Ever since Henry Ford perfected large-scale production line manufacturing for cars in 1914, cars have been an important part of American culture. Although the cars of the year 2010 are far more sophisticated than those of a century ago, there are still some things our cars can't do.

 

Science fiction television shows and movies have presented us with a plethora of fascinating cars that people would kill to own - but they simply don't exist yet! Here are five things our cars should be able to do by now.

 

Flying Cars

The concept of flying cars has been around since 1962 - if not earlier - when the animated television show "The Jetsons" portrayed a fantastic futuristic world filled with robotic contraptions, aliens - and flying cars. When people in the previous decades imagined the future, flying cars were always part of that vision. Unfortunately, we're not currently zipping around the country in cars flying over abandoned highways and desolate roads.

 

Swimming Cars

Wouldn't it be cool if your car could run both on land and water? That's certainly what fans of James Bond thought when the titular hero plunged his car underwater to escape from the bad guys and his car turned into an airtight submarine in the movie "The Spy Who Loved Me." Who would want a boat when you could just drive your convertible into a lake and blissfully float away?

 

Thinking Cars

Having an intelligent car would be incredibly helpful. For example, if you need someone to take the wheel while you're driving because you're on the phone, the car could drive for you. Intelligent cars are probably going to be available for mainstream purchase within the near future. They won't be as sophisticated as KITT from the television show "Knight Rider," but they'll be pretty awesome no matter what.

 

Morphing Cars

In the movie "Transformers," we saw machines that were able to effortlessly morph into multiple forms. Having a car that could transform into an airplane, boat, or giant walking robot would be just about the coolest thing ever. But until then, we'll have to content ourselves with mini toys purchased at McDonalds.

 

Defending Cars

Armored cars and tanks are fine for the army, but cars equipped with all the fanciest tricks would be great for the average driver. Inspector Gadget's Gadgetmobile had everything you could possibly need to defend yourself, ranging from the standard ejector seats and retractable claws to releasing glue and tacks on the road. Having a defensive car like that would be really useful in a place like South Africa.

 

This guest post was contributed by www.carrentalexpress.com, your resource for independent car rentals.