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GM Claims Advanced Cruise Control By 2008

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the more-time-to-play-games dept.

pavelvp writes "Economist is reporting that General Motors is working on the prototype of the self-driving car. From the article, "The car uses updated technology combined with several existing innovations and, according to the manufacturer, could be in production by 2008. But, while the technology takes some of the boring bits out of driving, it falls far short of an automatic taxi service and, anyway, various legal, technical and social barriers to its introduction remain.""

12 of 425 comments (clear)

  1. Good idea by Catamaran · · Score: 5, Funny

    I look forward to the day when we relinquish all control of our cars once we enter the freeway. Scientific papers have found that traffic throughput could be increased up to 918.49% while reducing fatalities by a factor of 17.5!

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    Test 1 2 3 4
    1. Re:Good idea by quanticle · · Score: 2, Funny

      Today's teens are starting to seriously think hybrids, electrics and hydrogen-powered cars are cool.

      Somehow, I don't think anyone told the teenagers who are busy turning efficient Civics into inefficient turbo'd ricers with high volume exhaust systems.


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      We all know what to do, but we don't know how to get re-elected once we have done it
  2. Doesn't work well in motorhomes by infonography · · Score: 3, Funny

    I know of one such event where a guy set the cruise control in his Winnebago and then got up and when back to the kitchen to make a sandwich. Truth, Fiction, Urban Legend, or Darwin Award. Your guess is as good as mine.

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    Sorry about the writing. Robot fingers, you know? Cliff Steele in DOOM PATROL #23
  3. No use. by thermal_noise · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's 2008. Give me my f*ing flying car instead.

  4. but.. by Enteebee · · Score: 4, Funny

    Will this car also drive itself to Alaska, drill for oil, refine the crude into gasoline, and then fill up?

    Otherwise, I'm holding out for a Mr. Fusion.

  5. In Soviet Russia... by X1011 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Car drives you!

  6. A hundred years... by HermanAB · · Score: 4, Funny

    since we last had self driving cars. Friggen amazing that it took this long to re-invent the horse.

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    Oh well, what the hell...
    1. Re:A hundred years... by mesmartyoudumb · · Score: 4, Funny

      That's funny, My friend was telling me that his grandpa refused to buy a car because it didn't know the way home if he got drunk and passed out like his good ole horse.

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      "Comedy's a dead art form. Now tragedy, that's funny."
  7. BMW already has this in their cars. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    And not only that, but what's holding the GM version up is that they're still trying to engineer it to fail as soon as the warranty runs out.

  8. Re:In southern california cruise control is worthl by milimetric · · Score: 3, Funny

    wow. You should Never talk again. Ever. Ask your friends to join you in on that too. Thanks.

    Someone with mod points, break this person's karma.

  9. No officer i was not driving. by davro · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now you and your friends can get drunk smoke crack while cruising along the high street.
    Should it have a "Drive it like you stole it" option for the car thiefs.

  10. Re:Fuel Efficiency? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I wrote some software to optimize the fuel efficiency of my car's engine controller.

    Damn thing wouldn't even start, and kept insisting that it was currently experiencing infinite miles per gallon. Actually starting would only lower its efficiency.