The A$50,000 set of car keys

Fairfax

ASTON OWNER: Warren Brown is one of only two Australians who have ordered the optional transponder key that is incorporated in a Jaeger-leCoultre watch.

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Losing your car keys can be the height of frustration. But for Warren Brown it would be more than an inconvenience: replacing them could cost A$50,000 (NZ$63,313).

As an owner of a A$500,000 (NZ$633,130) Aston Martin DBS Mr Brown is already in an exclusive club, but he is also one of only two Australians who have ordered the optional transponder key that is incorporated in a Jaeger-leCoultre watch.

"Apart from the guys at Aston Martin service, I never let anyone else drive it," says Mr Brown.

The James Bond-style key/watch - it locks and unlocks the door but does not start the car - is the most expensive car key on the market.

But the thousands of Australians who lose keys to more ordinary cars each year can pay more than A$500 (NZ$633) for a replacement.

Keys for many budget-priced small cars - including the Suzuki Alto and Toyota Corolla - can cost more than A$250 (NZ$316).

A key for Australia's best selling car, the Holden Commodore, will cost more than A$300 (NZ$380) once it is cut and coded to match the car.

Popular small cars such as the Ford Fiesta, Mazda3 and Volkswagen Golf could cost between A$400 (NZ$506) and A$600 (NZ$760), depending on the dealer, in some cases amounting to 4 per cent of the price of the car.

Transponder keys - which the car senses once it is inside, allowing the owner to press a button and leave the key in their pocket - generally cost more, with Hyundai's "smart key" likely to cost more than $500 to replace.

Keys to luxury cars such as a Range Rover, BMW or Lexus can cost more than $700.

Australian drivers' association the NRMA said 4570 of its members contacted it about lost or broken keys over the 12 months to June.

Some keys take up to six weeks to replace.

Modern keys have computer chips that ''talk'' to the car's engine immobiliser - a technology that has been credited with reducing car theft.

Immobilisers became popular in the 1990s and were made mandatory in 2001. Vehicles without immobilisers account for nearly two-thirds of car thefts, according to the Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council.

With a watch more expensive than most cars on the road, Mr Brown says he takes extra precautions.

"There's probably more chance of me losing my arm than the watch," he says. "I think there are more expensive handbags out there and the car is fully insured so I don't worry about it."

- © Fairfax NZ News