Stuntmen are renowned for putting motors into the tightest of spots but how do they compare against a Volkswagen with the very latest parking assist technology?

That was the challenge for professional stunt driver Alastair Moffatt, a man who is the holder of the bizarre sounding parking world record.

Moffatt was challenged by Volkswagen to test the German company’s latest parking assistance technology which has been fitted to the new Crafter vans, to see which was best at fitting the 5.9 metre long vehicle into a 7.5 metre space.

The challenge for the stunt driver was made harder by the fact that he had to attempt a hand-brake turn into the space, but not before he has used VW’s innovative technology to mark a more traditional parking manouvre.

Using the Crafter’s on-board ultrasonic sensors and putting the van into the reverse the van then took over the controls, put the van into the best starting position before steering automatically into the space with very little effort. Moffatt’s only interaction saw him controlling the accelerator, brake and clutch.

Not so simple for Moffatt with his handbrake turn, while he completed his slide into the available space, he didn’t manage to complete the manouvre quite as smoothly as the technology, the turbulence from the skidding van sending one of the cardboard boxes which had marked out the space tumbling.

Whilst the technology on offer is unlikely to keep stuntmen out of action for too long, Alastair Moffat, who holds the world record for the tightest single parking manouvre was impressed nonetheless.

“I was really impressed with how nimble the Volkswagen Crafter proved to be,” he said. “Handbrake turning such a big vehicle isn’t always easy. I’ve spent years mastering the art of parking but taking on Park Assist was still a real challenge because it was 100 percent accurate every time. I really had to be on the top of my game to match it.”

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