Bad student driving would be the expected explanation for why a blue Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is going through its herky-jerky paces on a barren wharf here.
Except that no one is in the driver’s seat.
The vehicle was being driven by remote control, part of a remarkable stunt last week by Mitsubishi to try to lure thousands of motoring enthusiasts into taking virtual test drives from their own computers.
Knowing that it might be tough to lure lots of potential buyers to showrooms, Mitsubishi went the video game route — only with real vehicles. About 40,000 signed up and 5,000 were chosen for what the brand called “the world’s first online test drive.”
Participants could pilot Outlander Sports through the course in the Port of Long Beach live by remote control from anywhere using just arrow keys on their keyboards.
They could go forward or backward and turn left and right on the closed course for 90 seconds. They could watch their progress from a webcam mounted on the driver’s seat and a camera operator following the action.
They were supposed to try to drive a course that took them over 12 white emblems on the pavement noting the Outlander Sport features, such as magnesium paddle shifters or a Rockford Fosgate stereo system.
Mitsubishi painted a big 31 on the sides of the Outlander Sport, denoting its highway gas mileage rating.
Some remote drivers did pretty well. Others just fooled around or pulled shenanigans such as pointing the crossover at the control trailers and driving straight toward them. No problem. The crew just waved. The system automatically braked the vehicle to a stop if it came too close to the edge of the course, which was the size of several football fields.
Mitsubishi officials say they were thrilled with the results of the stunt. “This program has gained wide…