When it comes to proving how tyres perform in Winter ice and snow conditions, the Fox Farm ice testing centre at Ivalo, in the Arctic wastelands of Northern Finland, has been one of Michelin’s preferred test venue for some 20 years past. There, the French tyre maker has had exclusive use of the site where, in 2014 alone, some 2000 tyres comprising 400 truck and 1600 car and van tyres were put through their paces. Now the company has gone one step further by announcing their purchase of the site where the extreme climatic conditions range from Alpine passes to the Finnish plains, along with certain indoor facilities. Other countries in which Michelin conducts Winter tests are France, USA, Japan and Sweden.