One of the significant problems with race cars is that you normally have to compromise the technology for driver safety. We could go much faster than we currently go if we could remove the need to protect the life of a human driver. If you remove the drivers from the equation, then you could push the limits of the technology and speed. Roborace is going to do just that. Driverless cars inevitably lead to Man vs. Machine events where the sky’s the limit and speed is dictated by cunning not a concern for safety.
The future of race car driving has arrived. Designed by Daniel Simon, the same mind that brought us Tron-Legacy, Roborace is the world’s first driverless electric racing car. The Roborace brings the thrills of Hollywood action with death-defying turns and speeds. 21st-century entertainment has arrived.
The car is mainly made of carbon fiber and weighs in at around 975 kilos. Its four 300-kilowatt motors powered by a 540-kilowatt battery will propel the car to speeds more than 200 mph (320kph), without any direct emissions. Because electric motors give “instant-power”, it can overtake many, more powerful, racecars in a drag race. Once Roborace will be operational, it will compete with even the most daring and adventurous of drivers. With each test race, the machine learns from its mistakes, giving the designers the ability to develop a racing platform that is sure to captivate racing fans for years to come.
The low profile and flowing wheel arches make it an imposing sight to behold. Like a panther in the night, it seems ready to pounce at any moment. Twenty of these cars will compete in the Roborace series on the same track used in Formula E; the all-electric world championship taking place later this year.
