Maserati MC20 Goes 197 MPH Without a Driver, Setting a New Record

A Maserati MC20 has just set a record in Florida. A team has modified the Italian supercar to drive autonomously, and it reached 197.7 miles per hour at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), beating the previous record of 192.8 mph.

The record run happened at KSC’s Space Florida Launch and Landing Facility last month during the 1000 Miglia Experience Florida. It’s one of the world’s longest runways, measuring 2.8 miles long and providing plenty of room for such high-speed tests. 

“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,” said Paul Mitchell, CEO of Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC), the company that worked with Politecnico di Milano to modify the university’s AI driver to operate autonomously in the Maserati.

The previous record was held by a race car built by Indy Autonomous Challenge. Another MC20 actually holds the previous record for the fastest autonomous car at 177 mph, which IAC achieved last November.

This isn’t the first self-driving Maserati to put its technology on display. Last year, an autonomous GranCabrio joined the 1000 Miglia in Italy, while an MC20 entered the event in 2023. However, sales for the brand tanked last year, falling by nearly 60 percent compared to 2023. The company sold just 11,300 units last year, as it struggles alongside the rest of the Stellantis portfolio.