When you come to a major auto show like LA, you expect to see cars that you already know about and even facelifts of the motors you've been driving for years. But this year, Chevy decided to go all crazy by showing what is essentially the wet dream of a video game designer.
It's called the Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo Concept and looks like nothing you've ever driven. Inspired by a collaboration that happened between Chevrolet and Chaparral racing 45 years ago, they built this futuristic single-seater that's totally different to everything else on the track.
We think of it like a giant squirrel suit because you sit on your chest with the head facing forward and control the car with movements of the outwardly stretched arms.
"The Chaparral 2X VGT’s concept propulsion system is inspired by technology derived from advanced work targeted at space travel and future aircraft design," claimed the design team at GM. "It features a mid-mounted laser beamed-energy propulsion system, which pulses beams of light that focus in a shroud, creating shock waves that generate tremendous thrust in the lightweight race car."
Hits Gran Turismo 6 in Christmas update
Word is that the freaky concept will debut in the Gran Turismo racing game together with a major update pack targeted to come out today, December 17. It will be just one of many new cars to come out and Infiniti has also taken the wraps off its Vision Gran Turismo concept today.
Powered by lasers… because #FYEAH
For the powertrain of this car, they really went to the world of science fiction. The power supply selected is a unprecedented laser propulsion system. The laser beam unit mounted centrally produces a laser beam pulse which strikes a focusing shroud, and the resulting shockwave produces the thrust which propels this extremely light racing car. With a 671kW laser and air powered generator, this car rises to a top speed of 384 km/h or 240 mph and accelerates from 0-60mph in 1.5 seconds.
We don't really understand how it works either, and frankly it sounds like mumbo jumbo. But we know NASA experimented with laser propulsion for space craft and they even mode a flying saucer that hovers on laser pulses. All we need to know is the concept car is crazy-cool!
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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