Audi RS7 to lap Hockenheim – DRIVERLESS

In a demonstration of autonomous technology, Audi is planning to take an RS7 round the Hockenheim track this week – at race speeds – without a driver.

Every car maker – from Mercedes to Volvo and Ford – is working hard to make autonomous driving a reality, and it looks like we’re just a few years away from seeing cars being driven by computers, with the driver relegated to passenger in many daily driving tasks.

Now it’s Audi’s turn to demonstrate the progress they’re making with autonomous technology by taking an RS7 round the Grand Prix track at Hockenheim without a driver having control.

It’s arguable that taking a driverless car round a track – even at race speed – is far less of a technological task than having a car running driverless through a cityscape with all its variables, but it’s an impressive demonstration nonetheless.

Audi say that the RS7 without driver input should be approximately as fast as it would be with a professional driver at the wheel, and with 552bhp available from the RS7’s 4.0 litre turbo V8 – and a 0-62mph of 3.9 seconds – the RS7 is expected to top out at 149mph on the Hockenheim track on a lap that should take just over 2 minutes.

Audi are planning to run the RS7 around Hockenheim tomorrow (14 October 2014) at 12:45 pm as part of the programme for the final German Touring Car Championship race, and if you want to watch the eerie site of a driverless RS7 taking on an F1 circuit you can do so on Audi Media TV

Related Photos: 2015 Audi RS7

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