Here are ten of the coolest car keys ever made

It couldn't make up for the violent assault of rubbishness that was the Neon, but it had a key that GLOWED IN THE DARK. Which inevitably provided some comfort for bored owners waiting for the RAC to turn up.

As wonderfully simple as the cars it starts, the VW key also doubles as pleasing necklace when your Beetle/Microbus rots away to nothing.

The yin to the Bug key's yang, this was part of VW's unfortunately named PCP endeavour (building a people's car for China), and like the i8's, features a high-def touchscreen. It can also track the status of your ‘dub via satellite. Shame it's vapourware.

Hey, it looks like a motorsport-style kill switch! And it's made out of titanium! It's also RARE - the key design only lasted for a year before being phased out for something less awesome.

It's a massive sterling silver fob in the shape of the Swedish supercamaker's logo, with a little rubber button on the back to enable the car's alarm. A tad gauche, perhaps, and more than a little Indiana Jones. But Koenigseggs aren't for shrinking violets.

Horacio clearly wanted everyone at the yacht club to be sure what you'd rocked up in, so shaped the Huayra's key like the car it starts. And incorporated a flash drive for your tunes.

One of our favourites thanks to its one-size-fits-all application, ready availability and secondary use as a screwdriver.

OK, so it's a big, shouty Jaeger LeCoultre watch, but if you press the face glass it'll open up your Aston Martin DB9 or DBS. Pretty nifty. And considerably less appalling than AM's massive "emotional control unit" keys, which look like a cheap corporate trophy handed out for the "zaniest tie" or "tea drinker" award at the office Christmas party.

Without this key, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport will only do a piffling 220mph. But if you put it in a slot behind the driver's seat, it lowers the chassis, changes the angle of the rear spoiler, and closes the diffuser flaps, and allows the car to hit up to 268mph.

It doesn't tell the time or incorporate precious metals or look like the car it starts, but it's a wonderful example of Porsche's obsession with weight reduction. More of this please, everyone.

Picture courtesy of D-Zug Products