Archive for the ‘Security’ Category

The iPhone-remote-controlled "Spirit of Berlin" Dodge Grand Caravan that we posted about just earlier today is pretty wild.

In case you missed, it you'll want to check out the video clip demonstrating almost full vehicle operation, from the much-loved Apple handset. To a soundtrack by Yello, of course.

Then you'll probably also want to recall the scene below in Tomorrow Never Dies, where James Bond uses a special smartphone to drive his BMW 7-Series remotely from the backseat.

When will you be able to buy a new car that can respond remotely? It looks like some remote-controlled vehicle features—not driving, silly—might be relatively common...

We have some good news. Even last year's start of the recession wasn't enough to reverse the downward trend in auto theft. The number of registered vehicles in the U.S. has doubled over the past 20 years, yet the overall vehicle theft rate has fallen—12.7 percent just from 2007 to 2008.

According to the FBI, there were 956,846 motor-vehicle thefts in 2008, down significantly from 1,095,769 thefts in 2007 and 1,237,851 thefts in 2004. Thefts reached a peak in 1991, when a total of about 1.66 million vehicles were stolen.

Overall, the rate of vehicle thefts per 100,000 people has gone from 659 in 1991 to 315 today, and adjusted for the...

We're not heads of state, or members of the Russian mafia, or even semi-high-profile actresses, so we may never need a car with "reinforced vehicle-specific armour plating". We'll never know the inner peace that comes from "irritant gas sensors for protecting passengers from gas attacks", nor will we appreciate the convenience of having "arrangements for radio installations right through to a gun case with compartments for two machine guns in the center console". But hey: we can always admire the V12 BMW 760Li High Security and the V8 BMW 750Li High Security from behind the police tape. [BMW]