In a new TV commercial for Nissan, American actress Charlotte Kate Fox, who appeared in last year's NHK morning drama series, "Massan," is driving on city streets at night. She pushes a button on the dashboard and slowly takes her hands off the steering wheel. The car continues to move, making turns and changing lanes automatically as Fox laughs in shocked delight.

Driverless cars, or autonomous vehicles or whatever you call them, are a big deal right now, but they are years away from being commercially viable, so the ad represents either some future incarnation of Fox or a complete fantasy — even if the media would like you to believe this product is just around the corner.

Nissan's IDS (Intelligent Drive System) Concept, which the ad publicizes, was the big story at the recent Tokyo Motor Show, and most press reports addressed it with awe. "Flick a switch and the Nissan moves into a piloted mode," drooled CNN. "IDS leads the trend for autonomous cars that don't just drive from A to B, but also mimics the driving style of their owners." Elements of the concept will "appear in cars over the next 12 months," the report adds.