While Herbie the hyperactive runabout was just a fictitious, yet lovable four-wheeler, the Golf 53+1 is a fully working driverless car.
Driverless, you’re kidding, right? No. Its hands-free driving skills come from a super-advanced global positioning system and a 130° laser sensor – the former aids navigation (which, at the moment, is just around a set course), while the latter helps to highlight troublesome obstacles.
Imagine letting your car do the daily commute. You could theoretically sit back, relax and play on your PSP until you’ve parked up outside the office.
It’s unlikely that we’ll be getting to grips with our own Herbie in the very near future – this Golf is just a demonstrator model - but anything that makes our daily dull commute easier to bear can’t be a bad thing, can it?