Toyota Toying With Cars of the Future

TOKYO -- Kumiko Maekawa, a 65-year-old housewife and grandmother of two, says she is tired of having the same old argument with her husband every time they go for a drive in the country.

"He refuses to look at a map when we get lost. And let me tell you, we get lost often," she says, tossing a piercing glance toward her husband, who is busy checking out the latest sports car in a jumbo, two-story Toyota Motor(TM Quote) showroom in Shinjuku, one of Tokyo's busiest shopping districts.

To relive this chronic annoyance, the Maekawas are looking to buy a car navigation system. These systems, known by the abbreviation carnavi in Japanese, are nothing new. They've been around for nearly a decade and are prominently featured in many high-end autos and taxis in Tokyo. The driver can consult maps, locate the closest noodle shop or listen to cable radio over the dashboard units. Some systems even allow drivers to play videogames, though an avid thumb jockey might tempt a fate worse than getting lost. ...