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Aston Martin is setting up a new vehicle handling and dynamics centre at the famed Silverstone racing circuit in England, as the sports car maker sets out on its biggest model expansion ever.
With new cars such as the all-electric Rapid-E saloon, plus Aston's first SUV, and a new mid-engined rival for the Ferrari 488 in the works, it's been decided that the marque needs a testing base closer to home than the European circuits it's been using up till now.
Aston Martin Silverstone will become fully operational in December, and is based alongside the Stow Circuit loop. It'll be busy from the get-go, using Silverstone's mix of circuits, loops, and dynamic handling areas to sign off the chassis tuning for the one new car that Aston is planning to launch every year in the coming years.
Aston Martin's Chief Engineer - Vehicle Engineering, Matt Becker said: "The new base at Silverstone will provide us with a reference circuit upon which to develop the next generation of Aston Martins. Silverstone is a fantastic place for us to practice the dark art of vehicle dynamics, the fine tuning that takes place to turn a good car into a great car. Our talented team of engineers and our high performance test drivers now have a racing circuit right outside the door."
Aston Martin's Senior Manager - Vehicle Engineering, Ian Hartley, is excited about the opportunities presented by the new home for his department. He said: "As our cars become even more high performance our dependency on track development becomes greater. Having the Stowe circuit and regular access to the remaining Silverstone circuits will be a great development advantage. It will allow us to refine the ride and steering attributes on the road and then very quickly evaluate the handling characteristics before making changes with the tuneables."
As well as the handling team, Aston's new Silverstone base will be used for durability testing, and engine and powertrain development. Aston also hopes that having a development and test centre closer to the main factory in Warwickshire (and the new SUV plant in Wales) will speed up the development process.