It doesn’t seem that long ago that a car’s primary purpose was to get us from A to B. With technology now playing an important part in all aspects of day to day life, vehicles have become a lot more advanced in order to keep with modern day trends and consumers’ needs. A number of car manufactures have now developed vehicles with built in technology, which not so long ago seemed impossible. A range of new models now have the ability to park and brake themselves, have been installed with mapping technology and adaptive cruise control; just to name a few.
The modern day car industry has never been more competitive, with manufactures battling it out against each other to create the car of the future and a model that will put them at the forefront of the industry. With many new vehicle models being equipped with semi-autonomous features, it’s possible we can see the direction manufacturers want to go in. A number of car brands have been trialling fully autonomous vehicles, which if successful, could see driverless cars on our roads. The prospect of autonomous vehicles isn’t a story which has gained a large amount of coverage in the press, but this doesn’t mean that manufacturers aren’t working behind the scenes to make this a reality.
As semi-autonomous features within cars are no longer as jaw dropping as they once were and the potential of driverless vehicles being used on our roads; could this mean we’re likely to see autonomous racing cars used within motor sports?
How would autonomous racing vehicles compare to modern day race cars?
It’s fair to say that the thought of autonomous racing is hard to imagine and it would definitely take some time getting used to. We’re currently a long way off autonomous vehicles being used on our roads so it won’t be any time soon we see them used on the race tracks. Although autonomous racing is in the distant future, LeaseCar UK have taken some modern day race cars and transformed them into autonomous racing vehicles. There’s no definite answer when it comes to the appearance of an autonomous race car, but with the help from the images created by LeaseCar UK, we can gain an interesting insight into the possibility.
We can all point out the most noticeable difference if autonomous racing was to take off; this being the absence of a driver behind the wheel. For many racing fans the excitement and love for the sport comes from watching their favourite driver reach high speeds within a high powered vehicle. The thought of watching a race without a driver, just isn’t the same for some people and it leaves you wondering what role current racing car drivers would have. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to become a race car driver at the top of the sport and many drivers love the sport for its adrenaline fuelled excitement; but this could be taken away from them.
The most noticeable features of an autonomous racing car
If the need for a driver is no longer required, then a number of features within a vehicle will no longer be needed. It’s hard to imagine what a car would look like without a windscreen, but it wouldn’t be needed. The advantage to this is that the vehicle can be designed to be more aerodynamic, meaning it can travel at greater speeds. The features within a car which the driver requires would all be removed as they’re no longer a requirement, so to fans watching the race, all they’d see is the exterior features of the vehicle.
Do you think autonomous racing would be a success or a bad move for the sport?
Whether you’re a racing fan or not, it would be great to hear your thoughts on autonomous cars being used within the sport. Feel free to share your thoughts or just join in the conversation on social, using #AutonomousRacingCars.
