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A Maserati MC20 coupe recently reached a speed of almost 200 miles per hour – and there was no human driver behind the wheel at the time.
The supercar achieved a speed of 197.7 mph while “robo-driver” technology drove it at the Kennedy Space Center’s 15,000-foot Space Florida Launch and Landing Facility runway, according to a Monday press release from the company.
Maserati said that eye-popping speed marked a “new autonomous driving record.”
The Maserati MC20 driving at the Kennedy Space Center (Maserati)
The feat arose out of teamwork between the Indy Autonomous Challenge, the Politecnico di Milano, the 1000 Miglia Experience Florida and the luxury automaker.
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The PoliMOVE-MSU team from within Politecnico di Milano’s artificial intelligence driving autonomous project created the AI driving software used in the Maserati MC20, Maserati said.
According to the luxury automaker, the same supercar had previously notched a speed fast enough to take home a record for the “fastest autonomous production car” back in November but with the latest run it “has once again raised the bar.” It went 177 mph at that time.
A view of the Maserati MC20 that went nearly 200 mph (Maserati)
Maserati said the collaboration among the groups to reach 197.7 mph “marks a fundamental step in autonomous driving experimentation, laying the groundwork for new technological advancements and accelerating the development of advanced technologies for the commercialization of autonomous vehicles and ADAS systems.”
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Prior to the Maserati MC20’s feat, an Indy Autonomous Challenge AV-21 racecar had been the absolute recorderholder for an autonomous car, at 192.8 mph, according to the automaker.
“These world speed records are much more than just a showcase of future technology; we are pushing AI-driver software and robotics hardware to the absolute edge,” Indy Autonomous Challenge CEO Paul Mitchell said in a statement. “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.”
The Maserati MC20 went as fast as 197.7 mph (Maserati)
Politecnico’s Sergio Matteo Savaresi also said the test “assesses the AI’s ability, robustness, and reaction time, ultimately enhancing safety for low-speed urban mobility situations.”
Maserati first started selling the Maserati MC20 in the fall of 2020. The automaker builds the supercar at a plant in Modena, a city in northern Italy.
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The automaker has described the supercar as the “perfect blend of elegance, sportiness and personality.”
