July - September
Accelerator of innovation expanded: Porsche invests 150 million euros in Weissach development centre
New building with design studio, wind tunnel and Electronics Integration Centre officially opened
Stuttgart
. In the presence of Baden-Württemberg Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann and the company's Supervisory Board Chairman Dr Wolfgang
Pure Swabian inventive spirit
"Weissach now stands more than ever for top German engineering expertise and pure Swabian inventive spirit," said Matthias Müller, Chairman of the
"They say, you know, that Baden-Württemberg is a state of thinkers and inventors – in Mönsheim and Weissach it is clear that is not just one of those sayings," added Prime Minister Kretschmann. "Our businesses in this region know that to survive in the competitive global market you need to maintain a technological and engineering lead. That is the Weissach development centre's purpose and to that end Baden-Württemberg, home to cutting-edge technology, provides the ideal infrastructure."
The research and development centre already stood out in the sector in the past, with the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer being the only player in the industry pooling all R&D together in one place: from concept to production car development (from the first design sketches via drive system, bodywork, chassis, electrics and electronics), including test runs on the centre's own road and off-road circuit. This also highlights the strength that Weissach provides within the Volkswagen group. As at the other two main Germany-based development sites in Wolfsburg and Ingolstadt, Weissach is responsible for fundamental building blocks and technologies that are used in sister brands' vehicles as well.
Maximum transparency
The new studio provides the design staff with optimum conditions for the whole process of creating the exterior and interior of
Directly adjacent to the studio is the 'New Wind Tunnel'. The proximity aids daily collaboration and reduces the time cycles between design and aero-acoustic development. In this process the experts make multiple use of the wind tunnel, from the early stage of developing concept car designs right through to testing vehicles ready for full production. The building and equipment for the wind tunnel represent the single largest element of the sports car manufacturer's 150 million euro investment at this site. The core objectives of the new wind tunnel lie in more energy-efficient aerodynamics, even greater motoring safety and even better ride comfort for future vehicle generations. With the 'New Wind Tunnel' at the Weissach development centre
Process-enhancing architecture
The immediately adjacent Electronics Integration Centre (EIZ) brings together under one other roof the work of the
The Dr. Ing. h.c. F.
GO
18.07.2014