Driverless Race Car Sets a New Autonomous Speed Record

A fully driverless Maserati MC20 Coupe set a new autonomous land speed record, reaching 197.7 mph at the Kennedy Space Center. The Verge reports: The Maserati was running self-driving software developed by Politecnico di Milano, Italy's largest scientific and technological university. The team also worked with the Indy Autonomous Challenge, which most recently ran at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway during CES 2025. In the shadow of NASA's iconic Space Shuttles, the race car flew down the 2.8-mile runway at record-breaking speeds, surpassing the 192.2mph record that was also held by Indy Autonomous Challenge and PoliMOVE, set by an IAC AV-21 race car in April 2022.

The Maserati MC20 is a stylish -- and expensive -- choice for the autonomous run. Retailing for at least $239,000, the race car sports a mid-mounted, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 that Maserati calls the Nettuno. The engine makes serious power: 621 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque, which is sent through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to the rear wheels.

If your not first your last

[zawarski]

Shake and bake.

Re: If your not first your last

[50000BTU_barbecue]

*you're
JFC

Re: If your not first your last

[zawarski]

Yeah I know, but if I include the â on iOS, itâ(TM)s all fucked up.

Re: If your not first your last

[zawarski]

Obviously I could have done if you are not first you are last, but regardless JFC why canâ(TM)t this site handle iOS Unicode. WTF?

Re:

[taustin]

Why does IOS ignore the standards of plain text and just use a goddam apostrophe?

Re: If your not first your last

[fluffernutter]

Because Apple owners are too delegate to view the horror of such a standard character, obviously.

Not impressed

[tiananmen tank man]

Going fast in a straight line (both manned and unmanned) is not impressive

Re:

[Firethorn]

Going by memory, the last autonomous racecar I remember reading about here didn't even finish a lap before crashing. Thus, actually finishing the race would be a new speed record by default.

Re:

[geekmux]

Going by memory, the last autonomous racecar I remember reading about here didn't even finish a lap before crashing. Thus, actually finishing the race would be a new speed record by default.

Its no longer Who is racing, but What.

Which tends to beg the question; What is the point here again? Is anyone going to actually use this anywhere other than a race track demonstration of straight-line “autonomous” driving? As far as I’m concerned, GPS guidance has been around for decades that can “do” that. What is the actual technical breakthrough here, other than not crashing into the pointlessness of it all?

Re:

[drinkypoo]

As far as Iâ(TM)m concerned, GPS guidance has been around for decades that can âoedoâ that.

It also seems to me that this should have been possible before now, but as it wasn't done before now, perhaps it was not.

Re:

[Firethorn]

I think that some have had the goal of creating AI players for every human competition not primarily focused on human muscle since the development of the computer.
So, checkers, chess, go, etc... now racing.
They are relatively poorly funded though. Mere millions compared to the billions of more general self driving work.

Re:

[thegarbz]

Going fast in a straight line (both manned and unmanned) is not impressive

Given how it's been tried by numerous people before who have failed, I'm keen to see you back up your words showing us your system capable of doing the same thing. For the record yes this is incredibly impressive. A system with direct connection between wheels and pavement has insane difficulty keeping the control scheme stable at these speeds. The only reason it works for aircraft is due to incredible lag between action on the control surfaces and resulting change in the vehicle.

Your turn now. Go out and s

Re: Not impressed

[fluffernutter]

Wait a minute.. I have been told by numerous people that an AI would have no problem driving on ice or wet conditions because an AI can put exactly the right acceleration to the tires at all times... This car is only driving in a STRAIGHT LINE? Lol. Wake me up when they have 20 going on a curvy track.

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[arglebargle_xiv]

Friend of mine used to work for a F1 racing team and at various times described how nobbled the software in the cars is in order to avoid the entire race consisting of the driver pushing the start button and then sitting back while the car did all the work. The firmware is digitally signed to ensure it only has carefully vetted minimal functionality without unauthorised add-ons that let the car drive itself around the track.

"the race car flew down the 2.8-mile runway"

[porkchop_d_clown]

So, it was the only vehicle on the course and only had to travell in a straight line? I mean... what was actually being demonstrated here? That it knew how to shift?

Re:

[GameboyRMH]

The Maserati MC20 has a dual-clutch transmission with an automatic mode, like most modern supercars, so no.

Re:

[ArchieBunker]

Seems pretty clear by the title "Driverless Race Car Sets a New Autonomous Speed Record"

Luckily it wasn't a Mustang otherwise there would have been casualties.

Re:

[Iamthecheese]

That's 318 kilometers per hour in servitude units, along a 4.5 km raceway. The previous record was 109 km/h

ok

[zlives]

the convertible is prettier, even going straight