Road car aerodynamics are now becoming more important than ever as automakers electrify, since even small reductions in drag mean a boost in efficiency. It's actually mounted on a 180-degree turntable that not only makes it easier for the engineers and technicians to set up their tests, but also allows them to study the effect of crosswinds and yaw.ĭespite its impressive capabilities in this regard, such high-speed testing will probably represent a minority of the work performed at HALO. The rolling road is not limited to testing a car head-on, either. ![]() The test also measures changes in lift, drag, and pitch. This 0.03-inch (0.8 mm) steel belt travels at the same speed as the air, with the car mounted on arms that hold it in place while allowing the wheels to rotate. For testing high-speed aerodynamic performance-for Acura's forthcoming LMDh car, or the NSX sports car, perhaps-the test will probably involve the wide-belt rolling road. What happens next depends upon how the test room has been configured. But as with people, it's what's inside that really matters. It's a relatively unassuming facility from the outside, certainly compared to Ferrari's dramatic-looking, Renzo Piano-designed tunnel in Italy. HALO is based at the Transportation Research Center, a vehicle proving grounds and test track a little less than an hour outside of Columbus. Now that honor belongs to Honda Automotive Laboratories of Ohio ("HALO"), where a new $124 million, 192 mph (310 km/h) facility is about to commence operations. So you might think that the world's most advanced rolling road wind tunnel would be found in England, where most of the teams are based-or perhaps in Italy's Maranello.īut despite the sport's well-funded emphasis on air flow, F1 is no longer the last word in rolling road wind tunnels. For several decades now the sport has been dominated by downforce and the application of aerodynamics. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.ĮAST LIBERTY, OHIO-Over the weekend, Formula 1 burst back into action with its first race of the year. Honda provided a flight to Columbus and back and a night in a hotel so we could visit the new facility.
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