Driverless Audi laps Hockenheim

Automated RS 7 completes two-minute lap, without a human on board.

Words Matt Robinson Published 20 October 2014

What's the news?
Audi has managed to get a pilotless RS 7 around the Hockenheim GP circuit in just over two minutes. The stunt, which saw the big super-coupé lap the track at racing speeds without a driver, was heavily built-up beforehand as an example of how far driverless technology in cars has come progressed.

The RS 7 lapped Hockenheim as part of the finale to this year's DTM season, with on-board 3D cameras, specially-attuned GPS technology and a computer programme with the track's data on it making the precision placing of the Audi possible without human intervention.

While it might seem like a slightly pointless PR trick, Audi insists this sort of technology will go into driver assistance systems for road-going cars in the future - with the current A6 and A7 Sportback ranges showing off some of the latest developments in the field.

Anything else?
In case you're wondering how quick that lap is, we'll tell you: it's pretty damn quick indeed. The European Touring Car lap record is not much better at 1m 48s, while the F1 time is held by Kimi Räikönnen, whose McLaren MP4-19 lapped the Hockenheimring in 1m 13.780s in 2004. Watch the RS 7 in action below:

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