Re: What will it take to get some flying cars?
Flying cars are by definition going to be "fiberglass boxes" or they aren't going to work. Air travel means light weight, especially if it's going to be operated someplace where downwash/jetwash needs to be minimized. My little Honda weighs more than any non-turboprop single engine plane I can find.
Here we agree. Really widespread flying car use will not happen until autopilot and collision detection systems are perfected. That said, those systems are already pretty close to perfect--they're used every day in much larger, heavier aircraft that carry thousands of people daily. It's much easier to computerize flying than driving, simply because there's a lot less to run into. And the recent explosion of research into UAVs can't hurt.
Meanwhile, for drivers of above average competence, sport pilot ratings aren't that hard to get. They're much harder than driver's licenses, with good reason, but I reiterate than any Hero gamer would make a perfectly good sport pilot. Operating an aircraft just isn't that hard unless there's an emergency situation. It's a lot like scuba diving in that regard.