Maserati sets new record for fastest self-driving car as autonomous systems get smarter
A driverless Maserati MC20 clocked 318km/h in Florida recently. The record comes as self-drive technology looks to be on the cusp of a leap
Maserati’s MC20 already has a reputation for being an exceedingly fast car, and now a one-off version has set a speed record with no one at the wheel.
The prototype was clocked at a top speed of 318km/h (198mph) at an exhibition run during the 1000 Miglia Experience Florida event, which visited Cape Canaveral, in the US state of Florida, at the end of February.
The car set the self-driving record at the space shuttle landing strip at Kennedy Space Centre, the same location where the previous record of 310.2km/h was set by a modified Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) racing car in 2022.
The new record is just short of the MC20’s regular top speed of 325km/h using a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine which turns out 621 horsepower.
The robot Maserati uses software developed by students at Milan University’s Artificial Intelligence Driving Autonomous unit. The project aim was to see how self-driving software performs in a production vehicle under extreme driving conditions.
Maserati, owned by the world’s third-largest carmaker, Stellantis, has struggled for profitability in recent years despite the Italian brand’s iconic status.