It is already possible to have cars that will self diagnose, navigate, and even find you a restaurant.  Not too far away are the windshields that can be darkened with a touch of a button, joystick driving, and tires that will morph to fit the terrine.

Not every one is excited about losing control of their driving machines.  Like the Will Smith character in I Robot, some people are worried that the machines can’t be trusted.  It would disconcerting to point the car for the beach and wake up in the desert.  At the same time, it would be nice not to have to worry about falling asleep at the wheel on long trips. 

Machines can do a great number of things more efficiently than human beings.  Even with all the advances to automotive technology, I still don’t think most people are ready to give them the wheel.

I have never been talented at telling one car from another – no matter how distinct the models.  Designers have made it even more difficult for me over the years.  Most all of the cars on the road have the same basic shape and same basic design.  From the look of the future cars that I’ve seen so far, that trend is going to continue.

The “new” cars that catch my attention are the ones that look like old cars.  I want something as distinct as the 1966 Ford Mustang.  My car needs to have a character all its own.

Designers may be concentrated on better performance, better gas mileage, and technical things like that when they develop their cars of tomorrow.  If they want to keep me as a customer, they better create a design that is more than functional.  It needs to stand out in a crowd.

A perfect example of a great idea that crashed (literally) before it could even take off was the Dymaxion.  This unique looking automobile managed to get 30 miles per gallon (even back in the 1930’s).  It was aerodynamic and able to take sharp turns because of an unusual steering system (a single, steerable rear wheel). 

Unfortunately, its uniqueness may have been its down fall.  During the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933, one of the prototypes was involved in a fatal accident that was ultimately pinned on the rear steering system.

Rumors still abound about the exact reason the investors pulled out of the automobile set to change the industry.  What ever the reason, it could serve today’s market to take a look at the past’s future car and see what they can learn from its unique and efficient designs.  Sometimes the past has more to offer the future than the present has even begun to imagine.

For so long, cars were looking all the same.  While the gas mileage may have improved, the character disappeared completely.  Muscle cars of the past were designed to stand out.  Aerodynamics was only considered because of the ability to make the car go even faster.  But the lack of aerodynamics was countered by bigger, stronger, louder engines, instead of stripping the cars of their standout qualities.

Now Toyota is finding a way to combine the muscle character with the modern mileage.  The new hybrid has it all - looks, speed, gas mileage, and even affordability.  Toyota introduced the sleek, sure to be industry defining, FT-HS concept car at the 2007 North American International Car Show. 

This would be the car for our family, without a doubt or hesitation, except that it isn’t a family car.  The two-seater is sports car, 100%.  At least there is hope that if the automotive industry can create something like this, then an affordable hybrid family car (hopefully with some character of its own) can’t be too far behind.