Who wouldn't want a copy of their favorite racing circuit right in their very own backyard? Well, Toyota is doing exactly that as it builds a series of test tracks as part of a multi-billion dollar facility in Japan, and apparently, it'll include recreated corners from the infamous German race track.
Continue reading for the full story.
The Full Story
Toyota says it hopes to sell as many as 5.5 million EVs per year by no later than 2030. That's a massive undertaking, even for a company as powerful and well-versed in electric vehicles like Toyota, and as such, it needs to expand its operations. To that end, Toyota is looking to establish a new research and development hub in its local prefecture of Aichi, Japan.
The news comes from a recent report by Nikkei Asian Review.
The site will span some 1,600 acres site, housing more than 3,000 employees. Eventually, the facility will expand up to a maximum of 3,850 employees total.
The big-ticket items will the new site's 11 individual test tracks, which are intended to simulate varied driving conditions as Toyota tests and tunes its new vehicles, including EVs.
The most important news is that one of the tracks will resemble the Nurburgring, with 3.3 miles of winding elevation changes and technical handling challenges to test out the braking, steering, and general vehicle stability when driving at the limit. The mini-Nurburgring will have corners meant to mimic those of the infamous German race track, and will even include elevation changes up to 246 feet.
As a reference, the real Nordschleife is 12.9 miles in length.
The new facility will reportedly cost upwards of $2.8 billion, which isn't exactly chump change, but hey – Toyota is enormous and could afford to recreate the entire Nurburgring if desired.
The enormous R&D facility will open incrementally, starting as early as next year, but it won't be completed until 2023.
Enthusiasts should rejoice upon hearing this news. It proves that even as Toyota looks to double down on its green EV efficiency machines, it's still very much concerned with handling prowess and sporting intentions. Toyota doesn't have many performance cars in its lineup at the moment, but with the looming arrival of the next-generation Supra and this new mini-'Ring in the automaker's backyard, that could very well change.
References
Read our full speculative review on the 2019 Toyota Supra.
Read our full review on the 2018 Toyota Prius.
Read more Toyota news.