I read something I couldn't believe; something that simply made me cringe. the Germans, the culture, along with we Americans that has done more to bring automotive joy to the masses than any other country in the world has, in the words of Road & Track Magazine, "fallen out of love" with driving. Come again?! The country that gave us BMW sports sedans and diabolical automotive pleasures like the original Porsche Turbo, is suddenly blase about cars? Apparently there's a bit more to it than that; the expectation of the Germans is that the future will be full of mile after mile of ribbon-like asphalt, and.....drivers who aren't really necessary. Hold the phone; how is THAT supposed to be possible? We have a little taste of it so far, with things like "intelligent" cruise control, lane-deviation systems, and other electronic trickery that already make the driver something only barely-short of a motoring accessory, and apparently, the plan is to take this further. To the point where the driver IS unnecessary. Which is REALLY scary, if you ask me. We've already determined that if you're focused on your cell phone, your driving takes a metaphorical back-seat, and the carnage it has produced to this point is shocking to the point where we have laws against texting and driving in many places. So, yes, this goes way beyond the concept that driving should be some sort of visceral thrill (although to a certain segment of the population, it still makes one helluva difference if it is,) this says that driving should be about YOU knowing the rules, and YOU being an educated, conscientious driver. Put down your go#%^&*(-ned cell phone, and pay attention to what you're supposed to be doing behind the wheel; concentrating on your driving. And as much as we here in America are monitored, surveilled, and constantly kept an eye on by The Powers That Be here in 2013, first of all, I sincerely doubt our highway infrastructure is in the shape it needs to be in for such a venture to even get off the ground. Second, of course, is the ever-present question, "what if something in this high-priced technology goes REALLY wrong?!" The results of such a disaster if this ever occurred would be nothing short of seismic. And being a participant in a study that seeks to do exactly that, well.....the information that this study collects already tells these examiners where my car goes, how long it's there, etc, etc, etc...... Like we already don't have enough of a lack of privacy? And aside from what I said before about driving being a visceral experience to some of us, in times up until now, (and as we are re-discovering now, what with all the carnage from people texting and driving,) is that driving is and SHOULD be, something that requires all the attention you can give it, simply for your own well-being. To Hell with the "infotainment" systems, that require you to scroll through multiple menus, or whatever, to turn the air-conditioning down; put the knob BACK on the dashboard! Never mind that we've created a culture, outside of metropolitan areas like New York City, (where you'd expect there to be a limited interest in cars,) where a teenager would rather have a iPhone 5 than a car. Sorry, but, when it comes from gettin' from point-A to point-B, and you're in a place where the only other option is what we in America laughingly refer to as "mass transit", there ain't an app for that. Cars have been good to, and good for America; they were at the center of the American industrial economy (make what you will of that,) for the better part of 100 years. Being blase about them simply doesn't serve us as a nation. Judge our current non-industrial economy if you need proof. At this point, I will speak for animals, many of whom now have been run over by hybrid vehicles because they didn't HEAR them. I am not making this up, this is a real problem. Remember Diane Keaton, from Annie Hall? She admitted on  a late-night talk show that she ran over one of her dogs in her hybrid Lexus, because the dog didn't hear her vehicle backing up. Same goes for blind people; there have already been numerous recorded instances of blind people being struck by hybrid vehicles, because they had no sense that they were even there. Say what you want for a Hemi Cuda, but you wouldn't have the same problem with one of THEM in the intersection! I'm all for anything that truly makes driving a better experience, but for all our sakes, driving needs to continue being a totally active appropriately sensory experience; trying to make it less simply means that the idiots, and Big Brother, finally get their wish when it comes to controlling us.