Why are car keys so ugly?

[Jam12321]

Nik da Greek said:

Mine is a rotor. Becos rotary

And we have a winner!!!

That 7 series key looks utter ste!

[Triumph Man]

Why do the Japanese still insist upon those ugly cheap looking keyblades when the rest of the world has moved over to nice neat square edged blades? (I know most have gone keyless, but even the concealed blades should look smart!)

[The_Doc]

Ugly key for expensive car, so I blinged it up a bit.
Item dropped, not by me, during surgery and thus wasted. Upcycled and now a unique key ring I think. Cost, a lot

[PhantomPH]

Chrisbes said:

Not seen most of the keys posted in here, but I'm a big fan of the simple keys - the NSX and GTR ones in particular.

Shame you need the big clunky keys for the immobilizer chip and electronics nowadays. I'd definitely buy a simple key if I could, something like this:

Edited by Chrisbes on Wednesday 1st June 03:36

That's the key from the early VW Beetle. I know because it's the same as my '58! I have that key on a matching VW keyring and it looks great.

[31mph]

soad said:

That one is brilliant,

I really wish car keys were still small

[DiscoColin]

Chrisbes said:

Shame you need the big clunky keys for the immobilizer chip and electronics nowadays.

If you don't need to use the remote on your central locking, actually that is no excuse.

996 vintage 911s came with a "valet key" which worked perfectly well, just that you needed to put it in the lock and turn it to open the car. It looked like this:



The 997 gen 1 and other pork of the time further shrunk the non-remote key to this:



They stopped supplying them with cars around 2009 sadly, and the current offering is a stylised car shaped blob, of which I am not a fan. No idea whether you can order one which will work with any of the current product line up these days...?

Personally, what I like is a key which looks like a key and fits on a key ring with your other keys. Unfortunately car companies disagree, and instead think that your car key needs to take as much pocket space as your wallet...

[Zod]

BMW used to supply those plastic keys too. My E60 M5 had a housing ,stored in the glovebox, that was the shape of the electronic key into which you could insert the small plastic key to use it to start the engine. My E46s came with four keys: two proper keys, a plastic key and a valet key that would open the doors and start the car, but wouldn't open the boot or glovebox.

[zebede]

Rs keys are slightly different to the standard Audi one, quite like it but it never leaves my pocket!

[WilsonWilson]

Gecko1978 said:

Jag F Pace has wearable key

http://www.techradar.com/news/car-tech/jaguar-s-we...

This I see as the future of car keys i.e. no key at all just get in with your smart watch drive off walk away it locks etc.

No thanks.

It would make you look like you forgot to take your 2008 'save the Jaguar' charity wristband off.

[kambites]

I think a wifi or bluetooth set-up so you install an app on your smart phone/watch which acts as the key would be a good solution... if they can make it secure. That's a significant "if" though.

[carlove]

kambites said:

I think a wifi or bluetooth set-up so you install an app on your smart phone/watch which acts as the key would be a good solution... if they can make it secure. That's a significant "if" though.

My son has 16 plate Corsa with a really quite impressive iPhone app, from this you can lock unlock the car, however it's much easier to just get the key out and press the button. To open with the phone you do need a pin, that was set up with Vauxhall when the car was collected.

[kambites]

Yeah I was thinking a passive system so you just walk up to the car with your phone in your pocket and as soon as you're in bluetooth range it unlocks the car and turns on the ignition. Keyless go but with your phone acting as the fob.

[TooMany2cvs]

kambites said:

Yeah I was thinking a passive system so you just walk up to the car with your phone in your pocket and as soon as you're in bluetooth range it unlocks the car and turns on the ignition. Keyless go but with your phone acting as the fob.

Great until somebody nicks your phone.
Or you lose it.
Or the battery goes flat.
Or it sts the bed and wipes its memory.
Or your phone is in your pocket on the train which passes close by the station carpark...

[somynameiswhat]

Dog Star said:

That is bloody marvelous; a thing of minimalist beauty.

As for ugly - I hate the OHs Volvo keys; they're hideously large and "Fisher Price".

(look at the size of the blade in coparison to the body of the fob)

And they're £300 from your local Volvo dealer

[Vocht]

Not a car key but the key for a BMW R1200CL motorcycle is lovely. It's made to look the same as the tank on the bike.



The picture doesn't really do it justice as it looks and feels really lovely. Much heavier than you'd expect,

[anonymous-user]

This one is nice and simple, works on many classic cars.

[CDP]

My brother had a Talbot Solara which was so knackered you could open both front doors, the boot and start the engine with a penny.

[kambites]

TooMany2cvs said:

Great until somebody nicks your phone.
Or you lose it.
Or the battery goes flat.
Or it sts the bed and wipes its memory.
Or your phone is in your pocket on the train which passes close by the station carpark...

How are any of those problems any different than a normal keyless go type system though? People seem to manage OK with them. I suppose the battery on a phone is rather more likely to be flat than a key fob and given the extra complexity they're probably more likely to go wrong and wipe themselves (although personally I've never had either happen).

Edited by kambites on Friday 3rd June 07:32

[TooMany2cvs]

kambites said:

TooMany2cvs said:

Great until somebody nicks your phone.
Or you lose it.
Or the battery goes flat.
Or it sts the bed and wipes its memory.
Or your phone is in your pocket on the train which passes close by the station carpark...

How are any of those problems any different than a normal keyless go type system though?

The first four are FAR more likely with a phone than a key.

The last one? Potentially bigger range.

[kambites]

TooMany2cvs said:

The last one? Potentially bigger range.

If it was wifi I suppose. Bluetooth is pretty crap; you'd be lucky to get a range of more than about 12 feet through clear air.

I wasn't suggesting that it should be the only option, just that it would be a useful one for people like me who don't make a habit of losing their phone.