The streets of Maranello often host a number of unusual looking cars, most draped in heavy camouflage in a bid to protect their identity – though almost everyone knows where they come from.
Ferrari always has many eyes on its operations as it tests new prototypes on local roads, though it’s wise enough to mostly keep upcoming vehicles under wraps and in secret before officially unveiling them.
Now that practice may become a thing of the past, after Ferrari opened a new test track this week, aimed at keeping as much of its testing in-house.
Called the Ferrari E-Vortex, it is adjacent to the Fiorano high-speed circuit and covers more than 37,350 square metres, though the track itself is only 1.887km long.
Housing a 1000 square metre workshop, Ferrari claims it “represents a fundamental step forward in improving the functional testing of sports cars fresh off the production line”.
“Designed to meet the most advanced development and validation requirements, the track allows for precise and repeatable testing in compliance with the highest safety standards.”
“The track is divided into a series of sectors, each dedicated to a specific aspect of performance and driving pleasure: two wide curves with banking and longitudinal slope, a central straight, and handling curves dedicated to the study of dynamic behaviour.
“The special road surfaces – developed using Ferrari’s experience and expertise – allow for in-depth analysis of comfort and performance.”
According to Ferrari, the E-Vortex facility “will enable testing activities to be gradually transferred from the road to the track, ensuring an even more objective assessment of performance and faster identification of any anomalies”.
“In addition, concentrating testing within the new testing area will help reduce the impact on traffic in the surrounding area.”
That latter point likely means we’ll be seeing fewer Ferrari prototypes being spied on public roads, such as the brand’s upcoming first EV, which has been recently spotted wearing extensive camouflage.
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