: You control a 3D car or bus on top of a 2D or 3D Google Map.

Katsuomi Kobayashi, who first launched a version of this concept in 2008 using the Google Maps Flash API. A web-based application available at FrameSynthesis

: The experience is simplified—vehicles cannot collide with objects and largely ignore the laws of physics.

: Includes a search bar to teleport anywhere in the world, basic physics (you can drive through buildings or over water), and a "minimap". Platform : Playable on the FrameSynthesis website or via getButterfly .

This technology is no longer science fiction. It is in closed beta. It is being tested by autonomous car companies. And it is waiting for the day when you finally plug in your steering wheel, type in your home address, and drive anywhere your real car has never dared to go.

For decades, racing games and driving simulators have tried to solve one persistent problem: You might have the most accurate gearbox simulation in Assetto Corsa , or the most punishing physics in iRacing , but eventually, you memorize every corner of the Nürburgring. The scenery becomes a blur of recycled textures.