Last week Tesla released an over-the-air Autopilot software update that enables newer Model S sedans to drive and even change lanes themselves on the highway. Cadillac's upcoming flagship CT6 sedan will have similar hands-off driving capabilities along with vehicle-to-vehicle technology that allows it to communicate with other V2V-equipped cars. Then there's Google's autonomous test pods, Uber's driverless chauffeuring aspirations, Mercedes' self-driving semi-truck, and the countless other examples of autonomous-car research and interests that pepper our weekly helping of news.

Autonomous cars are coming, and it's time for everyone to just accept it.

It might seem odd to have to state such a thing so plainly, but denial is a powerful drug. And enthusiasts tend to be heavy users. Yet technology and progress are irrepressible, so here we are. For people that love to drive, the idea of an automated car is an affront to everything they hold dear. But the truth is inescapable. If you consider building-block technologies like stability control, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, and steer-by-wire, this shouldn't even really be surprising.

The first time I ever experienced a car that could drive itself was three years ago. I was at General Motor's Milford Proving Grounds in a heavily modified Cadillac SRX equipped with an early version of Super Cruise, some form of which will be in the new CT6. I conducted the interview from the driver's seat as the car competently looped around the track, in its own lane, at 60 mph (you can watch the video here). After that, it was clear: This is the future.

And it should be. Maybe not all of it, but part of it. There are a lot of logical reasons for having cars with the ability to drive themselves and communicate with each other and even infrastructure: lives will be saved, boring parts of tedious drives can be offloaded, our vehicles and roads will operate more efficiently, people who can't currently drive will suddenly be mobile. These are just some of the positives, and there are many more, plenty of which we can't even predict. That is the hard truth.

So what does this all mean for enthusiasts? The people who still think it is important to know engine RPMs and get a thrill out of intentionally kicking out the ass end? The honest answer is that we don't know yet.

But before semiautonomous cars, which still require drivers, and fully autonomous cars are available on any sort of mass scale, there is much to figure out. These systems still can't handle the more nuanced decisions human drivers make, and insurance and liability are looming questions. Not to mention real-world technological limitations. My Super Cruise test drive was actually our second attempt. A heavy snowfall had caused the first ride to be canceled because the SRX's camera was unable to register the lines on the road and center the car in the lane. That was awhile ago, and severe weather remains a challenge (though machine groupthink through connected cars, better GPS, and highly accurate maps will help). Lastly, there's the inevitable learning curve of people understanding how these technologies work, as demonstrated by Model S owners already having near accidents.

So what does this all mean for enthusiasts? The people who still think it is important to know engine RPMs and get a thrill out of intentionally kicking out the ass end? The honest answer is that we don't know yet. Nobody does. Despite all of the sensational stories and headlines prognosticating the death of driving, it's hard to imagine a country where people won't at least have the option to drive themselves. Even if it's on designated roads or it means paying a higher insurance premium. Likely, we'll end up having a mix of cars with semiautonomous abilities and fully autonomous vehicles serving varied purposes.

Then again, maybe in 100 years people will look back and think: Who in the world thought it was a good idea to let all those distracted, careless humans hurtle around in 2-ton death machines?

It's really hard to say.

Here's what we do know: Road & Track will always celebrate the analog joys of driving. That much will never change. But the fact of the matter is that the very act of driving and how we will all experience it will morph into something new over the coming decades. It already is. For that reason, it's as important to understand this shift as any other automotive innovation. To ignore it, to stuff your fingers in your ears and stomp your feet, does nothing.

There's no stopping progress. Let's just all hope that in the future there will still be room to have some fun.

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