COASTT High Performance Track, India's new race-track located in Coimbatore's Karumathampatti area which had its soft launch recently will function primarily as a test track that will enable Automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to perform a wide variety of tests in one track.

COASTT is an acronym for Coimbatore Auto Sports & Transport Trust founded by a group of people including G.R.Karthikeyan, father of India's first Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan in the mid 1980s. Several acres of land was brought under the Trust and it was determined that the land will only be used for automotive purposes.

The development of a track in the land began in 2019. Narain Karthikeyan, who has driven on more than 100 race and test tracks gave a lot of inputs on how the track should be designed. His ideas were incorporated by a UK-based designer.

COASTT High Performance Track is built on 100 acres of land in Coimbatore. It is 3.8 km long and the circuit will run in an anti-clockwise direction. There is a separate 1 km track for EV and Go Kart Racing.

"This is mainly a test track. Any OEMs can come here and test their cars here," says Narain Karthikeyan.

Tests like Brake Test, Agility Test, Constant Speed Fuel Consumption Test, Emission Test, Speedometer Calibration, Noise & Vibration Measurement and Mileage Accumulation etc., and evaluation of prototypes and 2 -wheeler testing can be done in this controlled environment by OEMs so that their final product will be efficient in different ways. That is the emphasis behind setting up this track. Racing is a secondary aspect at COASTT.

Yohann J Setna, Track CEO, COASTT High Performance Centre said that there are plans to run school programs wherein experts will teach people how to be safe riders on road, how to have better control of the car and abide by the rules and regulations. 

"We feel that improving the skills of road drivers will make our roads so much safer," he said.