When you’re buying a car there are a number of factors that you might consider – safety, reliability and cost to name a few. For many of us though, appearance is everything and the way that our car looks is as important as ever. Car manufacturers from Ferrari to Dacia employ teams of designers to ensure that their cars capture the hearts of the nation, but all too often the interior is neglected. This seems odd, since we generally spend more time looking at the inside of our cars than the outside. We decided it was time to celebrate some of the best car interiors – check out some of our favourites below, or follow our dedicated Pinterest board, updated on a regular basis.
1. We’re starting this list on a high note, with one of the world’s most sought after supercar’s – the Bugatti Veyron. With so many different editions of the Veyron, there was a lot of choice, but for me one special edition stood out far and beyond the rest – the Vitesse Legend “Meo Costantini” named after and dedicated to Bartolomeo Costantini, a key historic figure of Bugatti’s racing pedigree.
The interior is completely upholstered in leather, coloured in a cognac “Gaucho” and dark “LakeBlue” with contrasting “Bugatti Light Blue Sport” coloured stitching. Meo Costantini’s presence is felt keenly in this car, with his signature embroidered in the headrests and a silhouette of the Targa Florio race route (Costantini famously won this race, considered the most important of it’s time, in 1926) adorns the rear centre box in a polished aluminium relief. One really unique highlight of the interior is the racing scenes and vintage car motifs that are laser-engraved into the leather trim on the doors, showcasing moments from Costantini’s long career.
2. From a celebration of the past, to a vision of the future, next on this list is the Tesla Model S, chosen if only for the 17” touchscreen, described by Tesla as the “gem of the car.” Whilst the rest of the car interior delivers the standard level of quality expected, it is the touchscreen that really brings this car to life. From the display, you can control a huge range of functions – from changing mechanical aspects of the car such as the active air suspension and regenerative braking, to choosing your music and multimedia. When internet connectivity is included as an extra, the screen can also operate a full web browser, putting the world at your fingertips. With car manufacturers racing to partner with Silicon Valley’s finest, you can be sure that the Tesla Model S heralds the start of an exciting new direction for car interiors.
3. As important as it is for the driver to have comfort, there are some car manufacturers who are moving their focus to the passengers. When you’re earning enough money to leave the driving to someone else, you want to be sure you’re investing in a car that treats it’s passengers like royalty. When the Bentley Mulsanne was created, it quickly became the ultimate in luxury for the passenger, who enjoys an unsurpassed level of comfort.
With positioned mood lighting, luxury leather upholstery, wood veneers and knurled stainless steel, stepping into the Mulsanne is an experience that can’t be matched in any other car. Attention to detail distinguishes Bentley from its competitors – even the leather is specifically picked from herds in cool climates where few insects mean the hides are blemish free.
As if that kind of luxury isn’t enough, the Mulsanne also comes equipped with an optional bottle cooler, which can hold two champagne bottles, complemented by a pair of David Redman of London champagne flutes, which were themselves inspired by the design of the Mulsanne’s alloy wheels.
All work and no play? Not to worry, because Bentley’s got that base covered as well, with built in iPad picnic tables and Wi-Fi, transforming the Bentley into a moving office.
4. Time to step it up a notch, and take a look at one of the world’s favourite supercar brands – Ferrari. Supercars went through a stage where the interiors had less luxury and features than a budget car – everything was stripped out to reduce weight. Thankfully, these days innovative materials mean that supercar interiors both save weight and exude style – just like the Ferrari 458. The thing about Ferrari interiors is that they almost entirely customisable – so the success of it really depends on the preferences of the first owner. As standard, the 458 doesn’t even have a sat nav – but who needs it when you could get an optional LED rev counter installed in the steering wheel?
5. Every car so far has most likely been a little out of the average person’s price range, so it seems only fair that we include something that is priced slightly more reasonably. We could show you some of the stylish, premier interiors from the likes of Audi, BMW or Mercedes, but we’re trying to showcase things that are a little different, like the Citroen DS3 that was given a girly makeover by Benefit cosmetics. With a mirror, scatter cushions and a fragrance dispenser, this car is built to appeal to the ultimate girly girl. I’m not a fan, but one of our bloggers Sarah Griffiths was – read what she had to say about it here.
So there are just some of our favourite car interiors – but with some many to choose from we’ve created a Pinterest board that we’ll be adding to on a regular basis – why not follow us today!