The Chevy Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo concept
Yesterday at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Chevrolet pulled back the covers on the Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo concept, which is an envisioning of the ultimate racecar of the future. What makes this and other Vision Gran Turismo concepts so special is that fans of the PlayStation® 3 game, Gran Turismo® 6, will be able to download an online update for the game this holiday season, through which they’ll be able to drive these unique cars on the track.
The Chevy Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo concept isn’t just a digital invention, however; Chevy was one of the few automakers who also made a physical version and put it on display in LA for the show this month. Chevy’s concept is inspired by the racecars of yesteryear, once designed by Chaparral Racing and Chevrolet.
“This concept is an audacious and ambitious vision – and one that demonstrates to a new audience how Chevy’s engineering and design teams challenge norms and explore the technologies of tomorrow,” explained Clay Dean, the executive director of advanced design. “It’s also an ode to a unique partnership that pioneered ground-breaking technologies that are used today on the track and the street.”
Frank Saucedo, the man who was responsible for guiding the team that developed the Chaparral concept, added, “It was created in a no-rules atmosphere to challenge designers and test engineers to deliver the most exhilarating sensations. This is a fantasy car by design. Like the original Chaparral race cars decades ago, the Chaparral 2X VGT weaves advanced aerospace technologies into the design to help achieve its performance goals.”
One of those no-rules fantasy elements that Saucedo mentioned is the driver configuration. Rather than sitting in a chair, the driver is facedown, with arms and legs out toward the wheels.
“Think of it as adapting a wing suit to a racing car, where the driver’s movements control certain aspects of the aero package,” explained Saucedo. “In many ways, the Chaparral 2X VGT is like a racing wing suit, with a protective fuselage for ‘flying’ very low to the ground.”
The Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo concept also boasts a mid-mounted laser beamed-energy propulsion system. This system pulses beams of light to generate shockwaves that give the car more thrust—900 horsepower worth of thrust, to be exact. The concept hits a top speed of 240 miles an hour, but it can accelerate to 60 mph in just 1.5 seconds.
“The Chaparral 2X VGT is a vision of how advanced technology may shape the look and driving experience of racing,” Saucedo went on. “Chaparral’s race cars and methods were seen as outlandish four decades ago, and with the innovative spirit still burning at Chevrolet, the Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo concept might just be a harbinger of motorsports in the next four decades.”
More Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo Concept Photos
Photo Source: GM
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