To develop performance cars, automakers depend on fundamental analysis, but it’s the test tracks and road courses that bring out the best in a vehicle.
General Motors, at its 90-year-old Milford Proving Ground in Milford, Mich., has a collection of roadways assembled that more than 140 miles covering parts of two Michigan counties.
To get its cars ready for track days, as well as day-to-day driving, Milford Proving Ground employs test tracks that include:
- The North South Straight Away – Built in 1955, it provides a three-lane, 3-mile-long road without twists so that a car can reach its maximum speed. There is a high-speed turnaround on either end of the straight away.
- The Milford Road Course – It is a 2.9-mile course consists of 17 turns, each designed to test specific performance requirements, along with significant elevation changes to ensure the vehicle performs under all suspension and aerodynamic-load conditions. The straight away allows for testing at speeds above 150 mph.
This course was developed in 2003 under the leadership of Bob Lutz, the former GM vice chairman who wanted the Proving Ground to have a road course to emulate specific sections of race tracks around the world,
- Black Lake – Built in 1968, the 67-acre asphalt surface allows engineers to develop and refine traction control, electronic stability control and brake performance. By moistening the lot with a water truck, engineers can replicate wet road conditions.
- Ride and Handling and Noise and Vibration roads – These include the Fenn Holden area (named after the first director of the Proving Ground), the Oval track and the Ride & Handling/Noise & Vibration loop.
Driving on these tracks is about 1 percent of the performance testing, said GM officials. The rest of the time consists of preparing for the drive to ensure the information gathered provides guidance for further refinement and not just a seat-of-the-pants thrill.
During a test trial, an engineering team can collect data on more than 220 channels at any given moment.