2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class with Virtual Chauffeur



The automaker unveiled its “virtual chauffeur” in Hamburg, Germany this week, presenting the car on a rain-slicked runway.

The vehicle, which Mercedes says can steer itself in city traffic and stay in its lane going over 120 MPH on a highway, is expected to go on sale this September. The estimated starting price is $100,000.

“It marks the beginning of autonomous driving,” Dieter Zetsche, chief executive of Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, told The New York Times.

But of course, the car isn’t there yet. By law, drivers must keep at least one hand on the steering wheel at all times. That said, most car makers are working on vehicles with some sort of driving capacity, said The Times, so it might not be long before we get to enjoy the paper on our morning commute.

[via The New York Times]