Porsche Engineering buys Italian test track

Click to enlarge. Picture from Google Earth.

It is a piece of land that covers more than 700 hectares, hosts a 6.2 km long handling circuit, a 12.5 km long oval circuit, and facilities for simulating different road surfaces and changeable weather conditions. And it can be seen from space.

Welcome to the Nardo Technical Centre automotive proving ground in Apulia, southern Italy. What was once belongs to Prototipo SpA has now been bought by Porsche Engineering Group for an undisclosed amount. Porsche will officially open shop May 2012.

Click to enlarge. Picture from Google Earth.

The procurement of the test track will complement Porsche’s facilities in Weissach, especially in the areas of high-speed and handling. Porsche is also open to clients who want to make use of the test track for vehicle trials. The facilities also include dynamic surfaces, acoustics, workshops and off-road sections. The mild climate of the proving ground also enables Porsche to test vehicles throughout the year in three shifts around the clock, seven days a week.

Recently, the track was used to film TopGear TV’s shootout between the Lamborghini Aventador, Noble M600 and McLaren MP4-12C.

© 2012 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Wed, 18 Apr 12 14:29:27 +0000.

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