What race car would you design if there were no rules and money was no object? Chevy’s designers and engineers got a chance to do just that and they ended up with the the Chevrolet Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo.
The company collaborated with Jim Hall and Chaparral Racing on the project, hence the name. Jim Hall is one of racing greats. He raced in Formula 1 in the 1960s, in Trans-Am in the 1970s, and is a co-owner of the Chaparral team that also has two Indy 500 wins.
The objective was to create a fantasy race car for the famous Gran Turismo video game franchise. The car was developed digitally and together with the specialists from Gran Turismo. However, Chevrolet also decided to build a full-size real replica of the car for the 2014 LA Auto Show.
This car combines incredibly interesting concepts all into one. A sky-diver in a squirrel suit was the inspiration for the driver position. You lay down head first and face to the ground as on an Olympic skeleton sled, but your your arms and legs are outstretched to reach the controls. The 2X Vision is meant to be steered using your whole body. The car is basically like wearing a suit with laser activated 900 horsepower of thrust, while laying inches above the racetrack.
Yes, the propulsion system defies explanation. It’s a laser powered by batteries that activates a heat wave to generate jet-like propulsion. The nozzle has vectoring capability to generate downforce or help push the car through a corner. There are also other active aerodynamic elements to help the car stay grounded when reaching theoretical speeds of 240-300 mph.
The other impressive thing is. The 2X Vision model looks as real as a Chevy Camaro SS next to it on the show floor. It does not appear like a movie prop built of paper and foam. The laser drive system is only theoretical and this model is simply a “roller” or “pusher”. Still, it looks like you can get in and drive away.
Watch this TFLcar insider video to learn all the details about the Chevrolet Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo concept. Also, TFLcar profiled fourteen new reveals from the 2014 LA Auto Show. Check them out!
Andre Smirnov is a life-long automotive enthusiast, writer, reporter, and software engineer. He has been a contributor at TFL since 2011.