth-generation GTI in 2004 and it hasn’t gone away since. In 2018, it’s found inside the seventh-generation Golf GTI plus the GTI-badged variants of the Up and the Polo.

Volvo – Swedish flags

The serenely Scandinavian approach to design helps Volvo models launched after the 2010 Geely takeover stand out from their German rivals. Swedish flag-shaped tags found on the seats, in the trim on the dashboard and, in some cases, in one of the front panel gaps remind passengers that they’re riding in a Swedish car. Volvo told Autocar that only the first 4000 examples of the XC40 came with the rubber flag pictured above. Buyers loved it so it’s safe to bet the feature will appear again in the near future.

Zagato – double-bubble roof

Italian coachbuilder Zagato faced a dilemma in the early 1950s. Lowering a car’s roof line made it more aerodynamic, which in turn helped it go faster, but the new proportions greatly reduced head room, an uncomfortable problem for drivers who wore a helmet on the track. The firm came up with the idea of punching two bumps in the roof panel directly above the front seats. It created a styling cue still used in 2018.

The first Zagato-bodied car with a double-bubble roof was the Fiat 8V Competizione from the early 1950s. It also appeared on the Lancia Appia Gran Turismo Zagato and on the Fiat-derived Abarth 750 GT. More recently, Zagato gave the limited-edition Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato (pictured) its signature roof treatment.