Porsche Buys The Nardo Ring

[Fuchs]

Porsche Buys The Nardo Ring

Posted: 12 Apr 2012 04:29 AM PDT



As of next month, Porsche will be taking over the ownership and responsibility of the Nardò Technical Center automotive proving ground in Apulia in southern Italy. The takeover comes at the hands of Prototipo SpA, who are currently in works to revive the DeTomasso name. With more than 80 years experience in engineering services, “Porsche Engineering Group”, a company 100% the subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, will be further optimising the test facilities and making them available to its clients for testing and trials purposes. Covering an area of more than 1700 acres, the test ground in the Province of Lecce comprises a 3.8 mile (6.2 kilometer) long handling circuit, a 7.8 mile (12.5 kilometer) long banked ring circuit and facilities for simulating different road surfaces and changeable weather conditions.

“The Nardò proving ground with its high-speed and vehicle handling circuit ideally complements our facilities in Weissach. With the systematic development of the company in Nardò as part of Strategy 2018, Porsche is proving to be a reliable employer and business partner in Apulia as well,” said Matthias Müller, President and CEO of Porsche AG.

“With its rich array of facilities, from dynamic surfaces to acoustic and off-road sections coupled with the numerous workshops, our clients can continue to make extensive use of Nardò for their vehicle trials in the future as well,” said Malte Radmann, CEO of Porsche Engineering. Thanks to the mild climate, the Nardò proving ground can be used throughout the year in three shifts around the clock, seven days a week.

Together with the Porsche Development Centre in Weissach near Stuttgart, the Porsche Engineering Group has been offering Porsche’s extensive development expertise as a service to its clients from the automotive industry and other sectors worldwide, from renting test rigs to developing complete vehicles.

As if the Nurburgring, the Autobahn, and the Leipzig test track didn’t provide enough high-speed testing…

Source: Porsche