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How Much Of Your Car Would You Like To Control By A Remote?

remotecontrl_host.jpgThough most of us are comfortable with keyless-entry, even if it comes in watch form, there are some technologies that start removing us from the driving experience. And though remote-controlled dancing Jeeps may impress the ladies, we doubt many of us would feel comfortable wearing the matching shirt. Given the advancements with the DARPA Hal cars, maybe remote control is the best we'll be able to do in the future.

That being said, there are a few things we'd like to be controlled by an awesome remote. We're thinking James Bond here. A remote for an ejection seat? Check. A remote that would cause the emanation of a pleasant scent to cover up unplanned smells? Mayhaps. Other than that, we're keen on doing things the old fashion way.

[Photo: Online Salute to Remote Control]

11:40 AM on Wed Apr 23 2008
By Matt Hardigree
689 views
37 comments

Comments

  • Kari, yes.

    Yes.

    What was the question?

  • Image of Al Navarro Al Navarro at 11:49 AM on 04/23/08 *

    If I could drift a real car as well and with as much impunity as I could my Yokomo 1/10 touring car, I'd say "The whole damn thing".

  • I would love to control Kari by remote.

  • How about a screen on the back windshield?

    Because not everyone drives friendly, the Texas way.

  • Nothing

  • A remote control for traffic lights would be usefull

  • oil slick, smoke screen, tire spikes, turret gun, hell, the whole hanna-barbera arsenal. especially when driving the L.I.E.

  • Image of Bentos, Der Frischmacher! Bentos, Der Frischmacher! at 11:58 AM on 04/23/08 *

    I'd like a remote that would fry the electrics of someone driving like a douche. I wouldn't need this for BMW drivers cause the electrics will do that all by themselves

  • My friends laugh at me, because I think my Civic is about as electronically integrated as I would ever want a car to be. I'm pursuing a minor in computer science, so I'm aware of how easy (in theory, of course) that it would be to hack into a car with wireless capability. And if there's a central computer that controls damn near every vehicle function, I don't like the thought that someone could control it, theoretically.

    Let me clarify I'm not of the aluminum hat brigade or anything to that effect. I have no problem leaving my computer connected to the internet or anything normal like that. I'm just of the school of thought that if it's electronically connected, it can be hacked. Much like the fact that if it's a physical object, it can be made to go faster, be it car, motorcycle, toaster, or whatever. I'm just uncomfortable with the thought that there's a (admittedly barely-finite) possibility that someone else could control it while I'm riding inside it. Creepy.

  • I would like a remote to take over control of vehicles blocking the passing lane. Since this usually involves someone with a phone in their ear it would be even more satisfying if the phone were somehow responsible for me hijacking their car's controls.

  • The windows and the stereo. That's it.

  • I don't know if I want Colin Quinn controlling my vehicle.

  • @Shaman: That would be fun. Controlling someone else's car would make me feel like Magneto.

    ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
    Take that fuckers!

  • @UNÆVÒL\/ED: Much like the fact that if it's a physical object, it can be made to go faster, be it car, motorcycle, toaster, or whatever.

    I hear ya.

  • "Remote Control" - what a flashback. I wish they'd re-run that on MTV.

  • I don't think I want any part of my car remote controllable. I can just imagine the potential for misuse...of Kari.

  • As an alum of the first season of Remote Control (I was the big winner of my show, although I missed the Subaru Justy, which in retrospect was probably for the best), I love your choice of image!

    What was the question again? :) {ProfJonathan}

  • Windows and sunroof for hot days. Anything else is incompatible with my beater lifestyle.

  • I'd really like it to be able to put itself away in the garage, it's been sitting on the street for several days now and I've been too busy to put it away and everytime I leave my building and see it sitting there I think, shit I should put you away but I don't have time. Remote locks are good too

  • Again, thanks for the image. It brings back the memories:) I don't think I'm going to get any work done today.

  • When I was forced to sell the '85 GTI for a '98 Civic, I thought the auto door unlock thing wasn't a big deal. It took me about a week to wonder how I'd ever lived without it. That's it, though. I don't really have any desire for anything else to be remote controlled. That said, on minivans, the remote control side doors are nice. Wrangling two kids, groceries, and opening a door in a busy parking lot can be a pain.

  • Well one of my vehicles has a remote start and the other has remote window roll down, I would like to have both of them do both. Especially since the one with remote start has half the A/C in the back yard and the one with the remote windows has working A/C.
    Yes, bass ackwards, I am aware of that.


  • I would like everything to be remotely controlled by a clever collection of pedals, wheels, levers and buttons from the driver's seat. Other than that, not so much.

  • Kari has a boy name Enzo

  • Image of graverobber- Same great taste, new low price! graverobber- Same... at 12:52 PM on 04/23/08 *

    The garage door. End of story.

  • not specifically remote controlled, but I wish the car would have separate driving dynamics (in terms of top speed, shift points, cylinders, fuel consumption) profiles for different uses. IE, one for bumper to bumper to work, one for highway, one for hauling butt, etc.

  • All this talk of cars that drive themselves is intended to distract us from the fact that we still don't have the jetpacks we were promised. This is the future, goddammit! Where's my jetpack? Where's my moving sidewalk? Where's my domed city? Where's my green-skinned bikini babe with the pointed ears and antennae? One of these days I'm going to find the sonofabitch responsible for reneging on the promise of a chrome-plated 21st century and I'm going to kick him in the nuts. Hard.

  • I would like to have a remote that can control the MACH 5, so I can finally win a race!

    You have not seen the last of me, SPEED! We will race you again, SOON!

    AND WE WILL BEAT YOU!

    (insert maniacal laugh here)

  • And this just in, from left field, Skydiver with the COTD!

  • Well....there goes my chances for the COTD

  • I could see having a complete set of controls in the back seat of an old Rolls Royce. Then, putting my dog in the front seat, I'd hop in back for a ride into town.

    Who'm I kidding? My dog would refuse to wear the chauffer's cap.

  • Image of POLAЯZSMAЯTAMINO POLAЯZSMAЯTAMINO at 02:17 PM on 04/23/08 *

    I would like a remote with one big mute button on it.
    Mute the kids when they're fighting in the back seat.
    Mute my wife when she nags about that corner I took too fast.
    Mute fart can exhausts, freaking out homeslice in the driver's seat, yeah.




  • VW apparently is working on a remote control system for people who don't want to be seen parking a VW

    [www.autocar.co.uk]

  • Personally, letting the key unlock the doors and release the trunk is plenty for me. I just bought an old Dodge Caravan to use as a Home Depot/ beach/ camping/ stuff I don't want to put in the Bimmer/ hauler. It has no extras, crank windows and everything... Damn I miss having that one little button on the key... WAIT, WTF, I don't even have to lock this car! Took me a while to get used to NOT locking a car when I walked away from it.

  • Image of Novaload Novaload at 03:32 PM on 04/23/08 *

    I would like a remote for the front door of my house.
    No, if I could only have one, I would want one to kill cell phoners--especially those yammering away while driving but also the ones holding up the checkout line and talking in a loud voice and deafening trapped people in waiting rooms while said caller describes what he had to eat at Olive Garden last night. Seriously. People would not want to hear all about that in real life, what makes you think they want you to phone it to them? What are you, the restaurant critic for the Loser Club? ALso the young lady at Kroger's who was giving live play action on her trip down the aisles "Yeah, I'm looking at cereal. Maybe I'll get some Granola." (Could I suggest the Ooot-Fray Oooops-Lay?)


  • Who was the chick before Kari Wuhrer that Colin was always hitting on and she didn't seem to like it?

  • I want a remote that controls the machine guns, flame throwers, ejector seats, space thrusters, and "LOUD" setting for the exhaust. Everything else should be man-handled into submission.

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