Resorting to gimmicks is an age-old practice in the auto industry. That’s especially true for start-up companies who want to make a name for themselves in the business. Using that justification, it’s easy to forgive Italian start-up Frangivento for not only dipping into this well, but for actually building one inside its new supercar offering, the Asfane Charlotte Roadster.

Okay, so it’s not really a well. It’s an aquarium, which sounds no less ridiculous. But still, an aquarium inside the car? Perhaps the company needed to get as much attention as it could. After all, there’s only a finite number of premium materials in the world, so when that option dries up, might as well dive into the deep waters, right? The good news is that the aquarium isn’t the only notable feature of the Charlotte Roadster. It’s got a supremely aggressive design that fits into the mold of how an exotic should look like. Most importantly, it has a 70 kilowatt-hour battery pack that’s reportedly good for 885 horsepower. According to Frangivento, those figures allow the supercar to post a 0-to-60-mph time of just 2.6 seconds before peaking at a top speed of 189 mph. As ridiculous as the aquarium is, it’s good to know the Charlotte Roadster also has the performance capabilities to back up its audacious look and quirky features.

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I’m not opposed to a niche automaker finding new ways to stand out. It’s a competitive market to begin with, so there is a natural need for these companies to make sure their products are remembered for one reason or another. But an aquarium inside a car is something else.

Granted, I’ve actually seen weirder things get put inside a car. But that usually happens in the aftermarket world where the scope of creativity knows no bounds. Very rarely do you see a company offer features like this off the bat. I suppose a diamond-encrusted steering wheel isn’t audacious enough anymore?

Let it be said that Frangivento is trying to stand out. That much we can all agree on judging by that bright blue aquarium that even comes with a pair of fishes appropriately named Nemo and Dory.

I don’t know if the aquarium will be included in the finished production model, but whether it’s still there or not, buyers will still have to shell out a significant sum of money – $1.6 million – if they hope to get a piece of the Asfane Charlotte Roadster. For what it's worth, it looks capable of making noise in the supercar world with that powertrain and the promise of autonomous driving down the road.

Still, I can’t get past that aquarium. I guess that’s just what a niche company needs to do these days to get people to talk about it. Well, if that were true, I’d say that Frangivento has accomplished its goal.