By Brian Nadel
April 23, 2003

It seems that every day a new desktop or TV comes along that looks and acts so differently from what we expect that it opens our eyes and changes the way we think about technology. This isn't really the case with cars, which appear to be made with the same cookie cutter: with bodies of steel and glass, engines that burn gasoline, and four wheels each. Zoom in for a closer look at today's models, however, and you'll find a cornucopia of technology that leaves older cars in the dust.

This brave new world of automotive engineering and design is changing not only what we drive but how we drive, from telling us when to turn, to tires that signal a leak, to airbags that adjust to the passenger. Look further out on the horizon, and you'll see supercars that can change body style, watch for crossing pedestrians, and burn ultraclean fuel.

Sure, it's all about getting from point A to point B, but tomorrow's cars will get you there more safely, more enjoyably, and with unheard-of style and grace.