5 Of Our Favorite Car Key Fob Designs Of All Time

Sometimes the anticipation of doing something is as exciting as actually doing it. It's easy to forget that your interaction with a car always starts outside of it, with the key. The key serves as an emissary, or a preview for the kind of experience you're in for. Despite being such a small object, the key fob is what unlocks a car for you, literally and figuratively, and these days a surprising amount of information can be communicated through these little automotive amulets.

First impressions are important, and the car key carries the responsibility of priming the driver for an enjoyable experience. Walking up to a luxury limousine, and the fingers probing your pocket may be looking for something swathed in leather, with cold metal buttons that feel meaningful to press them. Approaching a bare bones sports car, you might find yourself holding a carbon fiber monolith so light a breeze might take it away. And for the vast majority of cars, you can a black plastic square of some sort that's just as functional, if not uninspiring, as the car it belongs to. Most car key fobs are just that, but some reach levels of craftsmanship and beauty that they might seem more at home on a museum pedestal than in someone's pocket. Here are five of our favorite car key fob designs of all time.

The most extravagant and impressive key fobs are likely paired with the most extravagant and impressive cars, which makes Italian brand Pagani the perfect place to start. In 1983, a young car-obsessed Horatio Pagani had just moved to Italy to work at Lamborghini, where he quickly realized he was no good fit. His ideas of a car made entirely of composite materials were shot down, which led this automotive visionary to break off on his own. Today, we have Pagani Automobili, a hypercar brand that somehow stands out from others in its class for its fervent attention to detail and its artistic craftsmanship.

The brand's commitment to make everything in and around its cars beautiful is unmatched, and this of course extends to the Pagani key fob. Rather than coming as a nondescript, square-adjacent shape like most car keys do, the Pagani key fob is shaped like the car it unlocks. Though it lacks the V12 Paganis are powered by, this miniature model is detailed, and comes carved from a block of the same lightweight aluminium Pagani uses in their wheels. Take a closer look and you'll notice the hairline split down the middle, which is the only evidence that this tiny Pagani comes apart. When it does, the rear half of the key plugs into the car and starts the engine, turning every startup into a special occasion.

Pagani may be the best at producing gorgeous, emotionally moving cars, but where it plays to the heart, Koenigsegg plays to the brain. Christian Von Koenigsegg and his team in Ängelholm, Sweden, never seem to fail at creating cars that don't abide by the same rules of physics the rest of the world agrees on. Every time a car comes out of their repurposed Swedish air force base, it comes with some new creation that seems impossible, like the Koenigsegg Jesko's Light Speed Transmission, which boasts a clutch plate for each gear, and can jump from any gear to any other gear.

Koenigsegg spares no expenses and cuts no corners with its innovations, and that extends to its key fobs. Like Pagani, Koenigsegg has ditched the traditional, and boring ergonomic blobs that most key fobs come in. This shield-shaped fob is often made with materials that match the car it comes with, featuring the car's VIN number as well. On the backside, you have your usual lock and unlock buttons, but for the Regera, the fob also sports buttons corresponding to every moving panel of the car. The front and rear clamshells, and both doors can be opened and closed remotely via the key, using Koenigsegg's Autoskin system powered by lightweight hydraulics. A key of this magnitude isn't one you want dented up. Luckily, each car has a magnetic bed for keys to rest in while driving, and owners can purchase a sculpture-like key holder for their homes.

So far, the key fobs mentioned on this list have managed an impressive balance of form and function. The Aston Martin crystal key does not uphold this equilibrium with the same grace. In fact, there's actually no grace at all, but given this list is purely about good design, the Aston Martin crystal key has certainly earned its spot. Introduced in 2008, the Aston Martin crystal key was an option for new Aston models, costing buyers an extra two grand. That much for a key sounds absurd, but when you're buying cars with six figure base prices, $2,000 for a pretty key to match one of the best looking Aston Martins of all time becomes no big deal.

The key's four buttons come in a black housing, with a metallic frame outline, and the crystal element capping the top of the key. Unfortunately, the crystal is quite fragile. Blemishes and scratches show up easily, which isn't ideal for an item bound to spend time in pockets jostling with things like house keys, cell phones, and loose coins. And should your crystal cap break entirely, replacing it will run you another $2,000. However, which it's kind of a bad idea functionally, it remains a very beautiful key, especially when you push it into the ignition slot in the console, starting up your Aston, and turning the key into the dashboard's jeweled centerpiece (pictured above).

Although the BMW i8 is now discontinued, when it came out 2014 it gave gearheads a preview of what the future of the German giant might hold. As the first plug-in hybrid of a brand loved for its sports cars, the i8 had a lot of expectations to live up to. However, while its drivetrain was technically impressive, the four-cylinder engine and 369 hp output weren't anything to write home about. Where the i8 won people over, though, was with its futuristic styling, which extended beyond the car, and made it to the key. 

The i8 was all about experimentation, and with its key, BMW tested some new ideas for how drivers might be able to interact with their car. Its shape wasn't anything abnormal, if a little large, but its obvious difference was its touchscreen. Essential functions like locking and unlocking were still controlled by physical buttons, but the tiny screen provided status updates, including the car's charge level, and service indicators. It could also preset climate controls, and provide remote control of the windows. This wasn't industry-defining stuff, but the i8's key served as a complementary symbol of the car's inventive and forward-thinking character. Nowadays, these functions are more the domain of companion apps, but the i8's key did it first, and with more style.

One of the most prestigious automakers on the globe, Bugatti has earned a reputation for combining decadence and engineering to an unmatched degree. Supercars are beautiful enough to be moving and desirable, while also being able to perform incredible feats of speed, and Bugatti's creations marry these two characteristics at the highest level.

This philosophy is present in all aspects of its cars, including the keys. It's no secret that the Bugatti Chiron is a ludicrously fast car, but the steps taken to reach that speed are perhaps less known. To enter and start the car, you'll need the Chiron's main key fob, which is a slightly underwhelming metal and leather rectangle. Should you wish to chase the Chiron's maximum speed though, you'll need the top speed key. This rectangular chunk of metal sits dormant in the driver's side doorsill, flush with the bodywork. Pop it out, and you can insert it into the keyhole next to its housing, preparing the car for a top speed run. With the key in use, the car will run a full systems check, ensuring everything is in good condition. The car then lowers itself, and adjusts its active aero elements to remain as slippery as possible. The key is good-looking, with the Chiron name scrawled across the side in seductive cursive, and while it may not be as artistically impressive as some of the aforementioned keys, its unique function gives it an undeniable cool factor.