See all Motoring NewsThis little vignette is supposed to show us what car chases in the future might look like… although we can’t help but feel that is was essentially a chance for a top-level driver to mess about in an XJ in a deserted Chinese industrial zone.
Yes, here’s stunt driver and rally ace Mark Higgins, at the wheel of Jaguar’s largest saloon, the XJ, up against JaeHong Li – one of the world’s best drone pilots and racers.
The two play a game of cat-and-mouse, with Higgins trying to skid, hide and accelerate the Jag out of the reach of the drone’s cameras. This tomfoolery took place at the Zhuhai International Circuit, with the big XJ slewing about the actual track, amidst some shipping containers and in a knackered old underground car park.
Jaguar tries to make another link between drone technology and driver assist systems, but really this is just a massive publicity stunt. Which we’ve gone and fallen for, by telling you all about it. Ah.
“Drones are becoming increasingly integrated into society and they can do some amazing things these days,” said Higgins. “So when Jaguar offered up the XJ and all its technology to go up against one of the world’s top drone pilots, I jumped at the chance.
“The Jaguar XJ is designed for the luxury executive market, but it is still a dynamic drive and very capable in all environments. So this was an exciting challenge to use it in. It was certainly up to the chase and we found some fun ways to evade the drone!”
You can watch XJ versus DJI right here, then, if you want to see what ‘car chases of the future’ might look like.
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