Formula One facilities seem to have a habit of expanding into road-car factories and development centers. In Maranello, the Ferrari factory grew out of the Scuderia's operation. In Woking, the McLaren Production Centre sprung up alongside the existing McLaren Technology Centre that houses the F1 team. And now Williams Grand Prix Engineering has inaugurated the new Williams Advanced Engineering facility in Grove, Oxfordshire, UK.
Although Williams may not produce any road cars under its own name, it has helped in the development of numerous projects for the road and track for other automakers. It famously collaborated on the Clio Williams that was one of Renault's earliest hot hatches. It helped Jaguar develop the (lamentably aborted) C-X75 hybrid supercar. It was a key partner in Porsche's 911 GT3 R Hybrid racer, has helped Nissan hone the GT-R and developed the batteries for the new Formula E single seater.
It's those kinds of projects that it will be working on at its new facility. The complex is the result of a $1.37-million investment, covers over 40,000 square feet, is designed to accommodate as many as 250 engineers and was opened on Friday by British Prime Minister David Cameron. It's designed to help Williams transfer its Formula One know-how – which is considerable with seven drivers' championships, nine constructors' titles and 114 grand prix victories under its belt – to the road in the areas of hybrid propulsion, vehicle dynamics, lightweight construction and advanced aerodynamics.
Although the Williams consultancy doesn't often divulge details of what it's working on for its paying clients, it has confirmed that it's "collaborating with Nissan on its high performance Nismo products," the results of which we're looking forward to seeing on the road in the coming years. Scope out all the details in the press release below.
Although Williams may not produce any road cars under its own name, it has helped in the development of numerous projects for the road and track for other automakers. It famously collaborated on the Clio Williams that was one of Renault's earliest hot hatches. It helped Jaguar develop the (lamentably aborted) C-X75 hybrid supercar. It was a key partner in Porsche's 911 GT3 R Hybrid racer, has helped Nissan hone the GT-R and developed the batteries for the new Formula E single seater.
It's those kinds of projects that it will be working on at its new facility. The complex is the result of a $1.37-million investment, covers over 40,000 square feet, is designed to accommodate as many as 250 engineers and was opened on Friday by British Prime Minister David Cameron. It's designed to help Williams transfer its Formula One know-how – which is considerable with seven drivers' championships, nine constructors' titles and 114 grand prix victories under its belt – to the road in the areas of hybrid propulsion, vehicle dynamics, lightweight construction and advanced aerodynamics.
Although the Williams consultancy doesn't often divulge details of what it's working on for its paying clients, it has confirmed that it's "collaborating with Nissan on its high performance Nismo products," the results of which we're looking forward to seeing on the road in the coming years. Scope out all the details in the press release below.
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