Audi RS7 pilots itself on challenging U.S. race track

For some time now, Audi has been testing piloted driving under increasingly challenging conditions. In October 2014, an RS7 nicknamed 'Bobby' already completed a driverless lap on the Hockenheimring at speeds up to 240km/h. The new generation of the car is named 'Robby', has a power output of 560bhp and is around 400kg lighter than its predecessor. Whether braking, steering or accelerating, the piloted car controls all driving functions fully autonomously and with maximum precision.

Audi is also testing piloted driving in the challenging situation of real road traffic. At the start of 2015, 'Jack' - an Audi A7 piloted driving concept with many near-production solutions - drove on public highways from Silicon Valley to Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

The technologies for piloted driving stand for safety, time savings, efficiency and convenience. The systems can make a valuable contribution to safety, especially when the driver is overwhelmed or underwhelmed by driving tasks. In addition, it gives drivers greater freedom for organising their time in the car. When used to temporarily assume driving tasks, the predictive technology makes driving more efficient, reduces stress and enhances comfort.

Piloted driving will make its production debut in the next generation of the luxury-class sedan, the Audi A8. The systems can assume control of the car during parking or in stop-and-go traffic on freeways at speeds up to 60km/h.