The driver's seat may be on the left side, but it has long rested at the center of the way cars are designed. The basic interior setup derives from that of the horse-drawn carriage, with ready access to acceleration, steering, and braking systems, 360-degree visibility, and the necessary sightlines over the power source in front. The forces reshaping the nature of transportation are conspiring to shift that focus away from the driver--first toward the rear row, and eventually toward a kind of vehicle that defies conventions like front and back seats. As traffic increases and commute times extend, consumers with money to spend (especially in China) are hiring chauffeurs and retiring to the back seat. Look, for example, at the introduction into the American market of long-wheelbase, rear-seat biased vehicles like the BMW 5-Series GranTurismo or the Volvo S60 Inscription, originally developed for Chinese buyers. The booming ridehailing industry brings the same backseat luxury to the masses, and so automakers are creating vehicles with users other than the driver in mind.