The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is a tough challenge for any driver, yet Stanford University plans to send an Audi TTS up the famous course with no-one behind the wheel.
Stanford has already worked with the Volkswagen Group to produce two award winning autonomous vehicles. However, the TT looks much more like a standard car than either 'Stanley' the VW Touareg or 'Junior' the Passat - Stanford's previous driverless cars.
High speed testing has already been undertaken on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Apparently a slow run up the hill at Pikes Peak has also been completed. A promotional video has been made showing the TT doing its stuff on the salt, mixed in with footage of a rally-prepared Audi Quattro.
VW has committed $5 million to set up the Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab on Stanford's campus to support the development of driverless technology.
17 May: Ford owners with cars using the 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine can now get up to 34 extra horsepower from Superchips. The remap costs £445 including VAT and is covered by a 12-month, 30,000-mile warranty.
16 May: The Porsche Museum is participating in the Mille Miglia recreation from 17-20 May. A 550 Spyder, three 356 Speedsters and a 356 Coupé will tackle the course that runs from Brescia to Rome.
16 May: Four Toyota GT86s and one Lexus LFA will compete in the Nürburgring 24 Hours race this weekend. Gazoo Racing will campaign the LFA and two GT86s, painted in black, white and red. The team has already had two class wins at the circuit with the Lexus. [photo]
