Electric vehicles and autonomous driving are two trends that will have a lasting impact on the future of the automotive sector. The character of cars and the expectations of customers are changing. Connectivity with the outside world is not just a feature for premium cars, but an essential requirement for all modern cars and in all regions of the world. Customers expect variable, connected and scalable functionality, and OEMs are adapting their offerings and solutions in this direction. The functionality of a car can be described as a collection of functions and services. Therefore, the focus is shifting to a service-oriented architecture, which is considered a "game changer" due to the way electronics are implemented in the car. The ongoing shift towards connectivity, scalability and advanced features is leading to a "software-defined vehicle" that impacts the entire value chain. Suppliers in the automotive value chain are transforming their business model. This paper describes the evolution of the architecture from a distributed approach to a hierarchical, software-centric architecture with centralized computers and domain or zone controllers. This is a revolutionary concept with powerful central computers of a new kind for exceptional computing tasks and data exchange between physical and virtual domains. Virtualization helps to structure the various functions in a meaningful way. These new concepts require a stronger focus on high-performance but also scalable network technologies. This paper gives a brief overview of the latest networking technologies, focusing on satellite connectivity. The time when CAN is by far the dominant bus system in these network branches of cars may be coming to an end.