Driverless car races to new record

Maserati has set a new autonomous driving world speed record after a version of its MC20 clocked 318kph (197.7mph) in the United States.

The vehicle, featuring a 630-horsepower V6 Nettuno engine, completed the feat at Nasa’s space shuttle runway in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) Maserati MC20 hit the track without a human behind the wheel and eclipsed the previous record of 310kph (192.8mph), which was set by an IAC Dallara AV-21 at the same location in April 2022.

The MC20 benefits from Maserati’s twin combustion technology, an innovative combustion system built in-house by the marque and evolved from the pre-chamber systems used on Formula 1 powertrains.

Maserati says the car, run by artificial intelligence driver software developed by its autonomous performance division, showcases the company’s technologies and its ambitions to push motorsport’s boundaries.

In celebrating its achievement in March, the marque notes the MC20 is no stranger to breaking records. 

In 2024, it set the previous record for the fastest autonomous production car after 285kph (177mph) at the Piacenza Military Airport track in Italy.