Hyundai has just cut the ribbon on its €6.6 / $8.9 million Nürburgring testing facility in Germany, which will provide it with a full-time presence at the track, and allow it to “further evaluate and develop the durability and driving dynamics of its vehicles more effectively and more often,” as the company itself claims.
Construction on the site began in June of 2012, taking 15 months to complete, and now we are left with a shiny monolithic structure that blends nicely in and amongst similar facilities set up by other automakers.
The reasons why they chose to have a base at the ‘Ring are many, and you can probably guess most of them, but what won’t come to mind first is that this is also a territorial move by the Korean automaker.
You may already know that its European R&D center is located in nearby Russelsheim (also home to Opel), and thus, the two working together will be even more productive, offering the brand a firmer foot in Europe.
Moreover, as Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe said, the opening will “help to further build the brand’s reputation across Europe.” Perhaps Kia could use it too, to wring more excitement out of its new Cee’d GT hot(-ish) hatch.
By Andrei Nedelea
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