Anki Drives Expands Its Robotic Car Game with New Tracks, Cars, and Races

Anki Drive turned heads last June when it took the stage at Apple's WWDC 2013 with its iOS-compatible toy race cars powered by a form of artificial intelligence. As of today, Anki has expanded the lineup, offering new cars, new tracks, and a new race mode.

The concept seems similar to slot cars, with the difference that the AI involved allows for cars with their own racing strengths and personalities. You can race against friends using the Anki Drive's iOS app, or you can simply race against the AI for the cars. But here's the thing--the experience gets better. Over time, your car evolves to support weapons and skills that'll help you in the races.

Anki now offers a simpler "race" mode in addition to the original release's Battle mode (which focused on shooting cars off the tracks with virtual weapons). The new setting allows you to choose between 15, 30, or 45 laps and to win by simply being the first to cross the finish line. The catch? The other cars still have weapons they can use against you.

Two new tracks add to the fun. The Crossroads track adds some challenge with an intersection that could cause collisions if drivers aren't careful, and the Bottleneck course encourages you to take advantage of the narrower portions of the track to get ahead.

New cars top off the latest offerings, including Corax (which has two weapons instead of the standard one), and Hadion, which is the fastest car Anki has released to date. You can pick up the cars for $70 each on Anki's website right now, although you'll have to wait for the new tracks. They each retail for $99, and they're expected to ship on May 6. If you have the cars, you can pick up the accompanying app for free.

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