Car crime is becoming a war of technology and it seems that in London, one of the key battlegrounds, it is sophisticated car thieves that often hold the upper hand. London Police say that 17 cars a day, including many luxury marques, are stolen by gangs exploiting new technology. Overall 42% of all car thefts in the UK capital are now keyless crimes.

Police say that criminals are using key-programming devices to duplicate the security fobs used to open vehicles and start engines. They will often break into cars and use the on-board diagnostics (OBD) port to get the vital security information which can then be download onto a blank fob and use it to both disable the alarm and start the ignition.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders in the UK commented, "The challenge remains that some forms of keyless theft involve equipment legitimately available to workshops for routine repairs and servicing, and a small minority of individuals are exploiting this to access vehicles illegally."

In excess of 6,000 cars were stolen in London last year using these methods. Thieves often steal cars to order, especially for shipping overseas, or in many cases steal for parts stripping.

While motor manufacturers look into ways further improving security the advice to drivers of expensive keyless vehicles seems to be to buy a separate tracking device.