Press release
From the high-speed oval circuit to noise readings:
40 years of the Contidrom - the evolution of a test track
Hanover, June 2007.The Contidrom is Continental's main test track. Opened in 1967, it consisted initially of the high-speed oval circuit with two straight measuring tracks. With time more tracks have been added to meet the increasing demands made on tyres. Further test tracks have also been set up - from Arvidsjaur in Northern Sweden via Idiada in Spain to faraway Wanaka in New Zealand. Continental's test engineers are also busy in the USA, Japan and on other test tracks around the world, ensuring that the tyres emerging from the development department in Hanover meet the requirements of end users and vehicle manufacturers. In the driving trials, subjective and objective methods are used - all tests that do not entail the use of measuring technology are referred to as subjective, whilst wherever measuring devices provide the readings or lend them substantial support, these tests are referred to as objective.
The opening of the Contidrom in 1967 caused a minor sensation - the tyre manufacturer Continental had built its own test track in the tranquil Lüneburg Heath. The reason for this was to consolidate all the braking and manoeuvring tests which had previously been carried out on public roads, at airports and on closed pass roads. The move was also designed to ensure that the road surfaces driven on met a recognised standard for trials and that increasing speeds were reflected in the driving trials. The most common vehicle in the Sixties was the VW Beetle, but the number of powerful cars in particular was on the rise: the Opel Kapitän, Ford 20 m and Mercedes-Benz W 108/109 (which had up to 3 litres cubic capacity) all required tyres that could handle not just the higher vehicle weights, but also speeds of up to 200 km/h (125 mph) - thereby placing new demands on driving characteristics too.
Spectacular - the high-speed oval circuit The initial construction was the oval circuit, which is impressive even today - at over 2.8 kms long with a 58 degree bank, it permits speeds of up to 180 km/h (112 mph) without encountering lateral forces. To the amazement of visitors, even at this speed drivers can still take their hand off the wheel in the steep bends, which are each 900m long. What is, however, really important for tyre tests is the measuring track on the two straight stretches. High-speed braking and handling tests can be carried out here on asphalt, concrete and Press release cobblestones, as well as on straight, wetted aquaplaning tracks. The maximum speed on the oval circuit is over 250 km/h (156 mph) - this means that even today's high-tech tyres for sports cars can easily be scrutinised. If higher speeds are needed, however, then other tracks have to be used - like the one in Nardò, Italy, where speeds of 400 km/h (250 mph) are possible. For today's tyre tests, though, the oval circuit in the Lüneburg Heath is and remains a reliable and proven test track.
The 'small handling course' - quite a large one, actually Today's 1,800 metre long 'small handling course' - actually the wet handling course - was the first section designed specifically for the purpose of driving cars at the limit. Completed in 1972, it has several 90 degree bends, including the notorious 'dog's leg bend', where speed has to be considerably curbed. The entire course can be evenly flooded using sprinkler equipment. Nowadays the course is used mainly by staff carrying out subjective driving trials, where they are concerned with steering response and driving stability on wet roads, but motorcycle tyre development trials are also carried out regularly here.
The 'large handling course' - cornering at 160 km/h (100 mph) In summer 1995 the first driving trials were carried out on the large dry handling course. Speeds of over 160 km/h (100 mph) can be achieved on a stretch of just under 4 kilometres; the track width is between seven and ten metres. Vehicles with substantially more powerful engines and modern suspensions needed to be moved at the limit, making the new course necessary. It now has a total of seven bends, all of which can be driven at high speed, and there is a link between the oval circuit and the large handling course. Two years ago, the largest bends were linked to provide further options for testing the dynamics of vehicle movement. The high speeds allowed make the course popular not just with the test engineers, but also with editorial teams from the trade press who frequently visit the track to carry out tyre and vehicle tests. Film crews are particularly keen on the spectacular cornering manoeuvres that deliver exciting TV footage.
Taking a bumpy ride on the off-road track Since 2003 there has also been an off-road track at the Contidrom. This has various gradients, a 'twisting' track and a steep bank, plus a water basin, all of which makes it ideally suitable for tests involving SUVs, SAVs and MPVs. Although at 600 metres it is relatively short, it provides sufficient opportunities for driving with off-road tyres. More advanced tests are however carried out on Continental's test grounds in Uvalde, Texas, which offers greater opportunities and longer tracks for evaluating 4x4 tyres. Press release
The circuits - getting into a spin until road grip is lost Two circuits of different sizes serve primarily to test tyres on wet roads. Whilst the one circuit with its diameter of 200 metres simulates primarily the situation of aquaplaning in bends, the other has different road surfaces which can be wetted. Both situations are critical for all motorists in real traffic and they require particular attention in tyre development. Speeds of up to 100 km/h (62 mph) can be driven on the large circuit, whilst on the smaller one low speeds are sufficient to evaluate a tyre.
The circuit where rubber and rim part company What happens when a fully-laden vehicle with inadequate tyre pressure has to swerve to avoid an obstacle? The answer is simple - the load on the tyre at the outer side of the bend increases substantially. To identify the potential stresses, a car or truck drives round the circuit at precisely 55 km/h (34 mph). With each lap, the tyre pressure is reduced by 1/10 bar - until the tyre literally jumps off the rim. From the results, conclusions can be drawn about the tyre's safety reserves when there is creeping air pressure loss.
The 'rail track' - keeping right on course The 'rail track' at the Contidrom, which went into service in 1985, is used for braking and aquaplaning tests. For this the test vehicles are guided along a rail to reduce the influence of differences in the coefficient of friction from the road surface on the readings. Two braking tracks are used for the trials, one with a concrete surface and one with asphalt, plus an aquaplaning basin. The results of the braking trials are recorded directly by a reading device in the car and then printed out. The values for the various surfaces are measured. The aquaplaning trial determines at what point in a previously specified water depth and at what speed the car can no longer channel water out of its ground contact patch and thus starts to 'float'.
The noise measuring tracks - quietly does it To ensure mobility is as environment-friendly as possible, tyres need to have not only low rolling resistance, but also low rolling noise. This characteristic is measured on two tracks located at some distance from the others; here the tyre and road noise can be determined. Exterior and interior noise is measured on standardised surfaces. The vehicle's engine, transmission and drives are encapsulated for the test, so that only the rolling noise is Press release
measured. These tracks allow rolling noise to be measured on tyres for cars as well as for trucks and buses.
Over one million tyres tested since 1967 Ever since it was set up in 1967, the Contidrom has been an indispensable part of Continental's Research and Development department. Since 1967 around one million car tyres and one hundred thousand truck tyres have been tested, and the demands and volume of the tests have constantly increased. This was reason enough to find an alternative solution for the cold season. The test grounds belonging to General Tire, the corporate subsidiary taken over by Continental in 1989, are located in Uvalde, Texas, and here exact replicas of the small handling course, the large and small circuits and the 'rail track' were built, so that test results could be transferred and also to create identical working conditions for the test engineers. Of course, not all tyre tests are carried out only at the Contidrom - for climate reasons alone, true winter tyre tests under typical conditions are not feasible here. However, for the tests held between spring and late autumn, the test engineers are busy in Wietze- Jeversen, taking a critical closer look at new tyres and also - increasingly - new suspension components made by the Continental Automotive Systems division.
To cope with the ever-increasing volume of tests and to offer external and internal customers suitable facilities, further investment in infrastructure was made last year. Since the start of the 2007 season, four more workshop and office areas have been made available, together with a canteen for guests, ensuring that customers are given the best possible testing conditions.
A popular venue The multiplicity of options offered by the Contidrom means that it continues to be a popular venue for events. Although the motorbike rallies are a thing of the past since the mid- Eighties, safety forums and Open Days frequently feature on the calendar. The sensational '30 metre car', for example, was presented in December 2000 in a marquee measuring 600 metres in length - the test car braked from a speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) and came to a halt after 30 metres, thereby reducing braking distance by around 25%, thanks to its sophisticated tyres and its specially adapted suspension electronics. Driving safety training courses involving the editors and readers of the magazine 'auto motor und sport', as well as Press release
the 'Tuning days' run by 'AutoBild sportscars', are also held regularly on the test grounds in the Lüneburg Heath. With its many and varied options, the Contidrom is so much more than just a test track - it is a calling card for the Continental Corporation.
The Continental Corporation is a leading automotive supplier of tyres, brake systems, chassis components, vehicle electronics and technical elastomers. In 2006 the corporation realised sales of EUR14.9 billion. It currently has a worldwide workforce of around 87,000.
The tyre divisions are an Official Sponsor of UEFA EURO 2008TM, which will be held in Austria and Switzerland in June 2008, and of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, to be held in Holland in June 2007. For further details, visit the websites www.ContiSoccerWorld.de, www.ContiFanWorld.com and www.conti-online.com.
Alexander Lührs Klaus Engelhart Head of Press and Public Relations PLT-Tyres Press Officer Continental AG Continental AG Büttnerstraße 25 Büttnerstraße 25 D-30165 Hannover, Germany D-30165 Hannover, Germany Tel.: +49 511 938 2615 Tel.: +49 511 938 2285 Fax: +49 511 938 2455 Fax: +49 511 938 2455 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] www.conti-online.com