What you’ll learn:
- A fully autonomous Maserati MC20 reached 197.7 mph on a 2.8-mile-long landing strip in Florida.
- The run was part of the 1000 Miglia Experience Florida, a recreation of the famous race across Italy
- Development of the AI driver software was completed by the PoliMOVE-MSU team—part of the performance division of AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Driving Autonomous of Politecnico di Milano).
A fully autonomous Maserati MC20 has reached 197.7 mph, 4.9 mph faster than any self-driving car has ever gone before, on a 2.8-mile-long landing strip in Florida once used by the Space Shuttle orbiter. The 197.7-mph run surpassed the previously held record for an autonomous car of 192.8 mph, set by Indy Autonomous Challenge and PoliMOVE at the same location in April 2022 with an IAC AV-21 racecar.
The new record was achieved by the Artificial Intelligence Driving Autonomous (AIDA) team of the Politecnico di Milano from Italy. The run was part of the 1000 Miglia Experience Florida, a re-creation of the famous race across Italy, a version of which was held for the first time in Florida.
The Maserati MC20 has 621 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque and can sprint to 60 mph in less than 2.9 seconds. It’s top speed is “over” 202 mph.
Development of the AI driver software was completed by the PoliMOVE team, which is part of the performance division of AIDA.
“The 1000 Miglia has never been just a race; it is a journey through history, a symbol of innovation, and a tribute to Italian automotive excellence,” said Massimo Cicatiello, president of EGAUSA, the organizer of the 1000 Miglia Experience Florida. “This first edition in Florida marks the beginning of a new chapter for the 1000 Miglia, bridging the gap between heritage and the frontiers of innovation.”
Paul Mitchell, CEO of Indy Autonomous Challenge, said, “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. Doing so with a streetcar is helping transition the learnings of autonomous racing to enable safe, secure, sustainable, high-speed autonomous mobility on highways.” Mitchell is also CEO of Aidoptation BV, the company that worked with Politecnico di Milano to modify the university’s AI driver to operate autonomously in the Maserati.
“The goal of high-speed tests is to evaluate the behavior of robo-drivers in extreme conditions. These AI systems have been tested in production vehicles at legal road speeds in the Indy Autonomous Challenge races since 2021,” explained Prof. Sergio Matteo Savaresi.the Scientific Director of the project and Director of the Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering at the Politecnico di Milano.
He added, “The AIDA team used this test to push the boundaries of autonomous driving, improving safety and reliability. Conducted in controlled environments without a human driver, the test assesses the AI's stability, robustness, and reaction time, ultimately enhancing safety for low-speed urban mobility situations.”
The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) engineers and constructs the IAC AV-24 racecar and organizes competitions among 10 university-affiliated teams from around the world. In February 2025, IAC established Aidoptation BV, headquartered at Droneport in Sint-Truiden, Belgium. Aidoptation, a commercial spin-out company of IAC, seeks to transition the learnings and technology of IAC’s autonomous racing program to advance safe, secure, sustainable, high-speed autonomous mobility on highways.
A Maserati MC20 Cielo convertible was also on hand at the 1000 Miglia Experience Florida rally, joining in the convoy of cars taking part in the event. The Cielo was notable because it's the same car driven in the 2023 edition of the historical 1000 Miglia race in Italy, where it traveled approximately 60 km(about 37 miles) in autonomous mode.