Core77

"Inside is the new outside" asserts The Big Money's Matthew Debord, in an 1,100-word essay examining the accessories-heavy transformation that car interiors have undergone in the past few decades.

Debord uses that ubiquitous piece of negative space, the cup holder, as a jumping off point:

Most Americans, regardless of how jaded they are about what cup holders represent (our lifestyle of neverending, on-the-go consumption, with hundred of sugary, creamy calories never far away, even when driving), have grown to demand them. Moreover, after more than a decade of pushing the envelope with bolder and bolder exterior designs, automakers--prompted by the kind of expectations that cup holders inspired--have taken on the inside of vehicles, with a vengeance.

Of course, having drinks close at hand isn't enough for the average motorist--we want to plug things in, have digital maps at our disposal, listen to music, watch TV, and even be connected to the internet. Read all about it here.

Also, for a look at cup holder accessory adapters, some of them rather absurd, check out this piece at Coolest Gadgets