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Truth or Show: 8 Strange Car Features and Which Ones You Can Buy
Cars that drive sideways, turn on the spot, float and dance. We checked eight features: GMC CrabWalk, Mercedes G-Turn, Hyundai Mobis, Ioniq 5 N, Yangwang, NIO NOMI, Rolls-Royce. Which...
Nov 01, 2026 · 5 min read · Autopapyrus
A car that drives sideways, turns on the spot, floats across a lake and sometimes even dances. We collected eight such features and checked which of them you can actually buy and which were only shown. Each one gets a stamp: in production, only shown, or dropped. The short version: almost everything is real, but every feature has a catch that the ads never mention.
In short
| Feature | What it does | Stamp |
|---|---|---|
| GMC Hummer EV: CrabWalk | drives diagonally | in production |
| Mercedes G 580: G-Turn | turns on the spot | in production |
| Rivian: tank turn | shown in 2019 | dropped |
| Hyundai Mobis: e-Corner | each wheel turns 90° | only shown |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 N | imitates a gearbox and engine sound | in production |
| Yangwang: emergency floating | stays afloat | in production |
| Yangwang U9 | "dances" on active suspension | in production |
| NIO NOMI | a companion ball on the dashboard | in production |
| Rolls-Royce Starlight Headliner | a ceiling full of stars | in production, option |
1. GMC Hummer EV: drives sideways like a crab
GMC Hummer EV. Photo: HJUdall, CC0.
The electric GMC Hummer EV has a CrabWalk mode. All four wheels turn the same way and the heavy pickup moves diagonally. In its ad GMC shows it on snow, with the tracks running at an angle. It is not a concept: the mode is in production pickups. We do not quote a top speed for it because the official GMC page did not open for us and dealer and press figures disagree.
In production
2. Mercedes G 580: turns on the spot
Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology. Photo: Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The electric Mercedes G 580 can turn on the spot: the wheels on one side spin forward, on the other side backward. The feature is called G-Turn. Mercedes' own instructions explain how to start it: hold the left steering-wheel paddle and press the accelerator. Sources give different turn angles, so we quote none.
In production
Bonus: Rivian showed a tank turn first and dropped it
Tank-turn diagram. Drawing: Autopapyrus.
Rivian showed its tank turn in 2019. According to American media it did not reach production in that form; the newer R1 has a similar manoeuvre under another name. We could not open the company's own statement, so the wording is careful.
Dropped
3. Hyundai Mobis e-Corner: a wheel that turns 90 degrees
Hyundai Mobis showed a system in which every wheel steers, brakes and drives on its own. A wheel turns 90 degrees, so the car moves sideways, turns on the spot and pivots around any point. Parking in a tight gap becomes one manoeuvre. But it was demonstrated on an experimental Hyundai Ioniq 5. We found no car in which you can order the system.
Only shown
4. Hyundai Ioniq 5 N: a gearbox that does not exist
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. Photo: Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An electric car has no gearbox, yet the Ioniq 5 N pretends to have one. N e-Shift imitates an 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox with rev-matching, jolts between shifts and paddles on the wheel. N Active Sound+ plays an engine sound through 8 inside and 2 outside speakers, in three settings. It is all for the driver's fun, and it is on sale.
In production
5. Yangwang: an SUV that floats
Yangwang U8 (model photo; in BYD's video a camouflaged test car of the brand was used). Photo: User3204, CC BY-SA 4.0.
BYD filmed an emergency-floating test for its Yangwang brand: the SUV stays on the water and four motors let it steer afloat. The test was shot on a lake with a drone and a professional driver, and the company itself warns: do not try this. The mode exists to get out of a sudden flood, not for lake trips. We do not quote figures such as "30 minutes on water": we found them on no official page.
In production, emergency mode
6. Yangwang U9: a supercar that dances
Yangwang U9. Photo: JustAnotherCarDesigner, CC0.
The Yangwang U9 sits on active suspension. It raises and lowers the body, and at BYD's presentation the car moves in time with music. The maker says the same system helps it jump over potholes. We saw the dancing on stage and the jumps only in the company's own videos. The car is on sale in China.
In production
7. NIO NOMI: a ball with a face
NIO cars carry a ball with a face on the dashboard called NOMI. According to the company it has two motors, one for horizontal and one for vertical movement. Together they give the head human-like motion and NOMI turns toward whoever is speaking. In the ad the ball even takes a selfie with the passengers. The company says NOMI comes in all its cars.
In production
8. Rolls-Royce: a ceiling of stars
A Rolls-Royce ceiling can be covered in stars: the fibre optics are threaded into the headliner by hand, one strand at a time. In company materials there is an order with 800 stars, and the ceiling usually takes about 9 hours. It is an option on production cars.
In production, option
The bottom line
Seven of the eight features can be bought, one has only been shown, and another, Rivian's, was dropped. A good rule: if the ad shows a feature on a closed track with a professional driver, look for how to switch it on in the owner's manual. If there is none, it is probably a show.
How we checked
Video: official channels of GMC, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai Motor Group, Hyundai USA, BYD Global, NIO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
What next