Gallery: Ford's 'Diabolical' Testing Grounds Feature Potholes From Around the World
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At its Lommel Proving Ground in Belgium, Ford has laid down 50 miles of test tracks.
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The proving grounds serve up more than 100 challenging surfaces.
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After all, Ford sells car all over the world, and its customers face varied challenges, from French cobblestone streets to Brazilian speed bumps.
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All the roads are modeled after real terrain from 25 different countries.
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Ford engineers scoured roads in Austria, France, Russia, Australia, South America and beyond, all to find model-worthy hazards.
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The result is kind of like Disney World’s “It’s a Small World” ride, but instead of having that song stuck in their head, Ford’s engineers come away with sore rear ends.
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They drive over these roads at up to 46 mph, in cars equipped with seismology-inspired equipment to register the strains to the suspension and other components.
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Ford’s goal is to make vehicles that can handle the world’s crappiest roads without falling apart.
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To ease the jarring pain of driving through potholes that could be mistaken for craters, Ford’s new Fusion V6 Sport sedan now offers a computer-controlled shock absorber system.
