car tech

It's driver's license day. Time to borrow the keys and head to the mall -- and, of course, to test out that 130-mph top speed on dad's Ford Taurus SHO. Not so fast, whippersnapper. Ford's MyKey system is in effect. The new top speed is 80. And put on that seatbelt.

For nervous parents, MyKey may be the next best thing to hiring an armed nanny to ride along with their kids. Mom or dad can program junior's own key fob to limit the car's functions, with an eye toward keeping brand-new drivers from getting in over their heads.

Nissan has made another stride toward that strange but often-promised future: cars that drive themselves. A new system set for release in Japan links information from a car's real-time GPS navigation with existing radar-guided safety tech to help drivers make smooth turns on curvy roads. The Navigation-Cooperative Intelligent Pedal uses GPS mapping data to detect an oncoming bend, then strategically decelerates or applies the brakes. Here's how it works: When the nav system indicates a curve is looming, the accelerator pedal physically moves upward. Then the system activates the brakes.

It sounds like something out of a Bond flick: a car with a hood that´s launched open by a pair of explosive charges. But Jaguar´s Pedestrian Deployable Bonnet System (PDBS) isn´t intended to thwart bad guys. Its purpose is to soften the impact on the unfortunate soul who gets hit by the European version of the 2007 Jaguar XK. PDBS is Jaguar´s response to new European Union legislation that requires automobiles to be gentler on pedestrians in the event of a collision (exploding hoods have not been greenlighted in the U.S.).