The new blockbuster hit Logan has movie, comic, and car fans going simply nuts. Set in 2029 the film's designers and art directors faced an interesting challenge. What will the vehicles in the near future look like? With many changes coming to the automotive industry these days, there were definitely some elements that needed to be in the film to make it feel believable. The key car in the movie is a limousine, driven by Logan as he attempts to stay under the radar. With the car key in many scenes throughout the movie, it needed to make a statement but not detract from the star actors. Ultimately a Lincoln limousine style was used, built on the body of a Chrysler 300. At first glance this beefy-looking limousine looks like a streamlined version of the Cadillac limousine used by The White House. Essentially the vehicle underneath the futuristic exterior remained unchanged and simply wore a skin from the future.
This skinning made it easy for the production team to swap out panels which would display body damage as needed to carry the story forward. Panels could be roughed up, scratched, and shot with bullets without impacting the vehicle itself. However the limo isn't the only challenge faced by the crew. With advances in autonomous driving growing daily, by 2029 we can definitely expect to see some driverless vehicles on the road. The main villains in this movie are cold corporations who fund mercenaries. With that in mind the team thought that the first industry which would be fully automated would be cargo transport. This also allowed for the most striking design change which would really make the viewer feel like they were seeing 2029. A semi truck looks as it does because it h as to house a driver which often comes with an included sleeping quarters. In a driverless semi, all that is really needed is the frame and the engine. The final design they came up with is simply breathtaking and really makes an impact in the movie.
If you love cars and haven't seen Logan yet it is definitely worth a watch. It is action-packed and really demonstrates the direction the auto industry is going.