BETTER PARTS40 years Nardo test track
Nardò ( Italy ), July 21, 2015
On 1 July 1975 Fiat continued to the idea of an inspection and test center for automotive development and opened the Nardò Technical Center in Italy. What happened to the test site, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year?
The Nardò history
At the time of opening existed test lanes for cars and trucks as well as passenger car dynamics area. In 1983, the expansion was followed by a dynamic area for trucks. In 1999, the Italian Prototipo group the testing and proving grounds and expanded to a total of 5,000 square Nardò new workshop and office space. The purpose was to meet the increasing number of customers test requirements. 2002 and 2008 followed by test tracks for testing ride comfort and noise as well as a handling course, recreates individual curves of the Nürburgring Nordschleife to a length of 6.2 kilometers. In May 2012, then takes over the responsibility of the Porsche test area.
Popular and legendary proving grounds
The area enjoys a long achieved legendary status among automakers: Due to the remoteness and strict confidentiality arrangements Nardò is very attractive for the industry and its development. In addition, the Company can adjust and test a whole car lifecycle with climatic conditions of different countries within a few weeks. That saves time and above all a lot of money.
Records, records, records
History is, however, written in Nardò elsewhere: With a diameter of four kilometers, a distance of 12.6 kilometers, the distance ring of the test site is still regarded as the fastest automobile circular course in the world. The first record was set up there in 1979 at the Mercedes C111 - IV. The concept car broke through with exactly 403.978 km / h for the first time the 400 - km / h mark. 1982 could bring in a 24 - hour record with a Porsche 928 S: 6033 km put back the car. This corresponded to an average speed of 251.4 km / h. 1983 saw again a Mercedes 190 E 2.3-16 stir: In 201 hours, 39 minutes and 43 seconds he covers a distance of 50,000 kilometers. Currently the 24 - hour record, incidentally, held by a VW concept car: The " W12 Nardo " drove 323 km / h on average, and put so 7741 kilometers back on the track . (ml)