Toyota to replicate Nurburgring
Toyota flexes industrial muscle with new $3.5b research, development and test-track centreGermany's Nordschleife Nürburgring is one of the world's most infamous test tracks – a perilous 21km road course upon which dreams are made and destroyed – and now Toyota is about to replicate it.
As part of a $US2.8 billion ($A3.5b) investment on a 650-hectare site near its Aichi base, roughly four hours drive west of Tokyo, Toyota has confirmed it will construct a new research and development centre that will include up to 11 new test tracks.
One of those tracks is a 5.3km course that will be modelled on many of the elevation changes and several of the famous corners of the Nürburgring.
Toyota's new test tracks will not be the first to mimic corners of the world's greatest race track. The Fiat and Alfa Romeo proving ground in Balocco has a replica of Prima Curva di Lesmo from Monza.
Although it will be designed to fast-track the development of new technology – chiefly battery-electric, hydrogen fuel-cell and autonomous cars – it's clear that sports cars will also benefit.
Toyota is still at least one step away from delivering all three of its sports car pillars, with the Toyota 86 and Toyota Supra being the first two pillars in its performance car push. There's talk the compact Toyota S-FR could be the third and final pillar.
It's unlikely the new test track will make the next-generation Toyota Supra any faster around the German circuit by which all sports cars are measured, since its development is almost complete.
The huge new facility is the first major R&D centre the Japanese company has committed to since 1984, when it constructed its Shibetsu proving ground at Hokkaido in Japan's north.
It's due to open in April 2019 and be fully operational by 2023.
It remains to be seen whether the famous 'Karussell' (Carousel) banked hairpin corner from the Nürburgring will be replicated at Toyota's new test track, but the company has said it build courses to simulate regular and mountainous roads and highways too.
Toyota executive vice president, Shigeki Terashi, told the Nikkei Asian Review the new proving ground will "contribute to accelerate research and development for a motorised society in the future."
Toyota's R&D spending has exploded in the last five years, increasing by 40 per cent with projects such as the new development centre in Aichi.
Toyota is seeking to reclaim the crown of the world's largest car-maker, currently held by the Volkswagen Group.
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