Top 10 automotive 'Easter eggs' you probably didn’t know about
From Vauxhall’s hidden shark to Tesla’s 007 tricks, here are some sneaky 'Easter eggs' in cars you should know about
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By Ben Welham
Last updated: 27 March 2025
Despite being massively serious business empires, car companies do still enjoy a giggle, as demonstrated in these hidden automotive 'Easter eggs'.
From Vauxhall’s hidden shark to Tesla’s iconic James Bond surprise, our top picks for the best hidden 'Easter eggs' in cars.
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Vauxhall’s hidden shark
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Believe it or not, every Vauxhall made from 2004 comes with a hidden shark somewhere in the cabin.
This started when the glovebox designer was sketching one of the panels, and his son asked if he could add a shark to his drawing.
When the designer showed it to his boss, he liked it and decided to add the shark to that generation of Corsa. Since then, every Vauxhall has had one hidden somewhere in the cabin.
If you have one on your driveway or know someone with a Vauxhall, go and find the shark!
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Škoda’s secret tricks
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Škoda’s got a few tricks up its sleeve, and it’s been creating them quietly under our noses for years.
For example, did you know most Škodas come with an ice-scraper hidden in the fuel filler cap?
And did you know that some models, such as the Superb, come with an umbrella hidden in the driver’s door?
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Jeep Renegade’s ‘Ciao Baby!’
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Open the fuel filler cap on your Jeep Renegade, and you’ll spot a little spider.
Don’t worry, it’s friendly (and not real...) and greets you with a ‘Ciao Baby’ in true Italian fashion.
This playful nod to fun that runs through the design of the Jeep Renegade, as you might expect from the styling team behind the Fiat 500X.
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Volvo XC90’s spider web
 "Volvo XC90")
Continuing with the arachnid theme, we move onto Volvo. Widely perceived as a straightlaced, safety-first brand, Volvo has spun up a lovely little detail in its design.
Look closely in the third row of seats in an XC90, open the storage compartment in the armrest, and you’ll find a friendly smiling spider parked in its own web.
There’s a practical reason behind the fun: the web is designed to strengthen the storage compartment lid, so weary passengers can relax with ease.
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Tesla’s 007 mode
 "Tesla Model S")
Teslas are the best when it comes to 'Easter eggs'. From Mario Kart’s Rainbow Road to the whoopee cushion, Teslas offer plenty of fun in their designs. But have you spied its hidden 007 feature yet?
If you’re ever driving a Tesla Model S, hold down the Tesla logo on the touchscreen for five seconds and press the ‘007’ code.
Quick as a flash, the Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me appears.
It gets better: change the ‘depth’ and this will raise and lower the car’s air suspension. Just something to, you know, pass the time while you charge up.
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VW ID. Buzz play and pause pedals
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The ID.3 and ID. Buzz both feature fun ‘play’ and ‘pause’ symbols on their accelerator and brake pedals, just to remind you which does what.
Now, before we give Volkswagen full credit for this feature, we should mention that the Renault Twingo was actually the first car to include it. But if you’re looking for a modern car which carries the iconic designs, then VW’s ID range is where it’s at.
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Jaguar E-PACE's mother and cub
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If you look closely at the windscreen on a Jaguar E-PACE, you’ll notice a little depiction of a jaguar and its cub strolling along the bottom. Who knew Jaguar had such a maternal side?
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Renault 5 baguette holder
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When Renault relaunched the ‘5’ in 2024, it introduced a nifty feature which sits between the driver and the front passenger.
No, it’s not a traditional cupholder like you’d expect, in true French style, the design team have crafted a special space for you to pop your very own baguette. All very handy if you’re on your way back from the local boulangerie and have nowhere to put your French stick.
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Volvo XC40’s humble seatbelt brag
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On some Volvo XC40 models, you’ll notice the year ‘1959’ embossed on the tip of the seatbelts, but what’s that all about?
Well, Volvo actually adds this as a humble brag, to show it was the first car manufacturer to put the three-point seatbelt in a car – something every car manufacturer is now legally required to do.
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Nissan Ariya cherry blossom
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Nissan loves reminding us of its Japanese heritage, and this can usually be seen through its names or traditional woodwork ‘kumiko’ (patterns around the cabin).
But look inside the Nissan Ariya’s glovebox and you’ll find cherry blossom, or ‘sakura’ leaves, embossed into the bottom of the compartment.
Just a lovely little reminder of where the car has come from.
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