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Nardò Technical Center continues to invest in development for future testingRenovation of the 12.6 kilometer circular track

Nardò. The Nardò Technical Center is continuing its development for future testing: the proving ground in Apulia (Italy), since 2012 operated by the international engineering services provider Porsche Engineering Group GmbH, Weissach (Germany), is investing in several further measures for providing the optimum premises for future testing activities. Besides the installation of an innovative guardrail system, the complete refurbishment of the unique 12.6 kilometer high-speed circular track and the car dynamic platform are the major renovation works that have now started.

“With the renovation of our most important track – the circular track – we are pushing the safety and innovation standards even higher”, declares Antonio Gratis, Managing Director of the Nardò Technical Center since November 2018. "It’s an ambitious, complex and demanding renovation that will reaffirm our excellence, technological advance and readiness for the challenges that the automotive industry will face in the future.”

Besides the asphalting on the renowned circular track, an innovative guardrail system that has been developed by Porsche Engineering specifically for the high-performance testing activities in Nardò, is installed. The investment also includes the complete renovation of the car dynamic platform with an area of 106,000 square meters. The continuous development of the testing grounds is part of the company’s mission to always provide its customers with the perfect conditions to test the vehicles of tomorrow.

The Nardò Technical Center, founded in 1975 with the construction of the car circular track, offers extensive facilities for testing and conducting trials. The high-speed circular track that is unique worldwide with a length of 12.6 kilometres was built to improve research and development processes by enabling vehicles to be tested under extreme conditions. Since 2012 the automotive testing ground has been operated by Porsche Engineering Group GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart. With over 20 test tracks and testing facilities over an area encompassing over 700 hectares, the testing grounds offer testing capabilities for any conceivable phase of development. Engineering services for external customers are a cornerstone of the Porsche identity and an important part of Porsche. However, the public knows little about this. Porsche Engineering operates according to a policy of strict confidentiality to ensure that the product strategies and brand identities of its customers are always protected with the greatest care.

08.02.2019

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