New Cars - June 2005

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• new cars
• Aston Martin
• Toyota
• Audi
• Hummer
• Mercedes-Benz
• Volkswagen
• Suzuki

And Another Thing ...

Leave The Driving To Us

BY BEN STEWART

What used to be a sophisticated but purely mechanical device has evolved into a technological tour de force beyond the comprehension of mere mortals. That innocent-looking car sitting in your driveway packs more computing power than anything that's been to the moon. It's a wonder--and a testament to the automotive industry as a whole--that black boxes, circuit boards and microprocessors secreted throughout the nooks and crannies of the family wagon can control engines, transmissions, brakes and suspensions. And they do so essentially flawlessly, day in, day out, regardless of weather or climate.

This cornucopia of electronic brilliance has made cars cleaner, more fuel-efficient, more reliable, more durable and most certainly far more safe than they've ever been. All of which is good. And most people are rarely aware of the overseeing computerized hands guiding and protecting them as they drive, which is the way most people want it. But some of us are beginning to feel that this creeping automation is robbing us--okay, me--of a lot of the pleasure of driving. I want to be able to spin the tires under hard acceleration when I'm in the mood. I want to be able to get the tail of a rear-drive high-performance sports car to hang out there while I take a favorite corner. I want to know that I, not some HAL 9000 under the hood, am in control of my car.

Okay, not needing to turn a key in a switch to start an engine may be some people's idea of convenience. To me it's an easy way to lose track of the ignition key. What's the big deal? And why on Earth can't you get out of a new Corvette without having to have the engine off and the transmission in Reverse? What's next, cars that decide where to drive and when to drive there? I hope not.