Autonomous race cars might make human drivers obsolete

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First renders have emerged online giving us a pretty good insight into the future of Roborace; the world’s first driverless racing series.

The stunning race car is the brainchild of former Bugatti and Volkswagen concept designer Daniel Simon, who was recently appointed the role of Chief Design Officer for Roborace. Simon is also renowned for his work on Hollywood films such as Tron: Legacy and Oblivion. Not being burdened by human driver’s has allowed Simon to create a true aerodynamic masterpiece unlike anything before it.

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“My goal was to create a vehicle that takes full advantage of the unusual opportunities of having no driver without ever compromising on beauty. Racing engineers and aerodynamicists have worked with me from the beginning to strike that balance. The Roborace is as much about competition as it is entertainment. Therefore – and quite unusual in today’s racing world – beauty was very high on our agenda and we work hard to merge the best performance with stunning styling.”

Simon goes on to say: “It was important to us that we generate substantial downforce without unnecessary parts cluttering the car to maintain a clean and iconic look. This is largely made possible by using the floor as the main aerodynamic device and we are currently developing active body parts that are more organic and seamless than solutions today.”

Removing the driver from the equation can give automakers an opportunity to push the bounds of their new technologies. Roborace will “provide a competitive platform for the autonomous driving solutions that are now being developed.”

The first Roborace demonstration is expected to take place during the 2016/17 Formula E season.