GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Windowless Torq Le Mans racer
Wild new autonomous race car to enter the world's most famous endurance raceItalian Design studio and autonomous driving experts ED Design has revealed a wild take on a car that could compete at Le Mans before 2025.
Called the Torq, the all-new 330km/h lightweight race car concept is powered by four electric motors that are capable of completing 12 four-minute laps of the famous Le Mans race circuit on a single charge.
Hoping to compete in the "Innovation Class" at Le Mans, ED design director and CEO, Michael Robinson, hopes his new autonomous race car will make people more passionate and excited about a future of self-driving cars.
Speaking to motoring.com.au Robinson said: "It will have a steering wheel, but once lapping it will fold away and leave the race driver to talk to the car naturally about how he and his race car will compete in the race."
Robinson said as well as natural voice commands ED Design is also investigating whether or not it can integrate a telepathic mind-control link between the car and the driver using existing technology.
Insisting the ED Torq isn't the stuff of sci-fi, the design director explained that the reason there are no windows on the race car is cameras project a 360-degree image of the road (or race circuit) on the inside wall of the race car, providing far better visibility than any existing road- or race car.
ED Design has also created what it's called a VPA (Virtual Personal Assistant) that, Robinson says, will act like Knight Rider's KITT. This, in the race, could decide when to make the best possible overtaking manoeuvre or discuss race strategy.
"Google and Apple are too focused on testing and developing autonomous driving technology when they should be developing the human interaction between the car and driver", says Robinson who hopes the sight of an autonomous race car competing at the highest levels won't ruin racing but shock people into realising the potential of the new technology.
Robinson says ED Design will go on to develop a city car and MPV demonstrating the new tech, and aims not to go into the business of car building but to lease the new technology to large car companies as soon as 2025.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
