This Car Was A Video Game Console Before Tesla
Tesla, the futuristic car company run by self-professed gamer Elon Musk, has led the pack when it comes to the integration of video games and cars. Cuphead, Fallout Shelter, and The Witcher 3 are just a few of the games that have been ported to the automaker's onboard computers. Many gamers might believe that Tesla is the first company to combine gaming technology and automotive ingenuity, but that important milestone actually came much earlier. Video game technology in cars has actually been around since the 1980s. Well, sort of.
Ford's Continental Concept 100, a concept car from 1982, boasted a pre-installed satellite navigation system and video game capabilities. In a long write-up on the car for Jalopnik, Jason Torchinsky explained that while the car never made it to market, it foreshadowed the future by considering entertainment inclusions within the car in addition to technology that made travel easier.
The Continental Concept 100 had a Mattel Intellivision built right into the back of the center console. The placement of the Intellivision meant that any kids stuck in the back seat during excruciating road trips would be able to play games while their parents experienced some peace and quiet up front.
Torchinsky drew attention to the Intellivision as a "child-friendly feature," which seems odd considering that the Continental Concept 100 was a two-door luxury car. Coupes are notoriously difficult for families to cram into. Perhaps Ford counted on the allure of being the only person on the block with a video game system in their car, no matter how impractical the design, to draw potential customers. Speaking of design, many aspects of the Continental Concept 100 felt unfinished, like the misaligned carpeting.
The official press release for Ford's car described the gaming feature by stating that the "Continental Concept 100 has aerodynamic design and a vast array of advanced electronics." The announcement did not detail what sort of electronics were included, though it did mention that the car featured sonar detection as well as an antenna to make satellite navigation possible.
The Continental Concept 100 never came to be, but Ford's innovation remains impressive, even nearly 40 years later. Ford's forward-thinking concept car isn't the only innovative automotive design that never caught on, though it is one of the most interesting. If real-life automotive history isn't your thing, you can always drive around Night City in a futuristic ride. Even though Tesla's Cybertruck didn't make an appearance as initially speculated, Cyberpunk 2077 still has some sweet rides. All things lead back to Tesla, it seems.