Chevy Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo concept blends the past and the future

Wed, 19 Nov 2014

The Chevrolet Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo is the rare concept car that salutes a seminal moment in history, yet also borders on science fiction.

Revealed Wednesday at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the concept uses the name of one of Chevy's historic racing partnerships, with Chaparral Racing, which dates to the 1960s. Chaparrals raced successfully at a range of levels, including IndyCar, Trans-Am and SCCA competition.

But the history ends there, as the concept's main purpose is as a racecar in a downloadable update for the PlayStation 3 game Gran Turismo 6.

Reinforcing the forward-looking feel, the Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo concept uses a 671-kilowatt laser propelled by lithium-ion batteries and an air-powered generator to make up to 900 brake horsepower of thrust. This allows the concept to achieve a speed of 240 miles per hour, while sprinting to 60 mph in 1.5 seconds in the video game.

Furthering the fantasy element, the driver is also supposed to lay in a face-down prone position with arms and legs splayed out toward the 17-inch wheels, and the instruments are projected onto the driver's helmet visor.

"Think of it as adapting a wing suit to a racing car, where the driver's movements control certain aspects of the aero package," Frank Saucedo, who oversaw the team that worked on the concept, said in a statement.

Chevrolet Unveils Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo
Radical racing concept developed for racing franchise's 15th anniversary

LOS ANGELES – Chevrolet today revealed the Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo (VGT) concept – a revolutionary interpretation of the ultimate race car, developed exclusively for fans of the PlayStation® 3 racing game, Gran Turismo® 6. Developed as part of the Vision Gran Turismo project, which celebrates the future of automotive design and innovation, the Chaparral 2X VGT concept is inspired by the innovative race cars Chaparral Racing and Chevrolet partnered on more than 45 years ago.

Gamers can race the Chaparral 2X VGT this holiday season by downloading an online update for Gran Turismo 6, the latest iteration of the best-selling PlayStation franchise that has sold more than 72 million copies worldwide since its 1998 debut.

"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," said Clay Dean, executive director of advanced design. "It also an ode to a unique partnership that pioneered ground- breaking technologies that are in used today, on the track and the street."

Known for unconventional, boundary-pushing race cars that shook up the motorsports world, Texas-based Chaparral Racing partnered with Chevrolet Research and Development more than 45 years ago, pioneering now-standard methods and materials used in contemporary racing and production vehicles, including the composite monocoque chassis, lightweight-alloy powertrain systems, automatic transmissions for racing and progressive, active aerodynamics. The partnership also spawned ground-breaking vehicle data acquisition technology. Chevrolet continues to use racing programs to test and develop new technologies and materials.

The Chevrolet Chaparral 2X VGT channels that spirit of innovation into a vision of what the future of racing could hold, with a radical form and an advanced, laser- based propulsion system.

"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," said Frank Saucedo, who oversaw the team that worked on the concept. "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."

The Chaparral 2X VGT's concept propulsion system is inspired by technology derived from advanced work targeted at space travel and future aircraft design. 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.

With a 671-kW laser, powered by a pack of lithium-ion batteries, and an air- powered generator to provide 900 bhp of thrust, the Chaparral 2X VGT will be capable of a 240-mph top speed in the video game, with 0-60 acceleration capability of 1.5 seconds.

The propulsion system's position in the composite chassis complements an unconventional yet highly active prone driver configuration – face down with the driver's arms and legs splayed toward the wheels. In fact, the race car's propulsion and suspension systems are built around the driver, enabling progressive strategies of active and driver-adjustable aerodynamics.

"Think of it as adapting a wing suit to a racing car, where the driver's movements control certain aspects of the aero package," said Saucedo. "In many ways, the Chaparral 2X VGT is like racing wing suit, with a protective fuselage for 'flying' very low to the ground."

The driver-enabled aerodynamics eliminate the need for large, conventional wings and other aero devices used to generate grip-enhancing downforce – an attribute that helps minimize the overall mass of the Chaparral 2X VGT's minimalist structure. Only essential elements are on board, with instrumentation, for example, projected on the driver's helmet visor.

Additionally, lightweight chassis components reduce the sprung weight of the race car, enabling the car to provide tremendous cornering grip with a relatively small footprint. It rolls on 17-inch front and rear wheels, all wrapped with racing tires.

"The Chaparral 2X VGT is a vision of how advanced technology may shape the look and driving experience of racing," said Saucedo. "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 might just be a harbinger of motorsports in the next four decades."

Other manufacturers have developed concept race cars for the Vision Gran Turismo project, but Chevrolet is one of the few to transfer it from the digital world to a physical concept vehicle.
The Chevrolet Chaparral 2X VGT concept is on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show through November 30.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.9 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

By Greg Migliore