You can drive the next Range Rover with your phone
You can drive the next Range Rover with your phone
Remember that bit in Tomorrow Never Dies when Pierce Brosnan's Bond drives a BMW 7 Series with an Ericsson phone?
It was 18 years ago, so here's a little nudge to help you remember the audacious brilliance of Bond's old gadget-filled ways.
This iconic driving sequence clearly left an impression on the mind of one young engineer. Having worked late shifts, flattered his seniors and sold his soul to the company, this plucky boffin rose up the ranks of Land Rover's research team to a position that finally, finally allowed him to make Bond's gadget a reality.
The following demonstration video released by Land Rover shows off the company's latest autonomous technology in a Range Rover Sport - a fairly underwhelming "auto three-point-turn" demonstration, and a much more exciting mobile control app.
Currently in concept phase, the mobile app is designed with extreme offroading in mind (not something we imagine many Range Rover Sport owners are in a habit of doing): should you find yourself in a particularly tight spot that requires additional visibility - like making sure you don't bottom out going over an incline, or making sure you don't fall down a bank - the mobile app allows users to drive the Range Rover Sport remotely with a touch screen "steering wheel", keeping a closer eye on potential hazards.
The speed is limited to four miles per hour, and the app will only work if its in a 10-foot range. Other potential features include voice commands.
Here's hoping they've beefed up the security on the system - it wouldn't be very 'Bond' to have a passing hacker take control of your car and drive it into the nearest bus stop.