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Like it or not, autonomous cars are here -- almost

One of the odder things about living in "the future" is that things develop so gradually, hardly any of the really amazing things we're exposed to every day seem amazing or futuristic. If the iPhone had just appeared from nowhere in 2007, there would have been riots, demonstrations and legislation. But since we had a Blackberry first, and dedicated cellphones before that, the iPhone and its progeny were never quite shocking.

JUNKER KEEPER: Federal database tracks totaled vehicles, clunkers

First, it was the hurricane-damaged used cars flooding the market. Now, it’s the clunkers turned in--and supposedly junked--as part of the federal Cars Allowance Rebate System “cash for clunkers” program. Following Hurricane Katrina, cars declared as total losses in one state were able to get clean titles in other states and were resold to unsuspecting consumers.

Toyota Aqua

Lining up alongside Toyota's trio of concepts in Tokyo will be the Aqua, or Prius C as it will be known in some markets. The B-segment Aqua forms the smallest member of the Prius family and shares a little its relations' DNA. Its silhouette apes that of the larger Prius as far as its B-pillar, with a smooth transition from hood to screen, but continues to a more conventional, high tailgate to optimize cabin space.