How AI is unexpectedly making our cars better
Plus, how Gran Turismo is inching closer to being an Olympic sport.
Greetings from 38,999 feet somewhere over the Atlantic. I'm winging my way home after a week in Greece pursuing something very unusual for me: a vacation. Yes, it was indeed a wonderful time, thanks for asking. The island of Milos proved to be an absolute oasis from the stress of the day-to-day, providing opportunity for the sort of recuperation I confess I didn't know I needed.
Reader, I slept for 11 hours my first night there, then took five separate naps in the day that followed. I have never embraced lethargy to such an exhaustive degree, but while I was away, the editorial gears of the many publications I'm lucky to contribute to were turning. Here's what's fresh with a byline from yours truly.
Unexpected AI applications
Yeah, I know you're sick of hearing about AI stuff. I am too, especially because the toll of the technology is cutting ever-deeper to the bone at editorial organizations around the globe. But there's no denying it has some benefits, and for MotorTrend this week, I dug into some of the more intriguing ones. In-car voice assistants? Sure, but that's table stakes now. How about dynamic in-car sound optimization to match whatever you're listening to? A virtual co-driver for extreme off-roading? There's some exciting stuff coming.
Gran Turismo at the Games?
Did you know Polyphony Digital's iconic console race sim was an Olympic sport? If not, don't feel bad because it's not part of the formal Olympic Games, but it was among the first of the games selected for last year's inaugural Olympic Esports Week put on by the IOC. No, it doesn't look like GT is destined for inclusion in the proper Games any time soon, nor iRacing or any other sim for that matter, but it's an intriguing development, nevertheless. For Robb Report, I spoke to the racer who took home the gold last year to get his thoughts on the future of competitive virtual racing.
High-end hybrids are having a moment
If you want a little extra torque in your high-performance GT car and don't mind a little (or a lot) of extra weight as part of the package, dear reader, you are in luck. The market is swimming with high-end, performance-minded hybrids, many with plugs. The newest is the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E-Performance, which I was lucky enough to drive at speed through the German countryside a few weeks ago. It's sublime, but is the extra power, torque, and acceleration worth the additional cost and weight?
Be well and do good.