PE 14 Nardo E neu final 02.indd 8 12.11.12 13:35 Nardò! ____ A perfect circle with endless possibilities—the Pista di Nardò in southern . The design of the 12.6-kilometer circular track with a diameter of four kilometers makes it perfect for high-speed endurance test drives. The addition of this unique circular track and the other facilities at Nardò significantly expands the already vast portfolio of services offered by Porsche Engineering.

PE 14 Nardo E neu final 02.indd 9 12.11.12 13:35 Photos: Gabriele Torsello

Unique climatic conditions enable testing 365 days a year

The Apulian sun beats down on even the limit: In 1979, a Mercedes- the same at up to 193 km/h, lane two the asphalt mercilessly. The air shim- Benz C1 topped out at a speed of creates the sensation of a straightaway mers above the track, which only 403.98 km/h. at up to 140, and the first lane next to reveals its curved shape upon a sec- the innermost emergency lane allows ond glance towards the horizon and 100 km/h without touching the steer- banks inwards at up to 12 degrees Unique conditions ing wheel. This uniform construction like the rim of a bowl. “La Pista di Nardò”—the place where car legends “One of the great advantages of Nardò are made. is the climate: Tests can be run here in throughout the year; rainy days and frost are extremely rare,” explains Characteristic feature: circular track Francesco Nobile, Managing Director of the Nardò Technical Center. Nobile This perfect asphalt circle has been is well acquainted with the assets of the the site of many records since it was track regarded by experts as the fastest opened in 1975: There have been hun- circuit in the world – as well as those dreds of them in the last few decades. of its other facilities. The circular track Yet the circular track was never a race with its four parallel lanes plus interior track, but has long been used for test- emergency lane allows top speeds with ing purposes. The ideal conditions for minimal vertical forces and thus low tests on the four lanes of the circle tire wear, enabling cars to drive at a allow speeds that would only be fea- blistering pace while maintaining op- sible elsewhere with considerably more timal control: In the outermost lane, difficulty. Precisely 387.87 kilometers lane four—like the other three lanes per hour was the top speed reached by four meters wide—thanks to the bank- the Koenigsegg CCR—and that at the ing cars can drive at up to 240 kilome- 911 Carrera Models: Fuel consumption combined 11.7–8.2 l/100 km; CO emissions 275–194 g/km end of February 2005, the heart of the ters per hour without having to steer 2 meteorological winter. And that’s not to stay on course. Lane three allows

10 Porsche Engineering MagazinE nardò

PE 14 Nardo E neu final 02.indd 10 12.11.12 13:35 with its perfectly maintained radius as a vehicle dynamic track, a track engineers through computer simula- and slope of the track essentially pre- with various surfaces, dirt and gravel tions, on sophisticated test benches and clude unidirectional forces during driv- tracks, as well as a noise test track for on the test track in Weissach can now ing. And of course, higher speeds are a diverse array of testing requirements. have Porsche Engineering engineers test possible without having to reckon with And the tracks are supplemented by whether their product can withstand the premature wear of tire materials due the necessary infrastructure: Work- toughest real-world forces on the test to unfavorable track conditions: Up to shops for test teams that have booked tracks at Nardò. 500 kilometers per hour are possible. track time are available on the 700 hectare grounds. Full speed stability over long distances, That the Pista di Nardò was designed the performance of brake systems, the and built this way in the 1970s can reliability of individual components only be regarded as visionary and The grounds have been open in real, integrated system deployment, forward-looking for its time. Indeed, to all customers since way back thermal characteristics and many other even today, in 2012, the grounds are factors can be tested under ideal con- still perfectly suited for testing current Opened by Fiat in in 1975, the grounds ditions at the Nardò Proving Ground. and future cars of all classes. Experts were sold to Prototipo SpA by the Ital- Complete vehicle expertise is constantly concur that not even the legendary oval ian government in 1999 and managed being expanded at Porsche Engineering. in Fontana, California, the Auto Club by the company until 2012. Use of the Speedway, can compare. facility has been open to all manufactur- ers since the beginning. Since May of e-Mobility testing this year, the complex in the province Practically unlimited of Lecce has belonged to the Porsche Since July 2012, connections with vari- testing opportunities Group—but continues the tradition of ous alternating currents up to 125 am- over 80 years of Porsche history in cus- peres have been available. This enables The unique circular track is comple- tomer projects and remains open to all manufacturer-specific charging stations mented by its auxiliary facilities: A manufacturers. The facility adds yet a for full-scale testing of electric vehicles. unique handling track that includes new element to the engineering service This enables not only e-mobility test hills and compressions to test the lim- portfolio offered by the Porsche Group. drives under extreme climatic conditions its of the vehicle material is as much Customers that have called on the de- in temperatures of up to 40 degrees Cel- a part of the Nardò Technical Center velopment skills of Porsche Engineering sius. The charging station, which can ›

nardò Porsche Engineering MagazinE 11

PE 14 Nardo E neu final 02.indd 11 12.11.12 13:35 ers, who now have the opportunity to move forward with a service provider that can provide a complete package of development and testing at the very pin- nacle of excellence in terms of expertise and testing options. And plans are un- derway to expand those options in the near future: Surfacing work is planned; the vehicle dynamics course may be en- larged to enable danger-free testing of extreme maneuvers; and a wet handling area is under consideration. The objec- Not just asphalt: tive is to maintain and expand the com- The testing grounds also manding lead the Pista di Nardò holds enable tests on a variety of different off-road tracks over other test tracks.

Beyond the ring – apulia be converted to DC upon request, also enables high-speed battery-driven en- If the Pista di Nardò is a technical mas- durance tests to deliver robust, substan- terpiece for the automotive world, the re- tiated data from real driving conditions. gion beyond the track also boasts plenty of attractions: The Pista’s surroundings invite visitors to enjoy the ample charms Further investments in the works of Apulia after a successful day of test- ing. The complex is located a mere three The range of possibilities on and kilometers from the Mediterranean. around the circular track in Nardò is Lodgings of various types and classes are practically inexhaustible—to the ben- abundant, as is the justly famous cuisine efit of Porsche Engineering custom- of .

100 percent challenged: Test drive on the handling course

12 Porsche Engineering MagazinE nardò

›

PE 14 Nardo E neu final 02.indd 12 12.11.12 13:36 And there is no shortage of attractions: Where the grounds are located: Apulia is a cultural hotbed rich in his- 40° 20' 0'' N, 17° 50' 0'' E tory. From the remnants of the “,” the colonial realm, to buildings from the time of Frederick II or natural phenomena like the “gravine,” deep valleys cut into the limestone of the Murge plateau, there is much to see in Apulia. Other attractions include the “trulli,” the whitewashed round stone buildings with conical roofs in and around Alberobello. Travel and transport of goods to the Apulia region is quickest and most convenient via the international airport in , which is just about 65 kilometers from the test- ing grounds. Somewhat farther north, the international airport in serves various airlines. n

nardò Porsche Engineering MagazinE 13

PE 14 Nardo E neu final 02.indd 13 12.11.12 13:36 CirCUlar dyNaMiC Noise haNdliNg 1 TraCks 2 PlaTForMs 3 TraCk 4 TraCk

Cars vehiCle dyNaMiC TraCk: leNgTh: 2,132 m leNgTh oF CirCUiT: 6,222 m leNgTh: 12.6 km > Square with 280 m each side WidTh: 4 m leNgTh oF sTraighT laNe: 1,000 m diaMeTer: 4 km > Two straight lanes: area a: 8 mm chipping size surface WidTh: > 15 m straight lane No. oF laNes: 700 m length, 20 m width area B: 14 mm chipping size surface > 12.50 m remaining parts 4 (+1 emergency lane) BeNds: > 7 right-hand WidTh Per laNe: 4 m iNdUsTrial vehiCle Certified according to ISO 10844 > 9 left-hand dyNaMiC TraCk: BaNkiNg: ≤ 7% (±2.5%) iNdUsTrial vehiCles > Square with 175 m each side (Longitudinal slopes vary from leNgTh: 12.5 km > Two acceleration lanes: +5.78% to –6.90%) diaMeTer: 4 km 600 + 170 m length No. oF laNes: 2 (+1 emergency lane) WidTh Per laNe: 4 or 5 m 8 Thanks to the large radius (2 km), Nardò has a unique ring track allowing top speeds with maximum safety.

The centrifugal force is compensated by the low parabolic profile, with the driving feeling of a straight lane. 3 Lane Transversal Compensation Use inclination speed [km/h] 5

III 1°48’ 100 km/h Cars and II 4°30’ 140 km/h motorbikes I 8°06’ 193 km/h 0 12°36’ 240 km/h x 0°54’ 84 km/h Industrial xx 3°36’ 141 km/h vehicles 4

2

1

7

14 Porsche Engineering MagazinE nardò

PE 14 Nardo E neu final 02.indd 14 12.11.12 13:36 WhiTe sPeCial oFF-road oThers road PaveMeNTs TraCks 5 TraCks 6 TraCk 7 8

leNgTh “o”: 2,130 m ToTal leNgTh: 1,150 m > Off-road slopes > Slopes leNgTh “s”: 2,135 m ToTal WidTh: 4+4 m > Cross-country track > Curbstone track WidTh: 6 m > Africa track > Tire laceration track TWo laNes WiTh > Oval off-road track > Rolling track diFFereNT sUrFaCes: > Mud track > Low-mu surface > Cobblestone 250 m > Twist 40 m > Belgian pave 375 m > Comfort (pot holes, long waves, washboard road) 530 m

8

6 2

7

PE 14 Nardo E neu final 02.indd 15 12.11.12 13:36 interview Francesco Nobile

______Francesco Nobile has been the Managing Director of the Nardò Technical Center as part of Porsche Engineering since May. But his experience at the Nardò Proving Ground goes back to June 2007, when he joined Prototipo SpA as Managing Director and board member. Nobile continues to lead the 120-strong staff on site after Porsche Engineering’s acquisition of the Nardò Technical Center. We spoke with him about the opportunities that Nardò has to offer.

Porsche engineering Mr. Nobile, test vehicles to greater longitudinal vehicles and components under ex- what makes the Pista di Nardò so and vertical forces than normal, flat treme climatic conditions. The decision special in your estimation? Formula 1 tracks. And then there are to build this kind of track here was the standards like the dynamics test visionary in every way—to this day, Nobile The special thing is undoubt- track, special pavement tracks, or the the Pista di Nardò remains the ideal edly the design of the circuit: a perfect noise track. test track for sports cars. That hasn’t circle 12.6 kilometers in circumfer- changed since the track was opened ence with the ingenious slope of the Are there any other advantages under the direction of the Fiat group in track allowing speeds of up to 240 ki- to testing vehicles in southern Italy? 1975, nor did it change when the facil- lometers per hour without turning the ity was sold to Prototipo SpA in 1999. steering wheel. It’s one-of-a-kind. The Nobile Our climate is one of the most vertical load on a test vehicle remains important factors. Conditions in What possibilities do you see for low up to this speed, meaning that Apulia are ideal year-round. There are the Nardò Technical Center in the tires are subject to less stress than on hardly any rainy days and we practi- future? an oval race track. And Nardò has a cally never have frost, so the ring and lot more to offer as well, such as the other tracks can be used 365 days a Nobile There are many possibilities Formula 1-like handling track with year. Moreover, the hot summers offer to expand and optimize the proving hills and lateral banking. It subjects the chance to test the durability of ground. We might consider expanding

16 Porsche Engineering MagazinE nardò

PE 14 Nardo E neu final 02.indd 16 12.11.12 13:36 Francesco Nobile

...knows the automotive industry like the back of his hand, having served as a member of the board at Isringhausen SpA (Italian subsidiary of the German manufacturer of commercial vehicle seats, 1992–1999) and Managing Director at Webasto Italy SpA in Milan (1999–2007). Since 2007 Nobile has directed operations at the Nardò Technical Center. Francesco Nobile spent his youth in Germany and speaks fluent German, in addition to excellent English skills and some command of Spanish. Among other things, he studied mechanical engineering in Mönchengladbach (1982–1984). With his assumption of the director- ship of the Nardò Technical Center, he returned to his homeland on the Gulf of in 2007.

the dynamic platforms, construction Nobile Of course, but only in positive of a “straight line” track and a “wet ways: Other vehicle manufacturers are area,” or additional workshop areas still very welcome to carry out their to improve the options available to tests on our tracks. We will also con- our customers. Surface improvements tinue to offer our customers tailored for the ring track are also a consider- workshops, which provide optimal ation. We’re not talking about a reno- support for work on the test tracks vation of the testing grounds—the and are adjusted to the customers’ facility is in excellent condition. The needs. Beyond that, they will now have objective is more to expand our lead the opportunity to tap the expertise over other test tracks. For instance, of the Porsche Engineering experts. charging stations have been available Development and testing in Nardò will to our customers for e-mobility tests be offered as a complete package with since July. Porsche Engineering. Such a combina- tion of an ideal test track and compre- Will anything change for Nardò hensive support for customer projects customers due to the acquisition by is every bit as unique as the Pista di Porsche Engineering? Nardò itself. n

nardò Porsche Engineering MagazinE 17

PE 14 Nardo E neu final 02.indd 17 12.11.12 13:36