Hasta La Ideas

Well, this doesn’t seem real: A company called Car Capsule‘s eponymous product is a bubble-like alternative to a car cover, which protects your vehicle from dust and light debris but is transparent, allowing you to still admire your ride.

The system consists of a base mat that you drive your car onto, and a 10-mil PVC bubble that you loosely pull over your car and attach to the mat with a zipper. You then plug in an included fan, which inflates the bubble. Finally you install an included filter into the air intake flap.

“The fan exchanges the air by volume three to four times an hour,” the company writes, and “eliminates condensation and keeps the vehicle completely dry no matter what the temperature or humidity level.”

The company also says the bubble will dissuade rats from getting in there and chewing stuff up, though it’s not clear how that works; perhaps they’re intimidated by the fan?

As far as maintenance costs, the company says the electricity required to run the fan is just $1.50 a month, though they do not cite the region for which they generated that figure. If the bubble becomes torn, they say you can simply repair it with PVC tape.

Prices vary according to the bubble height and length you choose, but you’re looking at $460 to $640 for an indoor model. (They sell more durable and expensive outdoor models too, but those are not transparent and just look like a gigantic loaf of bread sitting in your yard.)

Here’s a closer look at the system, which has been sold for over 20 years, so apparently it works: