Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Opens New Testway at Goodwood

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Opens New Testway at Goodwood

On September 16, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars opened the Eric Platford Testway at its Goodwood facility in the UK. The new testing track is designed to further improve vehicle quality, comfort and refinement. The facility gives engineers a controlled and repeatable environment for evaluating how vehicles respond to different road conditions. Its dedicated testing areas allow the company to examine vehicle behavior systematically while supporting the detailed assessment required to identify changes in ride comfort, vibrations, rattles and other responses that can affect the overall driving experience.

Eric Platford Testway Uses Eight Simulated Road Surfaces

The Testway has four 90-meter lanes with eight different road surfaces, with each surface tested twice at fixed and varying speeds to study vehicle responses under controlled conditions. The surfaces simulate a broad range of road environments, including small and large cobblestones, concrete waves, twist humps, railway tracks, uneven iron covers, sine-wave corrugations and smooth tarmac. This repeatable testing process allows engineers to compare vehicle behavior across different conditions and identify issues involving rattles, vibrations and changes in ride comfort. The track therefore provides a structured environment for examining chassis, suspension, body and interior components.

Controlled Testing Covers Chassis, Suspension and Interior Components

The Testway enables Rolls-Royce Motor Cars engineers to assess the interaction between the chassis, suspension, body and interior components as vehicles encounter the different simulated surfaces. Testing each surface twice at both fixed and varying speeds creates repeatable conditions for studying how the vehicle responds. The turning areas at both ends of the track also allow engineers to conduct roundabout-style manoeuvres. These tests include evaluating how securely loose items inside the cabin remain in place, adding another practical assessment of vehicle behavior and cabin refinement under changing driving conditions.

Aero-Acoustic Chamber Adds Wind-Noise Testing

Before vehicles undergo testing on the Testway, they pass through an aero-acoustic chamber that uses high-pressure air jets to evaluate wind noise. The system can simulate speeds above the UK national speed limit of 112 km/h, allowing engineers to assess aerodynamic noise under controlled conditions before moving to road-surface testing. This sequence provides a separate environment for examining wind-noise performance and then allows the vehicle to undergo repeatable assessments on the Testway. Together, these facilities support a broader evaluation of refinement by addressing both wind-related noise and vehicle responses to simulated road conditions.

Goodwood Road Route Continues Real-World Vehicle Assessment

Testing at the new facility will complement Rolls-Royce Motor Cars' existing use of a 13-km local road route around its Goodwood facility. The company will continue using this route to assess real-world driving performance alongside the controlled testing conducted on the Testway. The combination provides engineers with both repeatable test conditions and exposure to an actual local road environment. The Testway can isolate vehicle responses across defined surfaces and speeds, while the road route provides an additional setting for evaluating performance during real-world driving conditions around the Goodwood facility.

Testway Specifications and Testing Scope

The new Goodwood testing setup combines a dedicated road-surface track with additional facilities and an established local road route. The following table summarizes the specific Testway characteristics and associated testing conditions described by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in the shared article.

Industry Impact & Outlook

The Eric Platford Testway strengthens UK-based vehicle development by giving Rolls-Royce Motor Cars a dedicated environment for repeatable evaluation of ride, refinement, component behavior and wind noise. Its combination of simulated road surfaces, controlled speeds, an aero-acoustic chamber and continued real-world road testing can help engineers isolate specific vehicle responses before assessing them in broader driving conditions. For the company, the development matters because luxury-vehicle refinement depends heavily on detailed control of noise, vibration and ride characteristics. The next phase will involve continued use of these facilities alongside existing road testing as engineers evaluate future vehicles and development changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Eric Platford Testway at Goodwood?
The Eric Platford Testway gives Rolls-Royce engineers a controlled facility for repeatedly evaluating vehicle behavior, comfort, refinement, and component performance across simulated road conditions. It tests chassis, suspension, body, and interior components across eight surfaces and complements an aero-acoustic chamber plus a 13-km local road route for broader vehicle assessment.