We like drifting and we also like the 2021 Toyota GR Supra. A video with these two things is sure to please the audience, and that before I mention the best part: the car skidded by itself.
This is also not a joke. The Toyota Research Institute mounted the feat in an effort to better link the relationship between acute steering reflexes and autonomous systems. Or, as the website says:
“Engineers are conducting research on how to bring together the instincts of professional drivers and automated driving technology. Its goal is to design a new level of active safety technology and share it widely so that Toyota and other car manufacturers can deploy it on the road. “
And although this was done for scientific purposes, there is no denying that it is totally incredible. Watch the video to see a highly modified Supra, complete with an ultra-wide body kit and huge rear wing, face a closed course and immediately spin in a huge pile of smoke. Although there is a driver in the seat, the car’s cameras show autonomous computers applying the handbrake and steering wheel. As soon as things are really moving, the driver even puts his hand out of the window, offering a peace sign to everyone watching.
In addition to the obvious fun factor, this robot may well lead to better autonomous technology. It is not difficult to see how the sharp instincts of wanderers can be a valuable addition to any car that needs to avoid collisions or change course quickly on its own. The reality of autonomous cars is getting closer each year, so expect to see more videos like this in the not-so-distant future. And who knows, maybe an autonomous drift mode will soon be part of Toyota’s active safety package.
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