Toyota further states that it has “designed an exacting test course that takes advantage of local topography and features a roughly 75-meter change in elevation between its highest and lowest points, as well as a wide range of curves and corners.” The company hasn’t said just how long the finished track will be, but the Country Road Test loop, which opened recently, will be combined with High-Speed and Specialized track layouts as the facility is finished in the coming years. To truly hit home that the test facility is Toyota’s version of Germany’s “Green Hell,” the company’s track was developed to blend into Toyota-shi’s surrounding mountains, city landscape, and wildlife. According to the company, approximately 70-percent of the total track’s layout “consists of the original trees and greenery.” Toyota also added green spaces where the local forests could not be saved in an effort to promote environmentalism as well.

Ahead of the partial opening, Toyota President Akio Toyoda said, “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Aichi Prefecture, Toyota City, Okazaki City, and above all, to the local resident of Shimoyama for their invaluable assistance, consideration, and cooperation over a long period of time from concept stage to the building of Toyota Technical Center Shimoyama.” Toyoda, who’s known for his willingness to go out and race his products, also said, “Based on [our Nurburghring] experiences, we have replicated a variety of roads in the world at the new test course. In addition to conducting driving tests all over the world, and with the replication of severe driving conditions at the new test course, we intend to thoroughly hone every one of our models and develop the types of cars that epitomize the true joy of driving.”