As part of Ford Motor Company's Way Forward plan, the automaker has transformed its Dearborn Proving Grounds facility into the new Dearborn Development Center - a $43M renovation that allows for thorough physical testing of a vehicle's performance and durability.
To test a vehicle's performance, the company has installed a 43-acre "vehicle dynamics area", a 12-acre wet pad, a 2.5-mile steering and handling course, and a 4000-ft straightaway. Sign us up for a session with the Shelby GT500, please. The "World Road" area samples driving surfaces from around the world, and rest assured that the majority of it is not simulating the super-smooth Autobahn. Bring your own kidney belt to this one, and check your fillings afterwards for any looseness. Traffic around the sprawling complex is coordinated via a centrally-mounted control tower with a 360 degree view of its surroundings.
The site, which previously was employed only for limited fuel-economy testing, sits next to Ford's $65M Safety Innovation Center.
Eighty-some years ago, the Dearborn Development Center started its life as a commercial landing strip, and Ford Air Transportation Service provided the first regularly-schedule airline service with flights between Detroit and Chicago.
[Source: Ford Motor Company; the complete press release is located after the jump]
FORD TEST TRACK TRANSFORMATION PART OF EFFORTS TO SPEED NEW PRODUCTS TO MARKET BY A FULL YEAR
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