Why Car Companies Still Use Clay Models That Cost Up To $650K | Big Business | Insider Business

[@liamfoxy]

All this work, time, and effort goes in to making these models so people can see what a car looks like prior to fabrication, and yet somehow the Pontiac Aztec still made it to market.

[@DerekDavis213]

That's because the talented car designers are NOT working in Detroit for Ford or GM.

[@paulmcewan9006]

It looks like a committee became too involved

[@SayAhh]

The prototype looked decent, but then the micromanaging and accountants got involved.

and The Chrysler PT Cruiser

[@BigMoney23223]

@ when the PT came out, you couldn’t get one, they were an instant seller, people were stopping drivers asking where to buy one. The PT was an instant success, nobody wanted an Aztec from jump

[@levicharles996]

The Porsche was probably the easiest to model. They just add a little clay every year and say brand new 911 haha

[@haoo549]

No spoiler: $ Same body color spoiler: $$$ Carbon spoiler: $$$ $$$ $$$ Roof and wind shield:$ No roof: $$$ No wind shield: one-off exclusively, as expensive as money laundering and sitting in a garage for the rest of their life

[@Nobraa]

what do you want them to do?do what mercedes and bmw did where they ruined the cars?you don't need to change perfection

[@StruggleButtons]

I think we found Clarkson’s secret youtube account,

[@leechrec]

😅

[@TheKikSmile]

if it ain't broke don't fix it. simple as.

[@Albin_Evald]

Answers to Why Car Companies Still Use Clay Models That Cost Up To $650K: 4:42, 7:30

[@duppy404]

Thx legend

[@synapseeinherjar4031]

Thank you. I was not interested in the entirety of this video.

[@FLFOREVER]

Real MVP

[@carlodiborbone4704]

thanks man!

[@edwardliechti3359]

It’s about the journey😌…and the watch time 😂

[@chandler_h]

The inventor of this technique is Harley Earl. I cannot believe they did not even say his name in this! It was because of him that we had those beautiful cars from the '30s. There is a great book called "Fins" that tells the most of the story of how automotive design began.

[@johndix9354]

I remember having what we called an 'assembly' in junior high school with a presentation by GM showing their model shop. I am now 70 years old so that was in 1965. It was great!

[@robnobert]

It's now 2024 and you're an old man so maybe you're not even alive anymore 😅

[@Claudiatjuh93]

“It’s almost like a cheese grater” - proceeds to hold up the exact IKEA cheese grater I have in my kitchen drawer

[@mer5784]

I thought the same exact thing when I saw that 😂

[@philippedrouin3008]

“It’s almost like a cheese grater” It is a cheese grater They should just call it like it is and say they use it for a different purpose

[@isbestlizard]

YES mine has a plastic pot that it fits to so I can grate a load of cheese without any mess plus a airtight top so I can keep excess in the fridge without it going hard ITS THE BEST invention humanity has ever made because it is perfect and needs no further changes and I predict even centuries hence there will be no more improvements to the cheese grater

[@womp6338]

Maybe ikea sold you a clay sculpture tool and told u it was a cheese grater

[@CarbonKevin]

Came here to say this 😂

[@Kresnov]

I've transported dozens of clay model cars around Europe, the quality of the finish is staggering. I moved the clay for the first generation of VW owned Bentley.

[@sondernfy]

That sounds amazing yet terrifying.

[@valitsemllaluokanavahyvaks3556]

You moved clay like some ppl moved drugs xdd.

[@lalnunpuiafanai9479]

same i transported clay model cars on a daily basis

[@Le_persone]

Сколько кг стоит?

[@FreezyOH]

terrifying? What are you talking about 💀 you just threw in some words to sound smart 🤓😭😭😭

[@plakor6133]

I wonder if these are stored somewhere. It would be a hoot to see the vintage clay models.

[@haraldpettersen3649]

Unfortunately, I highly doubt they are taken care of.

[@bucky13]

It's crazy and unfortunate that the big car manufacturers don't have huge museums with 100's of historic clay models.

[@kimbo566]

No they are not. They are either re milled as a different car or just destroyed.

[@coldogno7]

this type of clay deformed over time

[@AbiNubli]

They destroyed the model and sold the clay to other industries. Or just reused it for making smaller model

[@rapidrabbit11485]

This was a very insightful video. I really like that it wasn't dismissive of VR, but hopeful for the future, while acknowledging that this is a process that will likely stick and why. The camera work and editing was superb as well. Really showing these artisans at their craft. This is the kind of content that KZbin needs.

[@glennmorris25]

*insightful

[@rapidrabbit11485]

@@glennmorris25 Thanks, I corrected it.

[@Fredthegod1990]

I always wanted to be a car designer. I ended up becoming an industrial designer but didn't have the opportunity to go to an automotive design school. With the "metaverse" becoming increasingly a space where people spend time and money, I hope it will give people like myself the opportunity to carry out our own visions without the financial and logistic hurdles that would come with actually starting your own car company in the real world.

[@ImportedFromSerbia]

very competitive job position, so without some insider it is not that easy to get on board. plus the school is expensive.

[@Mypenisissmallbut]

I wanted to be a car designer. I imagined staying up late designing some sexy exotic… ended up spending 4 years arguing over the shape and length the turn signal stock should be with 800 people.

[@Winter-CIG]

The wildest thing to me as a (digital) 3D modeler, isn't just how complex it is to make such a beautiful and consistent form but rather how insanely impressive it is that they are able to achieve such perfect symmetry. Also I had to laugh when he said "this tool is almost like a cheese grater". It literally is a cheese grater. I know because I own the same one 🤣

[@mrgiggles247]

Same: "almost like a cheese grater", nice Mark; I got mine from Ikea, how about you?

[@philipbarton3456]

It lost it's title as it doesn't grate cheese anymore...its a clay grater.

[@itsm3th3b33]

Symmetry is the easiest part to achieve. You only scan one side of the model and the software mirror images the other side automatically. ;)

[@LollyPopTuttu]

@@itsm3th3b33 yes now go refine it simmetrically by hand

[@-YELDAH]

@@philipbarton3456 you’ve reversed your it’s and its

[@evanfrucht]

That's honestly not that expensive for the amount of labor, skill, and talent involved.

[@skateboardingjesus4006]

@@evanfrucht I can't see the comment you're responding to, but I'm guessing it's one of those desperate business scams that populate too many comment sections with utterly irrelevant crap. As for your initial comment, as a sculptor myself, that price tag for services provided over that period of time and after other overheads are subtracted, is not really that much money. Plus, sculpting artificial geometries like complex planes, curves and angles to exacting specifications, is very hard and requires honed experience.

[@evanfrucht]

@skateboardingjesus4006 yes, it seems too cheap if you ask me 😉

[@RS-jl7cu]

@@skateboardingjesus4006 well its clear from this comment that you may be a sculptor but you are definitely not a professional reader lmao

[@skateboardingjesus4006]

@@RS-jl7cu Please elaborate?

[@alext8828]

@@skateboardingjesus4006 Yeah, right.

[@mikeybraps2705]

I work for Jaguar Land Rover and deal with these clay models all the time. They are a great way to get a feel for what the cars will look like in life size with all the correct finishes. They seem expensive but compared to the cost of building a real car from scratch they cost nothing

[@trandang.]

They are expensive for new automakers, and a lot of new car manufacturers from Asia don't use this process in order to reduce production time and costs. Cars that are produced in these shortened processes may look good in certain aspects, but none are without flaws.

[@fdr100100]

cad and 3d printer no need for clay now days we have industrial 3d printers cost much less takes much less time requires less people

[@Ckcdillpickle]

@@fdr100100 did you not watch the video? you are not 3d printing a full scale model with good surface finish

[@GroxMirk]

@@Ckcdillpickle just yet )

[@vraolet]

@@fdr100100 Also 3d printed plastic model are hard to modify and adjust, when clay can be added or takne away at will

[@Michneko]

This seems like a dream job to me. Shame I didn't spec into clay modeling. I love to see artists still using physical mediums even if it's for work, they are still making art.

[@ImportedFromSerbia]

it is not that easy to get on board, but you would make tons of good money working as a clay sculptor around the world.

[@awesomewav2419]

Too bad maybe you can do it in another build on your next playthrough

[@eto2352]

Great modellers are hard to come by but you and everything you own will smell like sulphur.

[@robertnicholls9917]

You have to really love it. It's a time consuming job. But, imagine having to mock up stuff you know is garbage.

[@markjones127]

The point of the clay is its properties change depending on how warm it is, sticky and malleable when warm, but as you can see in the video it hardens up at cooler temps which is better for working on the final finish, it comes in those cylinders as that's the shape it comes out of the pug mill which squeezes all the air out of the clay making it ready to use straight away, as a sculptor myself you can never really simulate what you get from a clay model, the level of fine adjustment it gives you is irreplaceable really, and you can never get that hands on feel with computer software.

[@reccaman]

Lemme make the easy comment, "of course cheese costs alot but America has bunkers full of them."

[@thymicere3911]

“Your teacher dies in Hogwarts Legacy and Rookwood cursed Anne.”

[@reszin]

Way too smelly for car models.

[@joad8537]

“I missed the part where that’s my problem” Spider-Man

[@dianapennepacker6854]

We stockpile BILLIONS OF POUNDS of cheese. Cheese as a strategic resource confirmed.

[@cooldudicus7668]

The American government no longer stock piles cheese. They have not for years now. Private companies do though, but on their own dime.

[@robbieg25]

This quality of this story was incredible. What a fascinating process, I nearly lost it when they put the material on it that makes it looks like painted sheetmetal.

[@-YELDAH]

@@pmbbmp “video bad me better”

[@Eramor]

@@pmbbmp 🤓

[@pepechill8118]

if this is "incredible" for you. you have super boring life

[@vooveks]

@@pepechill8118Or if you “nearly lost it” over a seeing that sheet being being put on, you probably need to ask your GP about some sort of medication.

[@rorymax]

​@pepechill8118 he's getting enjoyment from the things he watches. What's boring about that? Having to put random people down people down on the internet to make yourself feel good on the other hand...

[@willm5032]

As a packaging designer, we use bottle mockups from time to time to get a feel for shape, glass weight, and any erganomics so I can fully understand why clay models are a thing

[@plsdonttttt]

you use a mockup of a bottle? why not the real thing?

[@willm5032]

@@plsdonttttt When projects require a new, custom bottle, its often a good idea to 3d print/create mockups of bottles designed in cad software before starting production in glass. It means clients and designers can get a feel for a physical product that often exists only in 2d Space before that point. 3d prototyping is usually pretty standard in product design, clay modelling cars is just an extension of this :)

[@plsdonttttt]

@@willm5032 aaah okay I thought you where packaging a bottle and was like...just put in a square box maybe

[@selfishbirch]

Hey, mate. Im a graphic designer and we only do pics on bottles and boxes that are ready. Designing bottles from scratch sounds neat! Do you have a degree in engineering or what does a person need to land on this job?

[@phlimma]

I make 3D models to print and I know the huge difference between look to the 3D in computer screen or VR goggles and to look at the finished piece in real life, feeling the weight, the shape and appearance under the daylight. Because this I really understand why they still making clay models.

[@ep.elevated]

I work as a digital sculptor to make these clay models at gm. I regularly work on cars 5 years before the public is even aware, and I can say why these take several years to produce. It’s because there are so many meetings about every small detail down to a .004mm tolerance. And it takes months for basic parts to be finalized for production because it has to be approved through the chain of command in a massive company.

[@jamesbrittain5659]

Just like governments, it takes years of bureaucratic bullshit to actually see progress....

[@faboxbkn]

wow cool! do you recommend getting into this field? I am learning solidworks as a hobby and seriously considering it as a career. Def automatitive design is a field I would look into but not sure about the future of it or the current demand.

[@vex123]

How does the clay design transfer into manufacturing?

[@ep.elevated]

@@vex123 Clay models represent exactly what will be manufactured. It's a real life representation of what we design digitally. The clay model is mainly for top executives in the company to critic the work quickly and make changes as needed.

[@Sashazur]

Are models ever used for focus groups?

[@bryanlabchuk]

(holds up cheese grater) "its almost like a cheese grater" 😂

[@jbellfield]

I have one, comes on top of a plastic tub to keep the cheese fresh.

[@Dragcnborn]

@@jbellfield I have the same one lmao

[@nicolelee2205]

I use a cheese grater in my clay sculptures.

[@sharpshotefx]

In special effects, one of the best tools for sculpting pores in human skin is a Starbucks coffee stirrer

[@leighsadler1524]

These guys are doing a top end job. I appreciate the fact in our day and age that showing a car in 3D / 8K graphics via a computer shows us what a new car may look like. But us being human beings really do appreciate a hands on model that we can TOUCH / FEEL / AND CONNECT WITH. Excellent work.

[@CountCocofang]

3D printing will be there soon enough.

[@mja2239]

@Count Cocofang It's been 1 day, are we there yet?

[@CountCocofang]

@@mja2239 Not yet, son. But I can get you a tablet with Subway Surfers or some other dumb crap to keep you busy so you stop being annoying from the backseat.

[@mja2239]

@@CountCocofang ok now I will stop annoying you from your back seat, I don't want to get your crap

[@orkhepaj]

nope , this is just wasting money

[@dustinm4455]

"A new Bugatti costs from $1.7 million for the cheapest model, a Bugatti Veyron, to upwards of $18.7 million" Yeah I think they make that money back pretty fast...

[@michaelmich00]

what about the millions of mustangs or vw’s😂 650k isnt even visible on their balance

[@kevintong5872]

Bugatti lost 6.5 million for every Veyron sold. The Golfs are covering the cost 😂

[@TheSynthnut]

My grandfather worked at Ford in the UK in the clay department. He was a scupltor and also worked with the likes of Jacob Epstein on pieces such as St. Michael’s Victory over the Devil on Coventry Cathedral. Back then there were no computers or machines involved, all hand-worked. Good to see the skills in the job continue, nothing beats a physical model to touch and feel the presence of, VR falls short in many ways.

[@Cooe.]

But VR is also ahead in just as many, if not more ways. 🤷 It's infinitely cheaper and more flexible, allowing FAAAAAR faster and more effective design iteration. Physical models still have their place but it's getting INCREASINGLY niche as VR headsets continue to get more and more capable. And the rapid development of haptics technology means that full-blown "haptic gloves" able to accurately replicate the physical feeling of touching virtual objects are no more than ≈5-10 years away, at which point super expensive & inflexible physical models stop making ANY sense.

[@Dr.W.Krueger]

Nothing beats standing next to a full-size mock-up of your product. You quickly see issues (and weird angles) that are not obvious in the usual production renderings.

[@hanzfranz7739]

I love learning about new stuff i didnt know even existed - great :)

[@D1G1TALFOX]

😎

[@bhante1345]

Wait, you mean to say you didn't know Flontstone cars existed?

[@20LookInside12]

Dream Vocation. My goodness.... this was so incredibly satisfying to watch and my brain is just lit up. The attention to detail is something I can understand and LOVE seeing it in this format. Amazing work all 'round.

[@pauliewalnuts240]

"Not everyone can do this. This is very advanced work, performed only by the most skilled craftsmen. This is my cheese grater, and this tool is called 'a scraper'."

[@ChlorophilG]

How did anyone make a full-sized clay model of a Bentley Bentayga, and instead of setting fire to their eyes, they put it into production?

[@LudosErgoSum]

These should go into an art gallery to raise awareness of the art employed in manufacturing. Too many perceive art as something monolithic and attached to an individual, but this is true collaboration between people, professions, visions and various fields of science to create something truly beautiful and functional. As an art student, I'm fed up with how academics control the art space by defining it as something only worthy of their appreciation when these are the very things that truly shape our world and grace our mortal retinas.

[@danielp415]

You need to read "Design as Art" by Bruno Munari asap. Your idea is basically his manifesto

[@LudosErgoSum]

@@danielp415 Thank you for the recommendation. Will check it out!

[@Eramor]

Its also so frustrating as an artist still in school (not college yet) and everything, I mean everything points to art as a useless hobby that only makes you "successful" by selling personal pieces, unreliable commissions etc. I'd really like to pursue 2d art, ceramics, and music more but whenever I look into the future I don't see a purpose for them if none of them are reliable and waste time I could be using to do other more reliable jobs. When I watched this video I definitely felt like these people are using their artistic skill in a way that isn't personal as well as reliable. However it probably won't last long

[@simileee]

@@Eramor what..? Dude design will always be around no matter what. There isn’t anything that’s gonna replace creativity like that. Do art if that’s what you want.

[@piplup10203854]

This was really cool to see, I actually like this idea a lot, it's great to see the amount of detail you can add to it and in a way it gives you a life size art piece to keep.

[@Yesawwwh]

That’s probably the reason why Greek mythology says we came from clay.

[@OriginalGamerPrestar]

So what I gathered from this is, Someone is to blame for some of the ugly cars released

[@CRAIGKMSBISMARCKTIRPITZ533]

Yep

[@gravity00x]

yes!!!!

[@dampaul13]

The satisfaction of watching the fine detailed work of these artisans was incredibly high.

[@RolyMoes]

It's important to note that the clay and its scraps can be reused, so it doesn't just go to waste after that car gets put into production.

[@redporkpadthai6368]

I'm a preparator for contemporary a contemporary art museum and the process as a team is so similar to this! We frequently do a lot of the fabrication work to make the artist's/designer's vision.

[@trevorcraig2824]

My professor of ceramics, worked at GM as well, as a clay model builder. Amazingly talented individual.

[@kimbo566]

This describes the process from a few years ago well. Today very little sculpting is done in the clay. The clay models are still used but the clay modelers mostly slick freshly milled models to remove the mill marks. What takes 5min to change in the computer takes 5h to do in the clay. And I haven't seen a scale model in years... and it would never be used to be scanned and scaled up to a full size model. Every model is milled from a CAD data.

[@nickyp1435]

Well this was uploaded 3 days ago and the industry Professional says otherwise Kimbo. Where do you draw your statement from ?

[@kimbo566]

​@@nickyp1435 My current position working in a car design studio together with the 15 years experience in doing so. This is Bentley they are talking about. Bentley makes luxury cars with maybe 1-2 new projects a year so it doesn't represent the majority of producers. They might still have time for the more old fashion way of working with clay. At my current employer we have about 20 projects at any given time including new models and facelifts so we re-mill models every few weeks to see in 1:1 scale but then all changes are done in CAD and then re-milled a couple of weeks later. Clay modeling takes too long

[@nickyp1435]

@@kimbo566 too long didnt read. when you get your own insider focus video made at your 'car design studio', why dont you give your opinion then?

[@kimbo566]

@@nickyp1435 only getting your information on the world from 4 sentences or less must give a very interesting picture on how things work.

[@andreybushev3020]

@@nickyp1435 Pretty sure he just stated facts not opinions. If you can't read the reply then don't bother asking the question.

[@dinoz2113]

When I saw the thumb nail I thought the car was cheese 😂🧀

[@bicyclist2]

I've wanted to do this (Car design) for a living since I was 10 years old. Unfortunately I've never had the chance. I've seen a few magazine articles about this design process over the years. It's Very cool to see this video about it. Thank you.

[@therealjayseh]

Automotive Engineer

[@NehemyaSiyon]

Now I will make a car with clay of my own design.

[@Faesharlyn]

Then use it to make fiberglass panels and keep buildin!

[@rickintexas1584]

I am a mechanical engineer in the US aerospace industry. I have always found the artisans of the auto industry fascinating. In aerospace the function is the most important aspect, way more important than aesthetics. But in the auto industry the aesthetics, or emotion, drive the product shape.

[@StarkVandalez]

exactly. I'm an industrial designer and did clay modelling in school. I work in consumer products, not automotive but the principles are the same

[@MiGujack3]

@@StarkVandalez Except current BMW, where the goal of the aesthetic is to make you gag.

[@utkarshrokade3641]

Great video, but just a suggestion, Fahrenheit is used as a standard in only 3 countries as far as I know. So please use Celsius or atleast give the Celsius value in subtitles, (at 2:36 mark)

[@michaelb.42112]

I've been watching the channel NHẾT TV from Vietnam, a small team of amatuer car builders with a staff of less than 10 people, most under the age of 30. They use clay, and photos from magazine pages and make works of art out of discarded Nissan and Toyota cars. It's all done by eye, and experience unlike the big guns who use computers with 3D animation, and state of the art design. These guys are probably closer to how they did it in the early 20th Century which makes it so exciting. I'm fascinated with the entire process and have so much respect.

[@Reelix]

Saying that Bugatti has dropped upwards of $650k rather loses its impact when you realize that the cars cost $3m+ each, so the cost is already covered in the first sale. This is like saying "OMG - NVidia has to spend $500 on R&D to develop a new card!" and expect people to think it's expensive for them.

[@tcrweeks]

I recently retired from clay modelling after 40 years, and back in the 1980's I taught clay modeling to students that are now sculpting in several car companies; so, on many occasions, I've been asked this question on why clay modeling is still done. One reason is the customer. A typical customer (the proverbial 'housewife from Peoria' for example) isn't an expert on computer graphics so even with the most sophisticated computer modeling and graphics technologies most car customers will (in the back of their minds) have doubts when looking at even the most realistic 3 dimensional image. Often these full sized clay sculptures are shown to potential customers in corporate sponsored clinics for their evaluation. There's something about wallkng around each model at your own pace, in your own time, and even stroking the surfaces with your hand to be convinced that these proportions and shapes look right. The same could be said about corporate executives needing to see these models for themselves 'in the flesh'.

[@faboxbkn]

amazing! do you think there is still a demand for it nowadays?

[@aye3678]

Woah, I didn't know this was a thing :O So cool!

[@53kenner]

My uncle was a clay modeler for Ford Styling, in Dearborn. At that time, you had no CNC machines to cut out the model, nor computer graphics to examine. It was all pencil and paper drawings converted into blueprints. Modeling bridges kept dimensions and symmetry correct. Once a model was built, designers would look at it, and then specify changes to sweeten the design. No digital scanners came into play, but people would build templates from acetate. Maybe that's why cars like the original Mustang are classics, people were hands on all the way through.

[@kevinkatima4975]

gosh, you guys just make me to understand designing in a very different way, i think i have a lot to do as a juniour engineer

[@sniglom]

Holds a lid from the Ikea Chosigt cheese grater: "This is quite a crude tool, but it's almost like a cheese grater"

[@vasantos-re4hb]

Real talk - A clay model is a Proof of Concept. It's awesome they can make micro changes and do wind tunnel testing on the same prototype. Computers are great, but at some point you need to build the real thing.

[@bhante1345]

Real talk - when you say real talk, I lose all respect for you as a human.

[@vasantos-re4hb]

@@bhante1345 Why are you even reading my comments? I'm dead to you. Leave me to my incompetence.

[@are3287]

@@bhante1345 Real talk - when you say I lose all respect for you as a human, I lose all respect for you as a human.

[@jamalabdisalam8578]

​@@bhante1345 what makes you think they need your respect?

[@ФеофанЭтополедолжнобытьзаполне]

Real talk - clay model will behave very differently in wind tunnel than metal one. And there is no "concept" to prove here. It's exterior modeling, it has nothing to do with POC, which is always about feasibility.

[@HitomiNee]

just as a carpenter measures twice and cuts once, modelers and engineers need to make sure their creations are upto spec and design prior to full scale production, it has its usefulness even if it costs alot of money and labour.

[@Andrew-wq1ue]

As an engineer, I can promise many areas are not measure twice and cut once. It's measure once, cut once, hope that work for the 90% of things that aren't critical, and carve a little extra time for the important and high risk decisions.

[@Rust_Rust_Rust]

@@Andrew-wq1ue as an engineer I don't want to work anywhere near you

[@AbiNubli]

I've been intern in auto industry once and trust me no matter how good your 3d models are they will not translate well to the clay or real world model. Somehow our preception of things differs from virtual to real world

[@lbgonpokeit]

Crazy that back in the day, they used to it all by hand. Like the old Mercedes 300sl or the old Ferraris. Such beautiful pieces of art.

[@randomnumbers84269]

This gives me newfound respect for the car industry. What a traditional and time consuming process this is, requiring vast amounts of labor and professionalism.

[@rocroc]

Excellent video. There is nothing like being able to see and touch and move a vehicle about to really understand how they look and perform. As an Akron, Ohio, kid growing up, I participated in the Soap Box Derby. This was in the hay day of soap box derby building. There were no kit cars and everything was built from scratch. Beginning in about 1957, cars began getting more and more sophisticated until 1973 when an electrical start assist magnet was found in the front of a winning car and things changed. Even when I raced we built fabricated models to test the design and run characteristics of a car. Some later models were shaped out of Styrofoam and overlaid with fiberglass, etc. There was some very talented kids who built some astonishing cars. GM was a big Derby sponsor and several of those kids went on to work with GM in the design and development of their cars. They still race Derby cars today and it is a better racing experience now than then. Kids today can participate in many racing events while in the old days you only got one shot at it a year. Car building itself was far better then than now.

[@kkkk-wg6je]

4 years for a 150 raptor model and it looks just like the old one with a new front grill.

[@nonnnth]

I love this kind of stuff

[@Meianju]

Incredible craftsmanship. This practice will not go away even with VR because replicating reality is just not feasible.

[@Yesnog05]

As a kid, I would always see these car commercials showing the clay modeling process and wondered how to get a job like that. Now I know!

[@John_Smith_86]

I wish they can make a car based solely on production cost, fuel efficiency and reliability (while still complying with all safety standards). I don't give a crap about the looks, or how fast it can get to 60mph. I just want to spend less. I don't mind if it looks unstylish

[@chrissmith3587]

Have you considered a Renault twizy

[@John_Smith_86]

@@chrissmith3587 Seems great on the cost and fuel aspects. But 2 stars on safety is a bit concerning.

[@MALIK-fk1rz]

go get a corolla then brokie

[@chrissmith3587]

@@John_Smith_86 that’s cause these quadricycles are very small, they will always struggle on crash test. In a normal car the front of the car is designed to crumple to absorb energy in a crash, as the twizy is so small there isn’t much material to absorb energy of a crash. This is why even small cars are so big today, and once you are making such an expensive vehicle why wouldn’t you try to make it pretty (it does matter for most users). You won’t be able to meet both of your requirements, without assuming that you won’t crash

[@John_Smith_86]

@@chrissmith3587 Reasonable. But then I rather keep my life. Haha. :)

3:54 I have that same IKEA grater. Good to see even the fanciest companies use the cheap but useful stuff.

[@sleepyjoescumbag1663]

How to do you know the one they are using is from Ikea? It does specify it's a Ikea grater ?

[@P4RK3R1Z3D]

What they didn't mention is their restrictions on hiring any engineers named "Clay," because it would be too confusing.

[@ChronicDreamer1st]

Guys, a lot of art & work goes into making every car on the road look exactly the same ! Respect the art !!!!

[@TienShanTaoistInternalArts]

I'll tell you a little insider secret. One of the main uses of clay is to add 'updates' to an existing real car. This is why the first iteration is often nice and smooth and later versions have all kinds of stupid junk added on in order to make it next years model.

[@leokimvideo]

Pretty simple to explain, clay can easily be taken away or added to. It's not bloody rocket science

[@garrettfilms4827]

Yo did not expect you here

[@davexbit]

Keep in mind the computer driven machines are still sculpted in 3D software like Autodesk Alias by actual people not AI. These two sculptors work as a team. Sometimes it's the same person. So there is is a manual sculptor (clay) and a digital sculptor (Alias).

[@Astraeus..]

You're not at all wrong, but the big difference between those 2 particular kinds of "sculptor" is that 1 takes years to become proficient and mistakes can be highly time consuming to fix, whereas the other can be reasonably well trained in a year, and mistakes are as easy to fix as hitting the "undo" button....

[@antonioesposito8071]

Alias, NX, CATIA or Icem

[@kimbo566]

@@Astraeus.. I have never met a Alias modeler that is reasonably well trained after a year.

[@chavant]

I interned at a supplier that a certain Detroit area OEM would outsource the job of manufacturing concept models to. It was incredibly cool to see us build the mock models (after the clay process) that would be used to show concepts at automotive shows. They were so secretive about it and for a brief 5 mins the concept car would be outside of the warehouse as it was moved to the other building when the OEM reps would visit to approve. Sadly many of those concepts aren’t stored long term and they would get crushed in suburban Detroit scrap yards!

[@elconquistador932]

My uncle worked in models and clay for AMC and later Chrysler. He's partially responsible for the Pacer. He did say they didn't go very long between laughs.

[@drekelley2352]

Now tell me about the interior. Does that also start as clay?

[@er1115]

No

[@SpockvsMcCoy]

The greatest era of clay modeling was in the U.S. auto industry in the 1950s and 1960s when designers were not restricted by aerodynamics and compact dimensions. Harley Earl of General Motors fame basically invented the concept of shaping clay models into automotive works of art. BMW at one time created automotive proposals out of solid carved wood.

[@DoomFinger511]

Instead, they were constricted by limited manufacturing techniques. That is why so many cars from the past are boxy in shape.

[@bhante1345]

Getting hard wood for 60's sports cars is totally understandable.

[@radincerny5013]

I just saw a video about Audi SQ7 TDI (3 turbos, 4L, 8V). It needs an important engine-maintenance after 80 000km. Yes, 80 000km! If you ignore it and do this maintenance in 150 000km, your car might be dead already or it will be very expensive. So I am asking. Does it make a sense to invest so much afford and energy into designing modern cars when their quality is so low? 150 000 km is nothing in my eyes.. What do you think? My ordinary simple car only needs oil and filters and 200 000 km is not a problem.

[@HEXhibitionist]

It is said that in the 70's and 80's Volvo just stacked 2 rectangle clay blocks on top of eachother and slammed wheels on it. Done.

[@tjb_altf4]

3:58 "this almost looks like a cheese grater" Looks identical to my cheese grater at home

[@paulmcewan9006]

This piece says "it's arguably the most important step in the process" Not so, there is no argument. It is the most important part of car design! It allows the designer to physically walk around, see it outside in real daylight, touch it and change it in real time-fast!

[@TheSelmersgarage]

Hey Paul, How are you doing buddy? Seems like lots of armchair experts here. Nice to see the Bentley guys here. Where are you at now?

[@paulmcewan5048]

@@TheSelmersgarage Hello Doug, it has been a very long time since Mercedes? I am currently at Lucid Motors, Newark Ca. where thankfully there is still a lot of "Sketch Modelling" after milling. How are you and where are you now?

[@MiGujack3]

Especially BMW, when the goal is to make the car look as cursed as possible.

[@xandervampire195]

That doesn't just look "almost like a cheese grater". It literally *is* a cheese grater. I have an identical one in my kitchen right now. This type of cheese grater is very common and is sold in lots of shops like Tesco or Asda. It comes with a container which attaches to the bottom of the grater to collect the cheese. It also has a lid for said container, allowing you to store the grated cheese for later consumption.

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[@alexnicolaou3579]

fun fact. when the clay model of the 1st bmw mini cooper was ready and presented to the team of execs during an internal "launch", a higher up questioned it's lack of exhaust tips. they were supposed to be hidden and pointing downward hidden by the rear bumper. that idea was not to the executive's liking, so the head of design quickly run to the canteen, grabbed 2 pepsi cans and stuck them in the clay... thus the now iconic new mini exhaust tip was born

[@MarXBeats]

"People don't understand the concept" "We like to play with clay, and we gotta pay for it somehow"

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[@ofeliawotsits6080]

My Dad was a talented sculptor, quite natural, never had any training or schooling, and worked as a clay sculptor at British Leyland in the late 1970’s, 80’s and into the early 90’s. He had the dubious pleasure of turning the designer’s wishes into clay models on such things as the Princess. He didn’t think much of the shapes being turned out, and moaned that the “wedge” shape had become all too popular in BL. He said that the surface finish was so good on the models that you couldn’t tell it wasn’t a metal bodied painted car.

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[@maiusako4800]

Trust me as a VR developer. You don't need a real life version at all anymore for a while now and they know it, however companies don't know it yet. As long as companies don't know it, they still have a job.

[@zvisger]

How could I possibly have lived for 32 years and still never have heard of this? Clay car modeling for designing almost all cars?! For ages! Where have I been? Feels like the Mandela effect.

[@ImportedFromSerbia]

lol

[@greatveemon2]

That's impressive. Those modeler deserves all the money they paid for.

[@tasneemchoudhury]

I'm very surprised that these models are not 3D printed yet. I'm glad that traditions are still in place. This looks amazing.

[@alecstaga]

Worked in this field. Awesome job.

[@commandorpirx912]

Imagine the team of people who spent weeks or months carefully sculpting Fiat Multipla, and at no point did the head designer step in to say: Guys, I don't think this looks good.

[@c.w6593]

This is actually super smart, had know idea this is done, makes total sense as clay is easily manipulated.

[@davidreynolds731]

You will never get the same perspective from VR, as a physical object you can touch.

[@cjjojo8985]

Great video! Thank you for the time you took to present this great video. I found it educational and will use it to educate my students.

[@oddmundeide]

Imagine that they did this with the Fiat Multipla, molding it to perfection

[@mervatbassilios7438]

WOW IT WORKED!!!!! THANKS MAN

[@senzen2692]

A successful design gives the illusion of having been made from a single chunk of metal, bad ones seem to have bits tacked on.

[@MendicantBias1]

It all goes back to Nakatomi Plaza in the 1980s. Bill Clay was a rising star cut down in his prime and the auto industry has never been the same without him.

[@SilverSpoon_]

"why not making it in 3D" because design is a form of artistic expression. you want to see the thing in real life, not on a 50inch 4K display, or 3D glasses, you can touch it in IRL.

[@mr.k5865]

I still don't understand. While this is a very well-made video, it still does not clear the confusion- why not just 3D print a model with today's advanced printing technology? They already print all the "difficult sections" for the model ...so if printing can handle the toughest sections, why waste your time using clay for the easy sections? With a fine-quality 3D print, you can still do all the airflow tests, see the visual play on light, make adjustments, etc. Clay seems so antiquated and so unnecessarily costly and time-consuming for this purpose, with a much larger room for human error. And I'm a sculptor who loves clay more than many.

[@jadenephrite]

For those who are unfamiliar, modeling clay is also known as Plasticine.

[@jimmyzhao2673]

The flat light brown colour of the clay itself is quite attractive. I'd love to have an actual car in this colour option.

[@skachor]

"Looks like a cheese grater" Oh come on, I have that exact grater but I haven't lost the collector to mine!

[@Aritul]

Wow! I never knew how intricate the car making process was.