Jaguar XJ drags off drone

Jaguar has released a video that neatly encapsulates the two meanings of flight in its storyline.

Driven by 'SPECTRE' stunt driver Mark Higgins, the XJ sedan that is the subject of filming takes flight to evade a drone equipped with a video camera and operated by expert pilot JaeHong Li.

The bulky XJ struggles to place any sort of distance between itself and the drone until it powers onto a straight and whips up to a speed that the drone can't match. Up to that point, the light and nimble drone – a DJI Inspire 1 – had the measure of the big cat.

The video was filmed at the Zhuhai International Circuit in the south of China, and featured the car running at speed through an industrial zone and an underground car park.

While the video showcases the dynamic competence of the XJ – and is entertaining enough as well – it presents a taste of how movie stunts could be filmed in the future

"Drones are becoming increasingly integrated into society and they can do some amazing things these days," said Higgins, also a champion rally driver. "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!"

Pilot Li was fully occupied with just keeping the Jaguar in sight, let alone operating the camera for such niceties as lovely, crisp tracking shots. Most of the scenes featuring the Jaguar seem to be filmed from static cameras at different locations around the track.

"Flying against the car gave us some interesting insight into how this kind of technology can be used for filming cars – and I think we've shown there's some big potential for future movie car-chase sequences!" Li was quoted saying in Jaguar's press release.

"Technology in drones is developing fast, and like cars, the latest trend is for pilot assistance. The DJI Inspire 1 drone we used is more about precision and poise than outright pace. It has the best-in-class, stabilized Zenmuse X5 aerial camera aboard, as it is mainly used for filming, and was perfect for this challenge."