This Hidden Toyota Test Track Helps Shape Every Car It Makes

The Toyota Arizona Proving Ground, also known as TAPG, was established in 1993. TAPG covers 11,650 acres of land in the Sonoran Desert and is located close to Wittman, Arizona, a very small town with a current population of 238. The nearest city to TAPG is Phoenix, Arizona, which lies about 60 miles southeast of Toyota's proving ground.

Contained within TAPG is the company's largest testing facility, which includes 60 miles of paved roads, as well as over 50 miles of dirt and off-road tracks. It's also home to a 10-mile paved oval. Since its opening, more than 50 Toyota and Lexus vehicles destined for the North American market have been put through their paces and refined for production at TAPG. Some of the vehicles tested there include the tiny Scion iQ, the 2019 Toyota Avalon, and Lexus' flagship sedan, the LS 500, which we found to have a smooth, refined ride and luxurious cabin when we reviewed the 2024 model.

Having a test facility in Arizona offers several benefits to Toyota. A big one is the local temperature, which averages 75 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. This allows Toyota to test cars every month of the year, without snow or even below-freezing temperatures. Of course, this being Arizona, the facility also endures temperatures of 120 degrees Fahrenheit or more in the summer, making the site ideal for hot-weather testing as well. The thorough testing that Toyotas undergo at TAPG likely has a lot to do with why so many Toyota models are likely to last 250,000 miles.

Toyota has many other uses for TAPG in addition to its traditional test track duties. Toyota uses TAPG for its driver training program, designed primarily to turn Toyota's technicians and engineers into pro drivers. The program starts out with basic driving skills and works its way up to the point where graduates can wring out vehicles on track, right up to the limits of the given vehicle. This program also includes off-road driving with a high degree of difficulty, using dedicated staff members with specialized skills.

In 2021, Toyota made the world-class facilities at TAPG available for OEMs and suppliers to use by initiating the Arizona Mobility Test Center (AMTC) at TAPG. Toyota brought Intertek Transportation Technologies on board to operate and manage the facility while continuing to develop its own vehicles there. The automaker also allowed tenants using AMTC to build their own offices and garages on-site. 

In July 2025, Toyota announced plans to spend an additional $50 million on new projects at TAPG, which will also be available to AMTC users. These projects include a 5.5-mile oval track for durability and high-speed testing, a 1.5-mile ride and handling evaluation track, and an off-road park for capability testing. Given this investment, it is highly likely that TAPG will continue fulfilling its role for the foreseeable future.