Porsche Reopens Iconic Nardò Test Track
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Porsche promises to maintain customer confidentiality in all track testing conducted at Italian track.
Seven months and approximately $40 million later, Motor Authority has confirmed that Porsche is reopening the Nardò Technical Center, which is located near Nardò, Italy. First built in 1975 by Fiat, the Nardò Ring has played host to numerous automotive milestones such as the first-ever breaking of the 400kmph barrier by driver Hans Leibold in his Mercedes-Benz C11/II. The facility’s primary usage, however, is as a testing center for automotive manufacturers. With 20 distinct tracks, it is tailor-built to represent a multitude of road and handling conditions.
Porsche acquired the Nardò Technical Center in April of 2012 from previous owners Prototipo SpA, an industrial engineering organization based in Italy. Porsche states their primary reason for the acquisition was the milder climate of southern Italy, which allows for year-round testing, a drastic improvement from the winters of Germany.
Some of the enhancements derived from the $40 million investment include modern high-speed guardrails, which line the entire 7.8-mile ring, and a fresh new layer of asphalt. Given the insane angles of the ring’s banking, this was quite the task for the engineers, graders, and workers involved. Each lane of the four-lane ring has its own distinct banking angle, designed to require minimal to no steering input at target speeds.
One of the many benefits of the circular track is that vehicles can reach speeds unattainable at other tracks. The consistency of conditions at the Nardò Ring make it uniquely qualified for high-speed testing and performance; as well as tragic accidents.
Guard rail efficiency is of the utmost concern for Porsche following the near-disaster of the Bugatti Veyron prototype. With the exact date being unclear due to testing secrecy, sometime in 2002 or 2003, Bugatti test driver Loris Bicocchi narrowly escaped the Reaper. While speeding along at 248mph, Bicocchi’s front right tire disintegrated, leaving him with mere seconds to react. The tire took out the fender and hood with it, which promptly smashed the windshield to bits. Soon after, the right rear tire went out as well. Bicocchi’s vision became impaired from head trauma, then completely obscured as smoke filled the cabin. And then the brake systems failed.
Thankfully, Bicocchi had the presence of mind to steer into the guardrail; which undoubtedly saved his life. Just over a mile of guardrail was destroyed in bringing the vehicle to a stop. Unquestionably, this event was taken into consideration when revamping the existing guardrail system. Optimized for high-speed impacts, it’s an essential part of the track’s safety arrangements.
With it’s reopening, Porsche has also stressed that confidentiality of all testing will remain closely guarded. A welcome guarantee for competing automakers looking to maintain secrecy of R&D.
Porsche’s commitment to improving the facility ensures that death-defying runs and run-of-the-mill testing at the iconic ring will continue for decades to come.