There is about 1 billion cars in the world today. Considering the human population this is quite an amazing feat. About 60 million cars are made a year, and thats 165,000 a day. With most cars consisting of 30,000 unique parts!
Yes cars are harmful to the planet as well as ourselves. Cars emissions from cars can contribute to green house gases. Traffic congestion alone wastes up to three billion gallons of gas every year.
Well cars evolve out of needs, and the limits of technology. Cruise control for example was actually invented by a blind man. Who stated that his driver drove badly, and cruise control would fix the issue. This feature was born out of needs, and most car modification came about a similar way. Today the smart car is becoming popular with the integration of advanced computers. The car will reflect the needs of those who create it.
Well most modern cars contain some form of computer. The functions of the computer vary, but there is always software that goes into the making of a new car. The complex systems of the car require special care in regards to the onboard computer. For example, the Ford f-150 has over 150 million lines of code!