Cars and romance are irrevocably linked – any American movie set in the 50s should be able to confirm that. The idyllic ideal of heading to a drive-through movie with your sweetheart in a droptop Corvette, followed by a glamorous vista of the city lights up on Makeout Point (why is it always called Makeout Point?) is the stuff of dreams.
However, it’s not quite so perfect when it’s actually a drive-through McDonalds in a diesel hatchback, followed by a dramatic view of High Wycombe town centre.
Don’t panic, though – modern cars can have some very amorous features included as standard, and if you choose carefully there’s no reason why your time in a car can’t be as passionate as all those American movies.
Here’s five of our favourites – in most cases, tried and tested (not like that!) and approved for an exotic, exciting evening.
Bench seating
Modern car seats are meant to be supportive, figure-hugging and comfortable, and for the most part, they are. But that hefty sculpting and bolstering makes it damn near impossible to scooch over to your loved one for a cuddle.
It’s not helped by the proliferation of big, bulky centre consoles in most cars, separating you from your sweetheart with a sea of storage solutions.
Bench seats used to be common fare, but only a few cars offer them these days. The new Land Rover Defender, launching later this year, looks likely to be one of the best – but you could also specify bench seats in the pre-facelift Citroen C4 Cactus if your budget doesn’t stretch quite that far.
Used examples of the Fiat Multipla and Honda FR-V would also be ideal – though let’s be frank, if you’ve enough children to justify an MPV, you’ve been doing pretty well so far.
Mood lighting
At home, you’d dim the lights or spark up a scented candle. In a car… well, you could always turn the interior dome light on, but that’s far from flattering.
Instead, many modern motors offer multi-coloured mood lighting to give you an instantly configurable atmosphere. Mercedes-Benz is particularly good for this, offering it on all of its models from the dinky A-Class right up to the massive GLS, but it’s filtering down the ranks to cheap superminis such as the Peugeot 208.
Champagne fridges
Okay, these aren’t always intended for champagne – and we’d never condone drinking and driving. But you could settle up for the night with one of these chilled containers chock-full of your favourite non-alcoholic sparkling beverage, ready for a romantic toast.
They’re also ideal for keeping other things chilled and comfortable, like a tiny heart-shaped box of chocolates or a single red rose. The only limit is your own imagination. You’ll find fridge boxes like these on a lot of high-end SUVs such as the Range Rover or Toyota Land Cruiser, but 12V coolboxes are available if you’d like to add one to your Dacia Sandero.
High-end stereo
The most romantic music is performed live, preferably by an Italian chef on the accordion as you and your loved one eat spaghetti and meatballs. But it’s easy to create your own bella notte with the incredible stereos fitted to some high-end cars.
Whether it’s the Mark Levinson system in a Lexus, Bowers & Wilkins in a Volvo, Bang & Olufsen in an Audi or Naim in a Bentley, your sexiest playlist will sound incredible. But for goodness’ sake, keep the spaghetti sauce OFF the upholstery.
Starlight headliner
Okay, this one really is a luxury, but with the British weather being what it is, the romantic act of stargazing can be a lot harder than it needs to be. Why not stay warm and dry and stare up at your very own starlight headliner instead?
These use LEDs to create a dramatic effect every time you look up. They’re really incredible features, but don’t get too excited. To get your hands on one you’ll either need to buy a used Vauxhall Adam city car (around £6,000) or a Rolls-Royce Phantom (around £200,000). So, err. Start saving now?
