Username
Password
Technical Focus: Test Tracks
By Michelin Sport
September 22 2005
Michelin's professional testers have a variety of facilities at their disposal. These enable them to conduct comparisons that are both subjective (handling on a tight, twisty circuit or in motorway conditions, for instance) and objective (assessment of road-noise levels).


The surfaces used can be wet or dry and range from smooth concrete and cobblestones to abrasive asphalt and extreme off-road terrain. The test tracks thus replicate the diverse range of conditions applicable to all types of tyre, from those favoured by motorcyclists to those employed in civil engineering.

Ladoux:

Near Clermont-Ferrand, in France, where 35 kilometers of circuit covering 500 hectares reproduce the main types of surfaces and configurations encountered. More than 2300 people use it to explore all the technological fields required for tyres.

Almeria:

Almeria, in Southern Spain, covers more than 5000 hectares. The space available and exceptional climatic conditions for Europe mean that Earthmover Agricultural and Truck tyres can be tested in extreme conditions.

Laurens:

Laurens, in the United States, covers 700 hectares and is dedicated to studying products, designed for the North American market.

Jari:

Jari (Japan Automobile Research Institute), in Japan, covers an area of 250 hectares. It is used by all the vehicle manufacturers and some tyre manufacturers. The companies in the Michelin Group use it to test tyres intended for the Asian market and, more particularly, the Japanese market.

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

 

Sauber F1 Poll

The season is over and big changes are coming. What will you be doing next year?