A new solution called the ‘High Speed Testing Machine’ has been installed by Pirelli at its research and development department in Milan, Italy, to test tires at speeds of up to 500km/h under controlled conditions. By being able to conduct these tests, Pirelli seeks to enhance the safety levels of the fastest cars in the world.
The 500km/h High Speed Testing Machine joins two other existing machines at Pirelli’s indoor testing facility – a 370km/h system and a 450km/h system. While the solutions are normally used for road car tire testing, the latest 500km/h solution will be mainly for testing motorsport tires. Safety within competition environments is paramount, and the High Speed Testing Machine is capable of managing extremely high torque and acceleration inputs to mimic those delivered by hypercars on race circuits.
As well as evaluating the behavior of tires at high speed, Pirelli’s latest testing solution has also been designed to guarantee reliability in outdoor testing. The machine is capable of testing tires as if the product was fitted to a vehicle conducting laps of the Autodromo di Monza or the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The difference, however, is that the simulated conditions are even more challenging than those found in the real world, ensuring the tire’s integrity in a wide range of use cases for enhanced safety.
