There is only one way to validate a performance car. By beating the living snot out of it in some of the most unforgiving environments possible. And where better to do that than your own private testing grounds, something every major manufacturer worth their salt has.

Today, we take a look at GM’s 90-year-old Milford Proving grounds. The facility has on-site a 2.9-mile long road course, a 67 acre asphalt skid pad called Black Lake, a 3-mile top speed course, and various other tracks to test NVH, ride quality and countless other quality variables.

“The proof is in a powerful ride like the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 that won Motor Trend’s 2014 Best Driver’s Car,” said Dick Knoll, Chevrolet Camaro lead development engineer. “Because of our Proving Ground, we can put the vehicle through the paces that a customer purchasing the car will put it through and then some.”

Top Speed Track

Built in 1955, the three-lane, 3-mile-long North South Straight Away has gives GM engineers and test drivers an opportunity to burry the speedometer needle in its stop. At each end of the track is a high-speed turnaround leading to the opposite straight.

The Road Course

In 2003, former GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz championed the idea of building a road course at Milford. He wanted the track to mirror corners from famous racetracks from around the world. He was given the green light and construction on the 2.9 mile course began. The track consists of 17 turns, each designed to test specific performance requirements along with significant elevation changes to ensure the vehicle performs under all suspension and aerodynamic-load conditions.

“I lobbied for it, all of a sudden it was approved,” said Lutz. “Look what’s happened to the ride, handling, steering, braking… everything of GM cars. We’re better than the best of competition and part of the reason is we have that facility. The lessons learned on steering, tire grip, braking, etc. that are learned on very high performance vehicles, some of that translates all across the line.”

Milford’s road course helps shape the performance car’s such as the Z06 Corvette that will eventually do battle at international tracks such as the famous Nurburgring.

Quantifying the Carnage

It isn’t all about the drive however, there are countless hours of setup involved in prepping the car with sensors to gather useful engineering data. While the car is being hurtled around the many courses, engineers are able to measure and document data on more than 220 different channels for later analysis. This data helps aid in not only performance but also durability.

“To make the world’s best vehicles, you need the world’s best people along with the world’s best facility,” Knoll said. “We are fortunate to have both.”

In the video above, you’ll see a sneak peak of the legendary facility that has born decades of legendary and race-winning cars.