Audi RS7 price, release date & specs: self-parking cars will be in Boston in two to three years
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In what sounds like a scene from "Ender's Game" or "I, Robot," driverless cars may soon be entering the streets and highways. Audi's standard and performance RS7s will hit the market next month, according to Autoweek.
Popular Mechanics says the coming RS7 speedsters are not the first driverless vehicles. For the last five years, the car manufacturer has been devoting resources to developing autonomous vehicles.
One of their first projects was created in collaboration with Stanford University in 2010. Devoid of help from a human driver, the machine drove up Pikes Peak on its own.
Earlier this year, an RS7 unit was tested on the road, driving on its own from San Francisco to Las Vegas. Its driving and racing skills were tested against another Audi vehicle with a human driver.
According to the report, there are three important parts of the RS7 which help it drive on its own: differential GPS, the front 3D camera and the central maneuvering unit which includes a sensor, image-processing machine and control unit. Audi says the human behind the wheel is just "the final redundant system."
Based on the driving trials, the report says the RS7 takes a few trips around the road, using the onboard camera to record to map the road and its boundaries. It then uses this data to plot the best route.
Units will be on display at the LA auto show and go on sale in December of this year says Automobile Mag. The RS7 will come in two variants: standard and performance.
Both the standard and performance models get the same 605hp engine with eight-speed Tiptronic shifts. This allows the vehicle to fly to 60mph in under 3.6 seconds and go to speeds of up to 190mph.
What makes the RS7 Performance model different is not under the hood. The premium model includes an RS sports suspension with Dynamic Ride Control as well as a set of carbon ceramic brakes.
On the outside, the performance vehicle features 21-inch wheels, carbon fiber accents, and sports tailpipes. Both models will feature black Valcona leather upholstery on the seats says Autoweek.
According to Automobile Mag, the base RS7 is priced at $108,900 while the performance model costs $129,925 and up.
Self-parking cars will soon be available in the Boston area. Mashable says Somerville, Massachusetts is working closely with Audi in creating a structure that would house these driverless vehicles.
Audi believes that using the RS7 and other future self-driving vehicles could help reduce traffic. Traffic flow can be improved by up to 50 percent, allowing local governments to repurpose roads for other types of vehicles or alternative uses.
Watch this video to see the RS7 in action: