Horiba MIRA

Horiba MIRA
Name	Horiba MIRA
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Automotive engineering
Founded	1946 (as Motor Industry Research Association)
Headquarters	Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England
Key people	Masao Yoshikawa, Takashi Oka, Sir Frank Whittle
Parent	HORIBA, Ltd.

Horiba MIRA is a British automotive engineering, research and test services company based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. It provides vehicle, component and systems testing, development and consultancy to the automotive supply chain and mobility sectors, working with manufacturers, suppliers, regulators and research bodies. The organisation operates proving grounds, laboratories and simulation facilities and engages in collaborative research with universities and industrial partners.

History

The organisation originated as the Motor Industry Research Association, established in 1946 to support post‑war Austin Motor Company, Jaguar Cars, Rolls-Royce Limited, Leyland Motors, and other UK manufacturers. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s it collaborated with entities such as British Motor Corporation, Vauxhall Motors, Rootes Group, Rover Company and Ford of Britain on vehicle durability and safety programs. In the 1970s and 1980s the association expanded testing capabilities and worked alongside British Leyland, Lucas Industries, Aston Martin, and Lotus Cars as vehicle electrification and emissions topics emerged. The 1990s saw strategic partnerships with Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan Motor Company, Toyota Motor Corporation and General Motors while navigating consolidation in the UK automotive sector. In 2015 the Japanese instrumentation group HORIBA, Ltd. acquired the organisation, integrating it with HORIBA’s global testing and measurement portfolios and aligning with companies such as Denso, Bosch, Continental AG, Magneti Marelli and ZF Friedrichshafen AG.

Facilities and Test Tracks

The main campus sits on a multi‑kilometre proving ground featuring high‑speed straights, handling circuits, gradient hills, and off‑road courses used by manufacturers including Bentley, McLaren Automotive, Aston Martin Lagonda, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen Group. Onsite laboratories include climatic chambers interoperable with brands like Siemens and Schneider Electric for thermal soak testing and HVAC validation for suppliers such as Valeo and Mahle GmbH. The site integrates endurance test rigs used by tier‑one suppliers including Mahindra & Mahindra, Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation and Renault. Satellite facilities and test corridors link to motorway networks near Birmingham and research collaborations extend to campuses of University of Warwick, Cranfield University, Loughborough University and Coventry University.

Services and Capabilities

Core services encompass vehicle development engineering, NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) analysis, powertrain calibration and emissions measurement, with instrumentation and control systems compatible with equipment from HORIBA, Ltd., AVL List GmbH, Horiba Automotive Test Systems, Eaton Corporation and Siemens PLM Software. Software and simulation offerings include vehicle dynamics modelling interoperable with tools from MSC Software, ANSYS, MathWorks and Siemens Digital Industries Software. Proving ground services support high‑speed validation used by Ferrari, Porsche, Renault Sport and Subaru Corporation. Consultancy and regulatory advisory work engages with agencies like European Commission, UK Department for Transport, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and international standards bodies.

Research and Development

R&D programs span electrification, autonomous mobility, connected vehicle systems and sustainable propulsion. Collaborative projects have involved Innovate UK, the European Union Horizon 2020 framework, UK Research and Innovation, and partnerships with Imperial College London and Oxford University on battery testing and thermal management. Autonomous vehicle trials have used sensor suites integrating technology from Mobileye, NVIDIA, Velodyne Lidar, and Bosch. Work on hydrogen and fuel cell systems has partnered with Toyota Motor Corporation, Ballard Power Systems, and Shell plc‑backed initiatives. Research publications and consortiums connect with TRL Limited, The Institution of Mechanical Engineers, The Royal Academy of Engineering and specialist suppliers such as AVL and Horiba affiliates.

Safety and Certification Testing

The organisation undertakes certification protocols aligned with UNECE regulations, Euro NCAP protocols and homologation standards adopted by manufacturers like Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and Opel. Crash test instrumentation and dummies from Humanetics and test protocols harmonise with work by European New Car Assessment Programme and standards from ISO. Emissions and durability validation integrates measurement systems comparable to those by HORIBA and Horiba‑MIRA partners, and safety systems testing includes ADAS validation using platforms from Mobileye and Valeo.

Clients and Industry Partnerships

Clients include global OEMs such as Toyota, Nissan, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Stellantis, Hyundai, and luxury marques like Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Bentley Motors Limited, McLaren Group and Lotus Cars. Tier‑one supplier relationships extend to Bosch, Continental, Denso, Magneti Marelli, and ZF. Strategic partnerships and consortia memberships involve HORIBA, Ltd., Innovate UK, Automotive Council UK, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and research networks with Universities UK members. The firm also supports government‑backed trials with entities including Highways England and cross‑industry programmes with utilities and energy companies such as National Grid and BP plc.

Category:Automotive testing facilities