Answer: Warrantless automobile searches are constitutionally permissible because (1) automobiles are mobile, making it difficult to obtain warrants; (2) people enjoy a lesser expectation of privacy when in their cars; and (3) automobiles are subject to a host of government regulations. Even so, for an automobile search to be constitutional, it must be (1) directed at a vehicle that serves a transportation function, (2) premised on probable cause to believe the vehicle contains evidence of a crime, and (3) completed without unnecessary delay.