The Autonomous Audi TTS Pikes Peak research car achieved its initial goal of completing the 12.42-mile course of the world-famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race in Colorado without stopping and without a driver behind the wheel.
The research car – jointly developed by Audi, Stanford University, the Volkswagen Group Electronics Research Lab in Palo Alto, Calif., and Oracle – conquered the challenging route up the mountain, which serves as the venue for one of the world's most thrilling rally races each June.
In September, the Autonomous Audi TTS Pikes Peak drove to the 14,110-foot summit in Colorado without stopping. Organizers of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the second-oldest race in America, certified that the Autonomous Audi TTS completed the twisting course. On the last remaining dirt section, which offered the sternest test of autonomous high-speed handling, the car reached speeds of 45 mph.
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