HORIBA MIRA augments its driver-centric attribute engineering services with new motion platform simulator investment

Europe’s leading automotive engineering services company, HORIBA MIRA, today confirmed that its Vehicle Attribute Development Team will further enhance its proprietary approach to driver-centric and qualitative vehicle attribute engineering with the addition of a VI-grade DiM250 simulator to the company’s existing capabilities. 

The investment is not just the first of its kind in the UK, but the driver-in-the-loop simulator with a full-motion platform enhances HORIBA MIRA’s long-established capability to develop brand-specific chassis, brake and steer performance that favourably drives customer choice.

Vehicle manufacturers are actively pursuing reduced vehicle development lead times. This VI-grade simulator investment made by HORIBA MIRA – the second in the past 12 months – coupled with deep engineering expertise, enables the leading automotive engineering services provider to reduce the time needed to develop vehicles by moving engineering decisions upstream through building greater confidence in the virtual design process. As well as increasing the speed of vehicle development, this approach also reduces the design phase cost and OEM carbon footprint by minimising reliance on prototype fleets, which potentially costs OEMs millions per vehicle programme.

In addition, the rapid changes to new propulsion technologies and flexible vehicle architectures are demanding extensive attribute engineering support, founded on these new dynamic considerations.

For new disruptors entering the market, the opportunity to benefit from deep attribute engineering expertise from HORIBA MIRA to accelerate their development cycle without the need for extensive investment, is critical for speed to market and commercial viability. HORIBA MIRA’s expert engineering services, combined with key infrastructure such as the new DiM simulator and subjective-led vehicle attribute development, has resulted in many new market entrants taking up residence at MIRA Technology Park to benefit from this complete service offering.

The new VI-grade DiM250 will be commissioned and ready for use as part of vehicle attribute engineering services at HORIBA MIRA from Q1 2023.

Graeme Stewart, HORIBA MIRA’s Chief Technical Officer said, “We have a long-established reputation as the leading partner of choice for vehicle driven-attributes engineering. Complementing our deep engineering expertise in this field, this new investment further strengthens our position and enables us to increasingly lead the way in engineering solutions for the rapidly changing needs of future mobility.”

Guido Bairati, Managing Director at VI-grade said, “I’m very happy to confirm the adoption of our DiM250 Simulator at HORIBA MIRA. This is going to be the first VI-grade DYNAMIC Driving Simulator to be installed in the UK, a country with an incredible automotive heritage and a great automotive industry that is seeking for such a tool to be used to increase innovation of their products and decrease the number of physical prototypes. HORIBA MIRA is a worldwide renowned engineering centre and the DiM250 simulator will help HORIBA MIRA engineers to offer even more competitive services to their worldwide customers.