London - As a way to punt the cavernous rear passenger space of a long-wheelbase Jaguar XJ sedan, it’s a visual feast.
Jaguar calls it Game of Drones - a miniature air-racing course set up inside the main hall of the famous Alexandra Palace exhibition venue with 13 gates, each the same shape as the outline of an XJL rear door, which is of course 127mm wider than the rear door of a standard XJ, and lit in phosphor blue and red, echoing the ambient lighting in the cabin.
The final three gates were actual XJLs, parked on the floor with both rear doors open, and the drones had to be flown in one door and out of the other at racing speed - up to 100km/h - where the slightest touch of the blades against the interior of the car would instantly crash them out.
Two professional drone racers were placed in the back seat of a five-litre XJ575 performance sedan, each wearing virtual reality goggles that would give them a ‘drone’s eye view’ of the course - but which also meant that the leader would be unable to see the other drone.
And the race was on: the winner was driven home in the XJ575, the loser walked. Watch the video to see the result.