Приложение Text 1 The Modern Day Car: a Sophisticated High Tech Gadget

Little did Mr. Ford know that the little black buggy he was making back in the early 90’s would a 100 years later be as sophisticated as the cars of today. Modern day cars are extremely complicated and high tech with some having the computing power greater than the first space shuttle which carried Neil Armstrong to the Moon! Cars today incorporate the latest in silicon technology and it’s the advent of Information Technology which has really given the automobile industry a giant technological leap. As computer chips become cheaper car manufacturers find new ways of integrating them into various functions of the car. Some of the primary technological advancements which have been made in car technology over the past few years are: onboard chips in MPFI cars for controlling fuel supply and combustion, safety technologies like airbags, antilock brakes and seat belt pre tensioners, high tech CVT transmissions, navigation through GPS systems, radar gun scanners, keyless entry and theft protection systems and many more.

Some of the most recent technologies which have been introduced include Mercedes active safety technology which senses when the car is about to have a crash and automatically rolls up the windows tightens the seat belts and inflates the seat cushions to protect the occupants. Then there are automatic headlights which turn on themselves when it gets dark and wipers which turn on automatically when it starts to rain. The list just goes on with seat back massagers, TV and DVD entertainment systems, incar refrigerators, telephones, laptops, sunroofs, heated seats and much more. There are more gadgets in a car today than there were in a house in the 70’s. Even drivability and handling of a car is controlled by computers, many cars have active air suspensions, traction control systems and active four wheel drive systems.

So when we buy a car today is it just a mode of transport which we are buying? Not really, it’s a mobile relaxation spa for some, a mobile office for others or simply a lifestyle accessory for the rich. One thing is clear, technology is never constant and will continue to amaze us with faster and more advanced cars in the future.