An artificial intelligence robo-driver has set a new autonomous vehicle speed record.

The AI robot drove at a speed of 197.7 mph (318 km/h).

The record speed run was achieved at the Space Florida Launch and Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, during the 1000 Miglia Experience Florida, which was held Feb. 22 to 25.

The robo-driver from Politecnico di Milano, a technical university in Italy, drove a Maserati MC20 Coupe from Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) on one of the world’s longest runways, which measures 4.5 kilometres long.

The autonomous car conducted the speed run with no human driver on board.

The AI software was completed by the PoliMOVE-MSU team, which is part of the performance division at Artificial Intelligence Driving Autonomous of Politecnico di Milano.

The speed run was conducted as part of MOST, Italy’s National Centre for Sustainable Mobility, which is intended to drive research, innovation and infrastructure development to create scalable solutions for eco-friendly transportation.

The previous record, also set by IAC and PoliMOVE, was 192.8 mph. That record had been achieved at the same location in April 2022 using an IAC race car.

The Maserati MC20 Coupe already held the record for fastest autonomous production car, when it was driven at a speed of 177 mph (285 km/h) at the Piacenza Military Airport track in November 2024.

“These world speed records are much more than just a showcase of future technology; we are pushing AI-driver software and robotics hardware to the absolute edge. Doing so with a streetcar is helping transition the learnings of autonomous racing to enable safe, secure, sustainable, high-speed autonomous mobility on highways,” said Paul Mitchell, CEO of Indy Autonomous Challenge and Aidoptation BV, in a news release.

The team also took an autonomous Maserati MC20 Cielo on a U.S. tour.

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