An empty Maserati MC20 driven by an AI system recently set a new speed record for an autonomous vehicle, reaching a blistering 197.7 mph (318 kph) at Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Footage of the achievement (above) shows the self-driving Maserati MC20 hurtling down the runway once used for Space Shuttle landings, with the speedometer gradually ticking all the way up to the record-breaking speed.
The feat — the result of a partnership between the Indy Autonomous Challenge, science-tech university Politecnico di Milano, Maserati, and the 1000 Miglia Experience Florida — surpassed the previous record of 192.8 mph (310.3 kph) set at the Indy Autonomous Challenge in 2022.
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The Maserati used for the drive is equipped with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, producing 621 horsepower, and was modified to run autonomously using AI driver software developed by the PoliMOVE-MSU team, which is part of the performance division of AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Driving Autonomous of Politecnico di Milano).
“These world speed records are much more than just a showcase of future technology,” Paul Mitchell, the CEO of Indy Autonomous Challenge and Aidoptation BV, said afterwards. “We’re pushing AI-driver software and robotics hardware to the absolute edge. Doing so with a street car is helping transition the learnings of autonomous racing to enable safe, secure, sustainable, high-speed autonomous mobility on highways.”
While the Maserati didn’t need to make any turns, stop for lights, or swerve around elderly pedestrians during its high-speed drive, any slight deviation at that speed would need to have been corrected immediately to avoid a catastrophic outcome, proving that the AI was clearly doing its job.
While it’s fun to imagine a future of high-speed commuting in a car like this — perhaps while enjoying a relaxing game of Wordle — there are currently few roads long enough and straight enough to safely accommodate such speed, even if an advanced AI system was doing all the work. You can certainly forget hitting those kind of speeds along Pakistan’s terrifying Fairy Meadows Road.