Watch this car set a lap record with no driver


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The NIO Ep9 is the fastest electric production car on the planet, and this isn't just PR speak, they have the numbers to back it up. The car uses four electric motors to produce the equivalent of 1,342 hp and produces twice the downforce of an F1 car. These insane figures combine to give the Ep9 the fastest Nurburgring lap for an electric vehicle at 7:05.120.

Then they set their sights on Circuit of the Americas. Two lap records later there is little argument that the car, set to go on sale later in the year, is the pinnacle of electric cars. Yes, TWO lap records. Jalopnik reports that NIO set the record for not the fastest electric car to lap COTA, but the fastest production car, period, beating the previous record held by a Mclaren P1.

That production car record, however is not even the most impressive feat accomplished by the team. After performing trace laps to let the car "learn" the track, and an unplanned visit with the wall on one of these test laps, the team sent the car out without any driver at all. The car was able to set a fully autonomous lap record of 2:40.33, only around 30 seconds slower than the conventional record of 2:11.30 completely driver-less. Now that's an autonomous car we wouldn't mind riding in.

Related: Ford To Release Fully Autonomous Car With No Steering Wheel Or Pedals 

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