This outrageously expensive car key fob was created by a Finland-based company called Awain in … [+]
Have you noticed how large luxury car keyless-entry key fobs have become? Some upscale-brand transmitters have become so big and bulky they could warrant quips like, “Is that a key fob in your pocket or are you just glad to see me.” BMW even managed to incorporate an LCD display in the mammoth fob for its flagship 7 Series a couple of years ago.
A branding expert once explained to us that one reason upscale car key fobs have grown to a size XXL is to exist as a status-enhancing extension of the vehicle to which it is paired. You may not be able to park your Lexus or Mercedes in the office, but you can sure let the rest of the company know that you own one by having the paperweight-sized transmitter sit on your desk.
And because, at least to a privileged few, nothing exceeds like excess, a Finland-based company called Awain, Ltd. fabricates extraordinary expensive limited edition custom keyless entry fobs for those who drive extraordinary expensive cars. Awain’s latest offering was created in collaboration with the legendary Le Mans racecar driver Mika Salo. Priced at a heart-stopping $11,100 it comes in three models, Monaco, Spa, and Suzuka, named for three of Salo’s favorite racing circuits.
With production limited to 20 units, each fabulous fob is constructed from advanced materials including high modulus carbon fiber and aerospace-grade titanium, and takes skilled artisans more than 50 hours to create. As if that’s not enough exclusivity, a group of selected customers will be given the opportunity to customize their Grand Prix key with an actual F1 engine part, specifically a valve plate, to further underscore the motorsports connection.
“To have a racing legend of the professional and personal caliber of Mika Salo collaborating closely with our company is both an honor and a great opportunity for us,” says Awain’s CEO, Jalmari Mattila. “As a passionate car enthusiast myself, I believe that the very best cars in the world deserve the very best keys, and our pieces really make a statement of excellence for the passionate motoring enthusiast.”
The Grand Prix Collection keys are currently on display at the Car Vault luxury car showroom in (where else?) Dubai, and can be shown by special appointment anywhere in the world. Appropriately enough, they’re limited to top-shelf brands including Bugatti, Bentley, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Maybach, McLaren, and Rolls-Royce. The most proletarian nameplates the company builds fobs for are Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche.
And if you think $11,000 is a lot to spend on a car key fob, that’s nowhere near the most expensive unit Awain has created. That distinction would go to the one-of-a-kind Phantom, which is inlaid with 34.5 Carats of diamonds set in 175 grams of solid gold and priced at – wait for it – a staggering $555,000. Now that’s a status symbol.
