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Pedestrian Killed in Accident With Autonomous Uber

Photo credit: Uber
Photo credit: Uber

From Road & Track

Welcome to The Grid, R&T's quick roundup of the auto industry and motorsports news you should know this morning.


Pedestrian Killed in Incident With Autonomous Uber Prototype

Automotive News reports that a self-driving Uber prototype struck and killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona on Sunday night. It's believed to be the first fatality involving an autonomous car and a pedestrian, and in response, Uber has suspended all self-driving tests. Additionally, the National Traffic Safety Bureau is investigating the crash.

This is a complicated story which can't be summed up in just a few paragraphs, so read the full report from Automotive News for the full rundown.

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Lotus Hiring

Photo credit: Lotus
Photo credit: Lotus

It's been six months since Lotus was bought out by Chinese automaker giant Geely, and things are looking up for the legendary sports car brand. Speaking to Automotive News Europe, Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales said the company will hire 300 new staff this year, mainly for new vehicle development.

Geely gave Lotus the green light to launch two new sports cars in 2020-a limited-run carbon-chassis car, and a more affordable aluminum car to succeed the Elise and Evora-along with, you guessed it, an SUV. Gales said we'll learn more about the sports cars this summer, and that the SUV would arrive in four years.

IMSA Looking to Reduce GTD Costs

Photo credit: Brian Cleary - Getty
Photo credit: Brian Cleary - Getty

If you watched the Sebring 12 Hours over the weekend, you saw some great battles in the Pro-Am GTD class. Unfortunately, only ten GTD cars will run the full IMSA WeatherTech series this year, down from 15 in 2017. Sportscar365 spoke with IMSA CEO Scott Atherton, who's looking to reduce GTD costs for future seasons.

Some potential solutions? A reduced GTD season, where the Rolex 24 at Daytona is separate from the rest of the year is on the table. Additionally, Atherton is exploring banning Platinum-rated drivers from teams and requiring at least one Bronze-rated driver.

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