Ford to Invest $200 Mil in New Testing Complex

Multifunctional 13-Acre Facility Intended to Improve Vehicle Design, Technology and Fuel Economy

The quest for higher mpg never ends. Ford’s $200 million investment in a new wind tunnel facility in Allen Park, Michigan, should get the blue oval significantly further along its journey, though.

Later this year, Ford will start construction on the 13-acre complex next to its Driveability Test Facility. The new building will have a rolling road aerodynamic tunnel with a five-belt conveyor system to reproduce the effects of real-world drag. According to a Ford press release, “To test for optimal fuel efficiency, each wheel gets its own belt. The massive fifth belt runs under the center of the vehicle, allowing airflow around the entire vehicle at speeds up to 155 mph. As a part of the rolling road belt cartridge system, a crane will be used to switch between the five belt and single belt systems.” The single belt setup is capable of operating at up to 200 mph. It’s perfect for testing Ford’s high-performance cars. We can picture a revised Mustang Shelby GT350 or future higher-performance, special edition GT variant booking some time there.

Engineers will be able to perform airflow simulations in the wind tunnel section of the new building by shooting air at vehicles at speeds from 155 mph to 200 mph. Their findings will help them develop designs that cheat the air more and, as a result, save gas — or diesel. There will also be jumbo-size chambers for vehicles as big as the Super Duty.

In the climate chamber, vehicles will be subjected to temperatures as frigid as -40 degrees Fahrenheit (even colder than the Arctic) or as scorching as 140 degrees Fahrenheit (beyond the heat of the Sahara Desert). Given the door latch problems of the current-generation F-150, we suggest that Ford’s crew pay more attention to how the next truck’s inner components behave in brutal winter conditions.

Ford has thrown a variety of design techniques and technologies at the F-150 to make it more fuel efficient – active front louvers, turbocharging, direct injection, engine start/stop, aluminum bodywork, and even a 10-speed automatic. A 3.0-liter Power Stroke diesel is on the way for the 2018 model year. Perhaps when this new complex is up and running, the technical minds inside of it will come up with another innovation to add to that list.

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Derek also contributes to other outlets. He started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to get even more automotive content out to fellow enthusiasts.

He can be reached at autoeditors@internetbrands.com.

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