Better yet, who is going to be first to offer an iOS or Android apps to run your car's HVAC, Nav and other functions on your tablet? Imagine snapping an iPad Mini into your dash where the Infotainment screen used to be and having access to all your apps while the tablet car software manages environmental comforts in the background. Think how much easier updates would be if it involved downloading an iOS app instead of taking your car to a dealership or risking flash drive installations. Imagine being able to choose software from different vendors to run your car's comforts, diagnostics and tuning (Cobb AP v6?) instead of being stuck with whatever Mazda or Ford decides to put out. Imagine no more glitchy AV players that choke on your music or perpetually reindex your library. Imagine no more car software freezes going unaddressed month after month.
It won't happen any time soon, but who would have thought fifty years ago that universal OBD monitors would happen during our lifetimes, or Bluetooth synching, or any other cross-manufacturer standard? These were science fiction ideas when I was a kid.
The barrier to my dream is likely financial rather than technical. Who will make the first profit selling tablet operated cars? Will it be Mazda, or do we have to wait for Tesla or somebody else to get there first?
Go even further in your thinking. Imagine plugging a tablet into your dashboard and being able to decide where you want the HVAC controls, where you put the radio controls, what kind of controls they utilize (rotary knob, push buttons, rockers, etc.)
Now imagine your car and tablet "know" each other, and "know" each user as they approach the car. The seats, mirrors, wheel and pedals all set themselves to your preferences, the controls lay out the way you like them, the temp sets to your settings, the radio presets are arranged just so...
... but even more - the fuel and shift maps adjust to your driving style, versus your wife's or your mother-in-law's style. The brake pedal firms up for you, the steering response tightens, the suspension firms up because your car "knows" you like to drive with some enthusiasm.
Every bit of this is possible right now, and more and more of it is being implemented in higher-end cars, but more of it is also working its way down to lower-end cars as well.
Some people are worried that cars will become rolling nannies-in-a-box. I worry that what's coming won't come fast enough. I'm 52 years old, and can't wait to see what's next. I already lived through the "good old days," and they weren't all that great. Muscle cars were fun... in a straight line. If you could afford to keep them gassed up. British sports cars were fun... when they ran (odd Tuesdays in months with no "R" in them).
Or Waze and Spotify!
