Driving to distraction

In an interview with the Observer, popular culture researcher Rob Latham noted that his students boasted of iPods and computer games rather than their wheels, "they like walking cyborgs with all these things attached to them. Cars have become functional. They are not statements anymore. Electronics are."

Perhaps it's one of the reasons why gadgets are increasingly being installed cars. Most premium motors launched today are bursting with more tech gimmicks than the average Bondmobile, from Knightrider-style speaking on-board computers to DVD players and iPod cradles. Pushing the limits is the Nissan URGE, which literally transforms into a giant Xbox controller, with the steering wheel and pedals used to play Project Gotham Racing 3.

Innovative, but what's the point? The problem with gadgets in cars is that the people they appeal are likely to have better, standalone versions anyway. You can't watch a DVD while driving, unless you're in the back. Even assuming a chauffeur, the rich executive most likely has a high-end laptop with a much bigger screen than the one in his car that he could watch a movie on. And his children almost certainly got portable DVD players last birthday.

Many cars in the scorching Southern Gulf are sold with refrigerator boxes. Apart from keeping a drink cool for a while, they seem somewhat pointless. They take up a huge amount of space, they don't fit larger-sized water bottles, and the refrigeration switches off with the engine, making them little better than a bulky, awkwardly placed cool box.

One gadget that should appeal to eco-minded Gulf drivers is the Maybach 57S's rooftop solar panel, which operates cooling fans when the sun gets hot. Or the Audi Roadjet, which has microphones embedded in the roof above the seats, so front-seat passengers don't have to twist round and raise their voices to talk with those in the backseat. BMW has introduced night vision, and the Lexus LS460L will actually parallel park for you.

GPS satellite navigation systems are also getting upgraded. Basic 2D maps are evolving into photo-realistic, high-res 3D maps, with real-time traffic updates and routing and car-to-car communication.

But are many of these gadgets distracting drivers from the core business of driving, even compromising safety? According to a 2005 survey by the UK's Privilege Insurance, yes. Nearly half of drivers questioned admitted they had been distracted by in-car gadgets, with a fifth admitting swerving out of their lane while fiddling with the instruments panel or CD player.

And another problem with gadgets in cars is that they're not obvious outside the vehicle. You can go around telling people that your car has a 21-speaker surround-sound system, but if you can't visually flaunt it - like you can your BOSE iPod headphones, your Nokia N-Series or your PSP Advance - it rather loses the gloat factor.