The all-out effort to meet demands for cars that reflect consumers' personalities represents nothing less than a reshaping of the automotive industry's future.
Advances in computer design and materials science mean a car can go from clay model to dealer floor in less than two years. It adds up to a marketplace where customers' dreams of personalization reign supreme, and where auto engineers and designers can create affordable cars.
The latest cars are also more of an electronic extension of their wired drivers. Many new models can integrate an iPod, wireless phone, and laptop into a slick communications module. Auto makers are adding sensors to control car stability, and are splurging on collision warnings, in-dash communication centers, and "smart engines" that squeeze out more power and economy. The automobile is "going through a technological revolution that is the most profound in the last 100 years," says James E. Press, president of Toyota Motor Corp.'s (TM ) North American operations.
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