CGI case study; Chrysler Turboflite 1961

CGI case study; Chrysler Turboflite 1961

(This CGI case study of the Chrysler Turboflite is meant to study our in house created car texturing system and in this specific case the speed modelling of a museum aswell as incorporating grass and trees)

This concept car from Chrysler, the Turboflite, created in 1961 by Virgil Exner is it’s time way ahead. The car, designed by Ghia design studio in Turin Italy, contained many new features no one ever thought of in the automotive industry. First of all it’s engine wasn’t a regular and commonly used piston engine in stead it had, as the name suggests, a gas turbine engine. Chrysler claimed a more economic fuel consumption although this is later on disputed. Unlike the piston version, a turbine provides no engine breaking. To obtain fast breaking a wing is installed at the rear, not to create downforce, but instead when the brake pedal is pushed, it turns ninety degrees to create drag.

Rocket era and Ghia

At the time of the rocket era, Ghia design studio borrowed a lot of elements from that industry. See the eye height brake lights, the fins and the overall shape making it look like a spaceship. Even the front with hidden headlights is designed to generate the least possible drag. Also notice the distinctive white line on the tyre’s surface. Because of the turbine engine it must have sounded like a rocket ship too. To get into the car, the entire roof including the windows raised on two pivoting points at the back, opening just enough to get in elegantly as Chrysler claimed. (See youtube vid below, 5:10 for a frontal view and 7:10 for a side view)

Of course the Turboflite was a sensation on the  1962 Chicago motorshow, but it was it’s time way ahead. Even today just a few idea’s are commonly used in nowadays cars.

Rare silent movie of Virgil Exner introducing the Turboflite

Turboflite left rear tyre with distinctive white lining

Turboflite, front view

Turboflite tail lights and brake fin

The Turboflite at display in hall two of the beautiful Maxxi Museum for twentyfirst century art, Rome, Italy. Actually it is not really there, it’s a CGI study on how fast we could model this exquisite building from Zaha Hadid to a 95% accuracy. Nice about 3D is that if you can dream it you can create anything. We were on the safe side here, we could have modelled the moon, Jupiter or the international space station for instance as a backdrop for the car.

Inhouse create car materials library with correct real life refraction indices