Cars That Think
Yahoo Internet Life
June 2002
Smarter, superwired autos can entertain you, protect you, and keep you in touch with the world in cool new ways. But watch out: It's getting harder to keep your eyes on the road
It's complicated, the relationship we have with our cars. We smother them with attention, get angry with them, lust after them, and entrust them with our loved ones' lives. Other than our homes, they're probably the possessions that most noticeably project our identity to the world.
And cars are feeling more like home than ever. Technology is making autos more capable, more comfortable, and more connected—but with today's rush-hour highways so painfully crowded, our primary focus still needs to be the road. Some new technology will make our driving experience more enjoyable and productive, some of it will be exasperating and possibly dangerous, and some of it will save lives.
The world of LCDs, global positioning systems, and MP3s is new territory for car companies, which often see nothing wrong with taking seven years to bring a car from concept to production. Can they keep up? Today's most wired cars prove that at least they're giving it a shot.
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Glenn Derene has covered automobile technology for Diversion, GQ, and Maxim.