Maserati Sets Autonomous Speed Record, Resets Pace on Electric

Last week, a Maserati MC20 Coupe broke a world speed record with no driver in the seat to enjoy that adrenaline rush past the finish line. Just a month earlier, shortly after an extra hot lap in the new Maserati GT2 Stradale on the Yas Marina Circuit, Sudeep Koshy had an exclusive chat with Philippe Claverol, Head of Maserati Overseas regarding Maserati’s plans for autonomous driving and full-electrification. Brace for some pleasant surprises.

A few minutes spent in the hot seat of the Maserati GT2 Stradale (the street-specked version of the GT2 race car) offered a glimpse into how powerful and capable the fiery GT2 would be. My chat with the Overseas Director of the brand had greater revelations that should leave petrolheads elated. But let’s get there with a bit of a run up…

New Autonomous World Speed Record

On March 3^rd, Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) and Politecnico di Milano, Italy’s largest scientific-technological university, teamed up with Maserati and 1000 Miglia Experience Florida to set a new Autonomous World Speed Record at 319 km per hour (198.2 mph). The new milestone was set by an AI-Driver of Politecnico di Milano in the Indy Autonomous Challenge Maserati MC20 Coupe, during the legendary racing event’s stopover in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at the Kennedy Space Center. The Launch and Landing facility at KSC is one of the world’s longest runways at 15,000 feet (2.8 miles) and the historic location for NASA Space Shuttle landings. This betters the previously held record of 285 km/h (177 mph), set at the Piacenza Military Airport track in November 2024 through thick fog. The assays showcase how developments in high-speed autonomous racing can be transferred to streetcars. Development of the AI driver software was completed by the PoliMOVE-MSU team – part of the performance division of AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Driving Autonomous of Politecnico di Milano).

“The goal of high-speed tests is to evaluate the behavior of robo-drivers in extreme conditions. These AI systems have been tested in production vehicles at legal road speeds in the Indy Autonomous Challenge races since 2021… Conducted in controlled environments without a human driver, the test assesses the AI’s stability, robustness, and reaction time, ultimately enhancing safety for low-speed urban mobility situations,” explains the Scientific Director of the project, Prof. Sergio Matteo Savaresi.

In an exclusive interview to Drivemeonline, which should leave petrolheads elated, Maserati Overseas Director Philippe discusses the brand’s advances in autonomous driving and the prospects of an electric future, which seems to be curving along the practical path of co-existence rather than arriving at a electric-only line-up by 2028, contrary to world automotive media reports last year.

A chat with Philippe Claverol: On going Autonomous and Full-Electric

Sudeep Koshy: Maserati is involved in recent landmark experiments in autonomous driving. Being a driver-centric and performance-oriented brand, what is the approach and attitude of Maserati towards autonomous technology?

“We have a range of cars that can be driven every day. Obviously, it is important for us to bring in technology – innovation – because as a high-end brand we need to innovate… That is why we are doing these developments with the Universities. I cannot tell you when we will have autonomous cars. We already have a lot of technologies in our cars. It is the step forward, and we will bring them on to the market when we will, and depending on the car – obviously, nobody wants it on the GT2 Stradale!” Philippe concludes with a smile and adds a great example to illustrate. “Quartz has not killed the traditional luxury of watches. Connected watches are super successful but still we all love to buy traditional watches, for its quality and craftsmanship.”

“Robot cars are for professional use. Safety cars on track or even school runs in a Maserati will benefit from advanced driving technologies verging on autonomy. But cars still remain objects that you drive for the pleasure of driving.” Ah, the pleasure of driving – on cue, the enthusiast in me races the journo in me to an all-important question, with ill-concealed disappointment in my voice:

Sudeep Koshy: World media has reported last year that you are aiming for complete electrification by 2028, when every Maserati would be a ‘Folgore’. Are your fans ready for such an early shift?

Philippe’s next words in reply could have firebrand Maserati enthusiasts leaping for joy. “I think we have slowed down on this. Because we acknowledge that the pace of electrification of the market is not as quick as forecasted.”

That made unmistakably clear, Philippe turns to the issue of unequal markets, which poses a challenge for any brand planning on sweeping technological change. In 2023, 89% of new cars sold in Norway (as per European Environment Agency website) were electric followed by Sweden and Iceland at 61 and 60 per cent respectively. Elsewhere in Europe, for instance in Poland and Croatia, EV remained less than 5% of new registrations. “Probably three years ago, much of the car industry was convinced that electrification would come very quickly. It is not coming as quickly as expected, for many reasons … the price, the infrastructure, the regulations are changing. So we are taking a very pragmatic approach. We are lucky to have multi-energy platforms that can accommodate petrol engines and electric motors.”

The brand has a presence in nearly 70 countries, with varied velocities of EV adoption which could imply significantly greater investments for a manufacturer. So, Maserati has sensibly chosen to keep their strategy responsive to the market dynamics, by continuing to serve its customers with the option of an ICE engine alongside the targeted full-electrification plans. “We need to adapt. For now, we have the petrol engines. Today, the presentation of the GT2 Stradale is the perfect proof that we’ll keep on producing high performance engines.” Having been driven around the circuit in the GT2 Stradale just a little earlier, all I had to say was “sounds like a plan!” However, I had one more curious question for Philippe.

Sudeep Koshy: How do you see Maserati loyalists respond to the option of petrol engines and electric?

“First of all, any Maserati is a Maserati; then comes the powerhouse. Whether you take a Maserati with a 2.0L turbo, a V6 Nettuno or the Folgore, they share the same sophistication – quality of interiors, quality of labour, luxury… they share the same road handling, the same precision when you drive them. Then obviously some of them are petrol engines, some of them are electric motors – but they behave the same. The acceleration is very good in both cases. This is really super important for us. Whatever the powerhouse, the drive has to be typically Maserati.”

We could still hear the Maserati GranTurismo and the GT2 Stradale thundering down Yas Marina Circuit, echoing the slogan of the track day – “born to race”. Philippe concluded, “Yes, technology will grow. The question for us is how we integrate it and still deliver the experience the customer wants and we remain true to our brand.”