The 5 Most Over the Top Car Gadgets

Gone are the days when air conditioning and CD players were exciting innovations that brought luxury to a car. Today's auto gadgets allow drivers to see like Batman at night, stay awake on the road and add stars to their ceilings. You don't even have to parallel park anymore. Check out these five extravagant car gadgets.

The car parks itself: By the time you've reached your destination, parallel parking may seem like unnecessary stress. The "Advanced Parking Guidance System" in Lexus's LS sedan model uses a back-up camera and parking sensors to direct the vehicle into place, whether the move is lateral or backward. The driver merely controls the car's speed with the brake pedal.

Ford (Stock Quote: F) offers "Active Park Assist" on its Lincoln MKS and MKT models, which uses an ultrasonic steering system to park with precision. The driver's only job is to press the gas and brake pedals as the car maneuvers, hands-free.

Night vision: Many high-end vehicles now come with infrared cameras to help you see better at night, even without looking through the windshield. The "Night Vision" feature in BMW's 5 Series sedans locates objects in front of the car that are up to 300 meters away and displays black-and-white images of them on a high-definition screen next to the steering wheel. Mercedes offers its own version, called "Night View Assist," in its S-class cars.

Stay awake: The threat of falling asleep after a long day at work or on the road is as hazardous, and potentially fatal, as impaired vision. Mercedes has developed "Attention Assist," a system that helps keep sleepy drivers alert and focused on the road. The system monitors the driver's steering, which Mercedes considers the "most important indicator" of fatigue, along with the car's speed. When drivers stray from their normal patterns, a voice shouts "Attention Assist! Break!" It's expected to launch this spring.