A year ago, Marketplace Tech host David Brancaccio drove solo across the country trying to deal only with technology and no people, as part of a Marketplace series called Robots Ate My Job.

Jamie Kitman, New York editor for Automobile Magazine, is now trying to make the drive the other way — meeting as many interesting human beings along the trip as he can. Kitman, who is driving a $240,000 McLaren MP 4-12C sports car, caught up with Marketplace Tech on the second day of his journey. He had just completed a visit with an Arizona company — Local Motors — that has a fascinating way to design cars: the crowd.