by Gabrielle DeSantis

Elon Musk has done it again. One of his recent announcements about the future of Tesla’s driverless cars has people scratching their heads and wondering if what he’s saying is realistic, or even possible. This time Musk’s comments are about a truly driverless car. In a recent all hands Tesla meeting, Musk announced that he was considering releasing the Tesla Model 2 with no steering wheel or pedals. Who needs pesky brakes, anyway?

The Tesla Model 2 will have no steering wheel or pedals

This is quite possibly the most out there thing that Elon Musk has ever said, but it isn’t that wild in terms of autonomous vehicles. Currently Teslas with Full Self-Driving (FSD), which is Tesla’s semi-autonomous driving system, operate at a level 2 autonomy. This is also known as partial driving automation, and as you may imagine, it requires a whole lot of human interaction. 

Still, not everyone believes that they need to actually be behind the wheel of their Tesla while it’s operating under FSD, or awake. And that’s lead to a whole lot of crashes and terrifying incidents. 

What Musk is talking about now, a Tesla Model 2 with no steering wheel or pedals, is a level 5 autonomous vehicle. A level 5 system is called full driving automation, and it doesn’t require a human at all. It’s even more advanced than the current rideshare vehicles you may see in places like Arizona, which are level 4 driverless vans. A level 5 autonomous vehicle is so independent, our cars may decide they don’t need us at all anymore. 

The Tesla Model 2 will cost $25,000

It’s important to note that the name of the car hasn’t officially been announced yet, and it’s just being called the Model 2 in the interim. Musk has been hinting for some time that he wants Tesla to come out with a $25,000 car, and it looks like the Model 2 will be it. This would become Tesla’s entry level vehicle, and it would make electric cars and Tesla specifically, much more accessible to people. 

This isn’t the first time that Musk has entertained the idea of a car without a steering wheel or pedals. In 2019 he first showed off the idea of a fully driverless car at Tesla’s AI Day. Although the goal then was to get the car to production by 2021, that clearly hasn’t happened. Now Musk is saying that the temporarily named Model 2 will debut sometime in 2023. 

So how is Musk going to keep this car so affordable? It’s thanks to their new battery effort, which Electrek says could “cut battery costs by over 50%.”

Tesla has a long way to go before they reach level 5 automation

Although Musk’s idea of having a fully autonomous vehicle is certainly cool, it seems to be far from reality. Currently Tesla is rolling out their FSD software, with mixed results. While some of the small group of beta testers have been very happy with FSD, others have not. And Tesla is under fire for advertising their cars as being more autonomous as they really are. 

With Tesla’s FSD 10 coming out Friday, September 10, 2021, we may get a better idea of how fine-tuned FSD has become. Musk has been expanding the pool of those who can access the FSD software a little at a time. This is because the software is essentially being tested by Tesla owners who download and utilize the software. FSD 10.1 is expected to drop two weeks after 10, and that will be to an even wider audience. 

So will we see a Tesla Model 2 with no steering wheel or pedals in 2023? It’s hard to say. There would certainly have to be a greater adoption of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software, and Tesla will have to remedy some of its defects. Additionally, people need to be responsible when operating semi-autonomous vehicles, and the government and safety organizations have to stay on top of this ever-changing technology. If everything comes together, it’s possible that we’ll see a level five Tesla sooner rather than later.

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The post Tesla’s Newest Car May Not Have a Steering Wheel appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

On the Trump Princess, there are 11 luxurious guest staterooms with equally luxurious ensuite bathrooms, bird’s eye maple and chamois-covered walls, and a helicopter landing pad. What billionaire wouldn’t want to entertain friends and business associates in this floating palace? Maybe that’s why Donald Trump bought the yacht sight unseen when it hit the market in 1987.

After all, celebrities are always adding to their vehicle collections. From cars and motorcycles to private jets, the world’s elites know how to travel in style. Why not add one of the world’s most fabulous yachts to an already stunning car collection? A celebrity yacht is certainly an eye-catching addition to anyone’s vehicle collection!

Donald Trump’s ‘Trump Princess’

According to Boat International, this 282′ superyacht, formerly the prized property of arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and named after his only daughter Nabila, was placed on the market after Khashoggi forfeited on a loan. He used his prized custom yacht as collateral, and it was put up for grabs. 

Trump made a cash offer of $30 million for the superyacht. Since Khashoggi didn’t want anyone else owning a yacht bearing his daughter’s name, Trump was able to snag a cool $1 million off just by agreeing to change the yacht’s name. He chose Trump Princess as a suitable homage to this floating beauty.

The yacht was berthed at Trump’s new Farley Marina within sight of his Atlantic City casino. Its impressive luxury was offered as a special perk to especially high-rollers at the gaming tables. It was also lent to select charities for their gala fund-raising events.

An exquisitely luxurious yacht

This incredibly sumptuous yacht was designed by renowned British yacht designer Jon Bannenberg. It cost $35 million to build at Benetti’s shipyards in Viareggio, Italy, in 1980. However, that initial cost was probably quickly exceeded when famed Italian designer Luigi was commissioned to create the fabulously ostentatious interior.

Some of the features Sturchio included in this yacht would make a royal swoon with envy. How about onyx bathrooms for a start? We’re not talking about a touch of onyx, either. When we say this yacht features onyx bathrooms, we mean it! Everything from the floors to the showers is crafted from gorgeous onyx hand-carved by some of Italy’s finest craftsmen. In the owner’s stateroom, the onyx extravaganza includes a hand-carved shower in the shape of a scallop shell. This piece alone took a crew of Italian craftsmen a year to carve by hand from a single massive piece of semi-precious onyx. It features 13 nozzles for the ultimate showering experience.

Undergoing an expensive renovation

Elsewhere, Trump didn’t like some of Khashoggi and Sturchio’s customization and decor choices. He removed the three-seat hair salon and replaced it with a cloakroom. The most flamboyant stateroom became a children’s playroom. He also had the yacht’s hull repainted, the main engines rebuilt, and his trademark ‘T’ added to the helipad of the Trump Princess.

The fairly extensive renovations cost $8.5 million, but when you’ve already spent $29 on a floating marvel, why not drop a few million more to make it your own? After all, just keeping this yacht on the water costs around $2.5 million a year. According to Quote Database, American banker and financier J.P. Morgan famously said, “Anyone who has to ask about the annual upkeep of a yacht can’t afford one.”

Where is the ‘Trump Princess’ now?

There’s always a market for superyachts among the world’s super-rich.  From the most expensive yacht in the world to the most technologically innovative yacht to an older model that’s had multiple owners, there’s always someone willing to pay for the privilege of owning one of these luxurious and iconic models.

Trump sold the Trump Princess in 1991 for a reported $19 million. It was renamed Kingdom 5KR by its new owner, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, and now spends most of its time berthed in the south of France at Antibes. Occasionally, the boat is seen cruising to nearby Cannes or Monte Carlo. From a sentimental arms dealer to the future American president to a real Arabian Prince, what lies in the future for this exceptional floating palace?

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The post Donald Trump’s $30 Million Yacht, ‘Trump Princess’, Included Onyx Bathrooms and a Helicopter Landing Pad appeared first on MotorBiscuit.