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Chevrolet Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo is powered by lasers

Chevrolet has whipped the covers off the Chevrolet Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo concept car, which emphasises fantasy and thinking outside the box over being production-ready.


The Chaparral concept is powered by a laser setup that's similar to the one that's been envisioned for various types of spacecraft. A 671kW laser, mounted in the middle of the car, fires beams of light into a shroud that focuses all that energy to create shockwaves, which then thrust the car forward.

There's also an air-powered generator on-board, but Chevrolet has yet to elaborate about how that works in conjunction with the car's laser.

Combined with a lightweight body, the Chaparral 2X is claimed to have a top speed of 386km/h and a 0-60mph (96km/h) time of 1.5 seconds.

Chevrolet has also reimagined the Chaparral's cockpit. Instead of a conventional design, where the driver sits upright, in the Chaparral, the pilot lies face down facing the road ahead with their arms and legs splayed towards the wheels.

Movements by the driver adjust the car's various aerodynamic aids, eliminating the need for large wings. With minimalism a key design feature, the car's instrumentation is displayed directly onto the driver's helmet.

The Chaparral concept is named after the Chaparral Cars racing team, which worked closely with Chevrolet in the 1960s. The team helped to pioneer active aerodynamics, monocoque construction, lightweight alloy drivetrains and automatic transmissions in racing cars.

Unlike some other concept cars that have debuted within the Gran Turismo franchise, the Chevrolet Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo has morphed into a real-life model. Although the physical car doesn't have any working running gear, it did debut at last week's Los Angeles auto show.

The Chevrolet Chaparral will be available soon in Gran Turismo 6 via a free downloadable update.

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