That National automobile test tracks (NATRAX) Plant in Pithampur, Indore, will likely allow supercar owners in the country to get a taste of high-speed driving, albeit in an extremely safe environment.
- NATRAX setup to facilitate vehicle tests for the automotive industry
- Access to NATRAX could even be granted to supercar owners
- Supercars can reach speeds of over 300 km / h at NATRAX
NATRAX is likely to open doors for supercar owners
The state-of-the-art test track for automobiles, which was inaugurated on June 29, 2021 and comprises an 11.3 km long main high-speed track (HST) as well as 13 peripheral tracks such as noise reduction, handling and braking test tracks, was essentially commissioned to serve the automotive industry support in the development and testing of vehicles.
Given the slowdown in the industry and with many automakers like Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra Due to the in-house test tracks, there is a possibility that NATRAX is not fully utilized. As a result, “non-conventional” use of the route is likely to begin to reclaim the Rs.1.321 billion spent on this world-class infrastructure.
“We see the risk that the capacities may not be fully used, which was originally planned, and are therefore also thinking of acquiring automotive customers from Asian or European countries,” said Dr. N. Karuppaiah, Director, NATRAX, in an exclusive interview with Autocar India.
“In addition, we are also thinking about starting non-conventional use of the route, for example to enable super sports car owners in the country to drive safely and controlled at high speed,” added Dr. Karuppaiah added.
0-300 km / h on the high-speed route from NATRAX
While the NATRAX authority sees a lot of buzz and demand to let the public onto the track, they would proceed cautiously. “If we think that the NATRAX capacity is only used to 30-40 percent, we could increase the security protocols and hire an agency with marshals and hire them to run track days,” he explained.
While track days could be on the anvil, safety would be a top priority and any type of racing would not be allowed. “Owners of super sports cars can experience 0-300 km / h with the HST, and we can let them enjoy the driving experience at extremely high speeds. However, we will not allow typical racing events on the track, ”he warned.
“Nevertheless, we only want to keep this as plan B and it will be clear within the next six months after assessing the demand situation with regard to conventional use,” said the responsible man behind this real world-class miracle.
0-300 km / h from Autocar at NATRAX
Autocar India recently completed the first instrumented run from 0-300 km / h in a controlled test environment on the NATRAX HST. Our testers managed the feat with 585 hp Mercedes-AMG GT R. Supercar. click here to see the full video of the 0-300 km / h run.
See also:
Government approves NATRAX for vehicle testing
