The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) Maserati MC20 set a new autonomous vehicle speed record on March 3, 2025, when it raced down the Space Florida Launch and Landing Facility runway at 197.7mph (318 km/h).
The MC20’s 630hp V6 Nettuno engine delivers 0-100 km/h in 2.88 seconds and a top speed of over 326km/h. It features the Maserati twin combustion technology, a combustion system built in-house at Maserati that evolved from the pre-chamber technology used on Formula 1 powertrains.
Run by an AI driver software developed by the PoliMOVE-MSU team, part of the artificial intelligence driving autonomous performance division of the Politecnico di Milano, the MC20 hit the track without a human driver behind the wheel and set a new autonomous driving world speed record, topping the previous record of 192.8mph (310km/h) set by an IAC Dallara AV-21 at the same location in April 2022.
Held at the NASA Space Shuttle runway in Cape Canaveral, the IAC pushes the limits of autonomous technology through thrilling high-speed racing.
The event at Kennedy Space Center was an effective test for Maserati to demonstrate the maturity of the autonomous technologies that had been implemented and evidence of the Trident’s commitment to its mission to push motorsport’s boundaries at the highest level.
In 2024, the Maserati MC20 set the previous record for the fastest autonomous production car, reaching 177mph (285 km/h) at the Piacenza Military Airport track.
In related news, Aspire recently announced the return of its flagship event, the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL). The 2025 edition will take place on November 15 at Yas Marina Circuit with a US$2.25m prize pool and the launch of a global virtual racing series. Click here to read the full story
