Automotive April Fools': Too good to be true

(Sinclair Broadcast Group) - In case you missed it, Saturday is April 1. This means the pranksters are out en force, and you have to be heavy handed with the skepticism. But, it’s also a great day to see brands take on a sense of humor.

And we love it when the auto industry shows some personality.

We’ve compiled a list of this year’s April Fools’ jokes from the automotive sector, and frankly, we’d love to see some of them (cough, Lane Valet) make it into production.

Lexus Lane Valet

If you ever drive on the highway, you’ve probably run into someone who is “parked” in the fast lane. Whether they’re not paying attention or they're trying to regulate traffic speed, they provide an obstacle to anyone who wants to pass.

So, Lexus’ April Fools’ innovation is Lane Valet, which will safely move those slow-driving vehicles to the right lane.

Too bad it’s an April Fools’ joke. We’d spend money on this feature.

Honda Horn Emojis

Sometimes a simple toot of the horn isn’t enough. So, the folks at Honda Dream Laboratories cooked up something a little more expressive. Whether you want to say a happy hello to your neighbors or demonstrate frustration with traffic, the 2018 Honda Odyssey will have a steering-wheel-based emoji for the appropriate horn honk with just the right emotion.

While the horn emojis may not actually make it into production (a.k.a. they won’t), the official Horn Emoji press release does reveal some real facts about the all-new Odyssey.

Alamo self-vacationing rental cars

Self-driving cars are all the buzz these days, but Alamo Rent A Car decided to take the whole autonomous thing a bit further. Imagine a car that can not only drive you around but will also plan your entire vacation – right down to ensuring that chocolates and flowers are delivered at the appropriate time for your anniversary celebration. The self-vacationing fleet will also plan potty stops, order food to the car and send selfies to your preferred social media outlets along the way.

Just remember to give the car some of the credit.

Lyft Mono glove ride-hailing

Lyft’s new mantra: “Raise. Request. Ride.” Because it’s too much effort to use your phone to request a ride, Lyft would like you to use the new “Mono,” which fits over your thumb and can be stored in your pocket. Simply put it on, and thumb your way to a ride.

Lyft made this joke seem so real, that it apparently had to add a disclaimer to the top of its “press release” that clearly states: This is an April Fools' joke. However, in some of the reading we did, it appears that though Mono isn’t a real product, it really works.

Mini Convertible John Cooker Works Package

So, you think you can cook? Mini Cooper wants to help with its new John Cooker Works package. Turn your Mini Convertible into a mobile street vendor with a solid oak food sales and preparation surface, induction cooker and integrated fume hood.

The cost to start your own food truck biz: $1,959.

Our only clue that this is an April Fools’ joke, other than the “huh?” factor, is the fact that the very beginning of the press release says “From April 2017.”

Can’t get enough of the automakers’ April Foolin’? Don’t miss last year’s jokes.

Did we miss any of 2017’s April Fools’ jokes? Tweet them to us at @automatters.