The Ten Most Decadent Options

Do you love yourself so much that you would do anything to make you happy? Surely that devotion extends to your car, and we have a list of the ten most decadent options you can find. Just to make things clear, we’re not talking about modern necessities such as cruise control or air conditioning. We’re talking about excessive self-indulgence to the extent that some might consider it moral decay. Of course, those ethically righteous types probably only frown on such extravagance because they can’t afford all this awesome stuff. These items don’t make your car perform any better, either. Their sole purpose is to make you say, “Thank you, myself,” every time you use them.

10. BMW Comfort Access

Power windows are great and all, but sometimes it’s really tough to push all the buttons to roll them up and down. That is why BMW offers Comfort Access, which lets you roll the windows up and down using the key fob remote. And if you have a convertible, you can operate the roof as well. Of course, it also allows you to unlock and lock the doors and start the engine without going to all the trouble of taking the key out of your pocket or putting it in the ignition. This is a luxury that is very easy to get used to. Comfort Access is $500 on 1- and 3-series models, $1000 on other BMWs.

9. Porsche Customized Leather List

Porsche is famous for the extent of its options lists, and for how much it all costs. The leather portion of the options list is by far the craziest section, with a stupefying array of choices. Leather on the vent slats? That’ll be $365. You can even get the coat hook on the back of your seat swathed in leather.

8. Mercedes-Benz Designo Interior

Standard leather is so, well, standard. If you really want to pamper yourself in an S-, SL-, or CL-class, we suggest dropping $12,015 for the Designo interior. For that much cash you also get velour floor mats to coddle your couture soles.

7. Mercedes-Benz Drive-Dynamic Seats

Really, this option is all about multitasking. Think of the time you’ll save by getting a back rub while in the car. You can choose between four combinations of slow/fast and gentle/vigorous, but “fast and vigorous” aren’t so much; the option is better in theory than in practice. But who cares? It’s only money, after all, and these thrones provide serious bragging rights. And a little massage always beats no massage. They are available as a standalone option on the S550 for $1820 and are part of the $5290 Premium 2 package on the CL550, and they’re standard equipment on any AMG or V-12 CL- or S-class.

6. Lexus Executive Package

Why reserve lounging for your private jet or living room? For an extra $12,675 on top of a $73,725 Lexus LS460L (a little less in the hybrid LS600hL) you can get a reclining rear seat with an extending leg rest. Considering that you’d have to buy a $350,000 Maybach to get this feature in any other car, it’s a relative bargain.

5. Mercedes-Benz Airscarf

Most people understand that removing the top of a car exposes you to the elements. But if you refuse to accept the reality of the shortened driving season that Mother Nature imposes on you, Mercedes has your answer. Airscarf is a vent just below the headrest that blows hot air on the back of your neck when others are raising their tops. It’s part of a $3750 package on the 2009 SL550, but only $510 on the SLK55 AMG.

4. Rolls-Royce Starlight Headliner

You might think that $12,100 for 1600 tiny lights in the headliner (a mere $7.56 per light) is over the top; but how would you know? We certainly can’t afford a Rolls -Royce Phantom, but if we could, this dramatic—and pointless—option’s box would be the first one we’d tick.

3. Maybach Granite Interior

Considering how many homes cost less than a Maybach, it’s only appropriate that you can trim out a Maybach as opulently as your abode. Granite interior trim will cost you an astonishing €43,000 (about $60,600), and that’s for the Basic package. There’s also a pricier package for the Maybach Landaulet, and the Luxury package costs more still. Maybach wouldn’t share just how much with us working types.

2. Aston Martin Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX2 DBS Transponder Watch

James Bond might drive an Aston Martin, but he wears an Omega. Too bad for 007. Anybody who has $37,900 to spare and wants to use a timepiece to access his or her car can order up a Jaeger-LeCoultre watch that will unlock the doors of his or her DBS. You do, however, still need to insert the sapphire key to start the car.

1. Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Paint Packages

If €1.1 million (about $1.6 million) and a limited run of less than 500 copies aren’t exclusive enough for you, try the special editions of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4. For half a mil or so—depending on the strength of the dollar—you can opt for the Pur Sang edition, which comes without any paint, or, if you’d rather have special brown paint and leather, the Fbg par Hermès, created with French fashion house Hermès. Or, for the same price, you could get a convertible version.