900-horsepower Laser-beam Engine Could Be Chevy’s Next Big-block!

A 900-horsepower laser beamed-energy propulsion system has been picked to power the Chevrolet Chaparral 2X VGT, a concept interpretation of the ultimate racecar for fans of the PlayStation racing game, Gran Turismo. The virtual car is a super-modern take on the classic but incredibly innovative Chaparral race cars of the ’60s and early ’70s that Jim Hall campaigned on the brutal Can Am circuit. The baddest of all the Chaparrals sported all-aluminum, fuel-injected 427ci V8s built by Chevy that made around 525 horsepower in endurance trim.

The new Chaparral 2X VGT simply channels the spirit of innovation and advanced technology for its time into what the future of racing could be like.

The Chaparral 2G was one of the last of Jim Hall’s cars to run a 427ci all-aluminum Chevy big-block V8 on the Can-Am circuit.

“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,” says 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 proposed laser-based engine for the next Chaparral would be rated at 671 kilowatts, or about 900 horsepower.

According to the designers, the 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 horsepower worth 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 Chaparral 2X VGT is a vision of how advanced technology may shape the look and driving experience of racing,” sums up 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 concept might just be a harbinger of motorsports in the next four decades.”

Gamers can race the Chaparral 2X VGT this holiday season by downloading an online update for Gran Turismo 6.

About the author

Mike Magda

Mike Magda is a veteran automotive writer with credits in publications such as Racecar Engineering, Hot Rod, Engine Technology International, Motor Trend, Automobile, Automotive Testing Technology and Professional Motorsport World.
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