Scroll down for video
The Cog Railway up Pikes Peak may be getting some friendly competition. A team of researchers from the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford (CARS) has developed an Audi TTS to ascend the mountain at race speeds ... without a driver.
Chris Gerdes, CARS program director, told Stanford University news, "Our first goal is to go up Pikes Peak at speeds resembling race speeds, keep the car stable around the corners and have everything work the way we want it to. We're not going to put it on the mountain until we can do it safely."
Though other autonomous cars have climbed Pikes in the past, the Audi aims to be the first completion at race speeds. The Audi, named "Shelley" after the first female driver to win the race, has already reached speeds of 130 miles per hour without a driver, albeit on much safer ground. Should anything go wrong, the team's only remote control feature is a "kill switch."
In addition to the obvious "wow" factor, the team's research also has a practical side: the same sensors that keep Shelley in control on the side of Pikes could someday save a driver in trouble on a wet or icy road, Gerdes said.
"What we're doing can help us learn how to control cars more safely," he added. "The mountain course is going to bring safety into sharp focus, since if you make a mistake on Pikes Peak, it's a long way down."
Keep your eyes peeled on Pikes in September, when the Audi is slated to attempt the mountain.