A group of Russian car enthusiasts announced on their blog (translated via Red Hot Russia) that they have modified a car to be controlled remotely by an iPad.

The group used an iPad 3 and created an app to control the car via a host of added electronic components to control the acceleration, steering, braking and gear shifting in addition to seeing the road from the perspective of the car.

russianipadcar

While doing tests outside, I froze like a dog. Besides, the tablet screen quickly becomes wet and fingers numb and lose sensitivity, making tapping on the screen more difficult. Also, in the street it’s difficult to see clearly the picture from the rear view mirror – the screen brightness is not sufficient. Plus the windshield is quickly covered with snow.

The car was initially called the "James Bond Car," inspired by a scene from Bond film "Tomorrow Never Dies" where Bond controls his car with a phone. After the initial test, they started referring to the car as "Opel Virta," a play on the model of the car, which is an Opel Vectra.


The iPad-controlled setup is actually transferrable to any car with an automatic transmission that houses a direct transmission selector, which means that controls like "drive," "neutral," "reverse" and "park" are in a straight line.

Top Rated Comments

Mr. Retrofire Avatar
163 months ago
In America you control the iPad in a car. In soviet russia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakov_Smirnoff#Russian_reversal), the iPad controls your car.

;-)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
whooleytoo Avatar
163 months ago
Having seen some crazy road-rage incidents from Russian dash-cams, I'm not surprised they've figured out how to drive without being in the car!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jayomat Avatar
163 months ago
Cool but dangerous. You need the tactile depth of touch of the steering wheel and the pedals to feel the road and control the car.

You lose perspective trying to do this with an iPad.
There is this scene in a James Bond movie where he controls his car during a high-speed chase from the back seat with his cell phone touch screen.
It was cool but completely unbelievable.

Most people couldn't do it.
you don't say?! ;)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
herr_neumann Avatar
163 months ago


Most people couldn't do it.

Most people aren't James Bond....
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ConCat Avatar
163 months ago
In America you control the iPad in a car. In soviet russia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakov_Smirnoff#Russian_reversal), the iPad controls your car.

;-)

In soviet Russia, iPad drives you!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jm001 Avatar
163 months ago
Vodka, an iPad and an unmanned vehicle... yup this'll end well.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26 on iPhone Feature

Here's When iOS 26 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: Out Now!]

Monday September 15, 2025 12:00 am PDT by
Update 10:06 a.m.: iOS 26 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Today's the day! Apple is about to release iOS 26, which will deliver the biggest redesign since iOS 7 and bring a range of new features and improvements to iPhones worldwide. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at last week's iPhone event that...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Reportedly Plans to Launch These 10 Products in 'Coming Months'

Sunday September 14, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple's annual September event is now in the rearview mirror, with the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3, and AirPods Pro 3 set to launch this Friday, September 19. As always, there is more to come. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple plans to release many products in the...
apple n1 chip

Apple's New N1 Chip in iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air Has a Wi-Fi 7 Limitation

Saturday September 13, 2025 10:01 am PDT by
The latest iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air models are equipped with Apple's all-new N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread connectivity. However, the chip has a Wi-Fi 7 bandwidth limitation. According to FCC documents reviewed by MacRumors, the N1 chip in all of the new iPhone models supports up to 160 MHz channel bandwidth for Wi-Fi 7, short of the...
iphone 17 lineup

iPhone 17 Models Launch on September 19 With These New Features

Friday September 12, 2025 7:58 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 lineup and ultra-thin iPhone Air in stores on Friday, September 19, and the company has already shown off the new devices at its fall event, which ran with the the tagline "Awe dropping." The iPhone 17 series brings a host of new features and enhancements. Here's a rundown of the biggest upgrades and changes: iPhone 17 Display Changes The iPhone...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

Apple Says Installing iOS 26 Might Impact Battery Life

Monday September 15, 2025 10:56 am PDT by
In the iOS 26 release notes, Apple is warning iPhone users that installing the new software might have a temporary impact on battery life, which is normal. A new support document explains that major iOS updates require background setup like indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps. Further, Apple says that new features could require more resources,...
iphone air all colors

iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Now Facing Extended Delivery Estimates

Saturday September 13, 2025 11:43 am PDT by
iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air pre-orders began on Friday in the U.S. and many other countries. iPhone 17 Pro Max delivery estimates quickly slipped beyond the Friday, September 19 launch day for those who had yet to place an order, and now the rest of the new models have started to follow suit. As of shortly after 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time today, select iPhone 17, ...
iPhone 17 Pro Air Boxes

iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Boxes Revealed

Sunday September 14, 2025 1:36 pm PDT by
T-Mobile President Jon Freier today shared real-world photos of Apple's boxes for the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 models, which launch on Friday. Image Credit: Jon Freier Apple has typically included iPhone box renders in its product environmental reports, but it did not do so for the latest models. However, Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program page does offer some images of the boxes, ...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Didn't Pre-Order a New iPhone Yet? Here's How Long the Wait is Now

Friday September 12, 2025 6:11 am PDT by
iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air pre-orders began at 5 a.m. Pacific Time in the U.S. and many other countries today. If you have yet to place a pre-order, you might face a longer wait now, depending on your desired configuration. As of shortly after 6 a.m. Pacific Time today, nearly all iPhone 17 Pro Max configurations on Apple's online store in the U.S. are facing ...