Best April Fools' day pranks of 2015

It's the 1st of April, and with it comes the traditional April Fools' day pranks. Car companies are well versed in this tradition, and 2015 has already brought us some truly weird and wonderful creations. 

Our team has rounded up their favourite April Fools' day jokes of 2015.

Skoda Shadechange - John McIlroy

The best April Fools are close to reality, and Skoda's effort - a 'Colour Concept' on Fabias that allows owners to change the shades of individual panels - can easily end up looking like the VW Golf and Polo Harlequin editions of old. It's controlled via the car's infotainment screen; Skoda has included a natty mock-up of the interface, which looks no more confusing than many a sat-nav system and will cost £500. Which is going to make a single shade of metallic paint look even worse value than normal.

BMW Mouthguard - Tom Webster

BMW's effort this year might not have fooled as many as previous years (remember the M3 pickup?) but full marks for the use of famous supporting cast. England rugby captain Chris Robshaw plays a convincing supporting role in this video about a mouthguard developed by the German manufacturer. Apparently it lets the players breathe in more air than other mouthguards, according to Head of Product Fabrication Dr Uwe Gotobekidin (say it out loud...). The video is also notable for the unnerving, Jaws-like grin Robshaw pulls at the end.

Vauxhall Vivao Taxi Kebabi - Darren Moss

Based on the nine-seat Combi Vivaro, Vauxhall's new special edition van solves the problem of finding a kebab shop that's still open after a night on the sauce. It comes with two gas-fired rotisserie grills at the rear, with salad bowls fitted into the arm rests. Chilli dispensers and other sauce options can also be found inside. Taxi driver Justin Trafik said: "The vinyl seats and floor covering will prove a real boon for the occasional spillage.”

Nissan GYM - Matt Burt

It’s getting more challenging to create convincing April Fools' jokes because reality has a tendency to provide much more comedy. Nissan’s effort this year focuses on a GYM function, which turns off all the driver assistance systems on the X-Trail and Qashqai crossovers to help motorists get fitter by turning the steering wheel and operating the controls using good old-fashioned elbow grease. Actually, the Japanese company might be on to something there…

Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Mini - Nigel Donnelly

Sometimes the efforts made in pursuit of an April fool story are hard to believe, but I rather liked the fact that Volkswagen Commercial did a bit of very crude Photochopping of the Caddy van to come up with the Caddy Mini story, but managed to shoehorn in a reference to the all-new model, which is coming along later in the year. I didn't know there was a new Caddy coming, so I actually learned something, too.