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[PHOTOS] Mercedes F015 Self-Driving Car Stretches Its Legs in San Fran

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The Mercedes F015 self-driving car on the streets of San Francisco

The Mercedes F015 self-driving car on the streets of San Francisco

The ultimate luxury driving experience to many is one in which you are not driving at all. Instead, you lounge back and eat caviar and drink wine and maybe, when nobody’s looking, wipe a booger under the seat, all while the car drives itself.

Mercedes understands the true art of luxury (and nose picking), so it makes sense that the brand is invested in the autonomous driving movement.

The automaker just recently unveiled its latest self-driving prototype at the Consumer Electronics Show and then showed it again in Detroit: the Mercedes F015 self-driving car prototype, which has been undergoing testing out in Sunnydale.

Until March 4th, that is. On that glorious sunny day (in California, not here in Ohio), Mercedes decided to take the F015 out for a spin—or let it take itself out for a spin, rather—in San Francisco, right in the eye of the public. The automaker posted about the field trip on Twitter, but it wasn’t long before passersby on the streets began to take notice and started posting pictures all over the interwebs.

The Mercedes F015 self-driving car on the streets of San Francisco

In fact, one professional photographer, Jake Stangel, happened upon the Mercedes F015 mid-photo shoot and snapped his own photo on Instagram. According to Stangel, the F015 was delivered in a trailer (which is kind of lame), “but it does drive/move.”

The Mercedes F015 self-driving car on the streets of San Francisco

The F015 Luxury in Motion self-driving car operates on an electric hybrid system that takes the car 700 miles purely on electric power. Mercedes calls it a “digital living space,” probably because of all the screens (six, in total) and the fact that much of the controls are gesture-and-touch-based. You know, that way you don’t have to adjust the air conditioning with your booger-covered fingers.

Not much is known about the status of this project, but seeing it out on real roadways is encouraging. Chances are, we’re still a long way off from a world of autonomous vehicles. But we’re getting closer.

Gallery: 2015 Mercedes F015 Self-Driving Car Photos

The Mercedes F015 self-driving car on the streets of San Francisco

News Source: PC Mag