Logan, the latest episode of the X-Men series, is also the final chapter in the 17-year journey of the character Wolverine played by actor Hugh Jackman.
Set in the near future in 2029, at that time the X-Men have disbanded, Logan and Charles Xavier are living separately from the world. At this time, old Logan was working as a driver of a rental limousine. The car traveling on all roads in the movie also plays an important role, and from a certain perspective, it embellishes Logan with its own stories.
Accompanying Logan is a Chrysler limousine. The car appears right from the beginning of the story and acts as an independent character. Nick Pugh – designer and artist, and production designer François Audouy, along with the film’s car creative team, revealed to Jalopnik the process of creating the machine specifically for the main characters of Logan.
Pugh and his colleagues once considered a car like the Lincoln Continental limo – simple lines, muscular appearance and full of masculinity. Something has to be big and ostentatious. Ultimately, the Chrysler 300 ticks all the boxes.
Both the 2015 and 2016 Chrysler 300 were used in the film. But the challenge arose for the design team, when they had to redesign not only the shape but also the structure of the car to suit the context and reality in the movie. How to give the car the desired shape but still retain the original unibody structure. And how to turn current cars into products of 2029. Those are all difficult questions.
They chose to “disguise” the entire Chrysler with a thick wrap, covering most of its surface parts. The oversized design far exceeds the original, so both the finished rim and wheel had to be made larger to match. The body of the car, in addition to aesthetics, serves as a flexible makeup layer. There are many different body designs, which can be stripped, dirty, and punctured to make the car look like it just went through hell. This allowed them to avoid destroying the car during “car violence” scenes, in case the scene might need to be re-shot.
The “hero” limo – as Pugh calls it, does not participate in risky or heavy action scenes, like crashing through fences or flying over something. That’s the job of another 500-horsepower “stunt car.” “The stunt car has nothing to do with the Chrysler 300,” Pugh said, “it just has the same exterior paneling as a limo.” The stunt car has almost no interior, just a seat, a tube frame and front and rear suspension. Underneath the Chrysler’s body is a structure that resembles a Baja truck.
“How can you create something that’s unique, futuristic, but doesn’t take away from the character or the essence of the plot?” This was also a difficult challenge for Pugh and co. Therefore, the design concept comes from the latest innovation in current car trends movie, Logan’s car is at least 5 years old, so it cannot look brand new role of an anonymous limo driver. Therefore, the futuristic and modern look does not suit the limo.
In the movie, there are other cars worth mentioning. Is the private fleet of members of the Reaver army. These half-human, half-machine characters are Logan’s main antagonist group, so Reaver’s vehicle also reflects this. These are cars that almost only have frames and stunt cars, built from large 4×4 frames. Pugh firmly maintained that the appearance of these vehicles must not have any military flavor. Because the Reavers in the movie have nothing to do with the military, they are a group of mercenaries paid by a large corporation. Typically a Ram 1500 or equally impressive is a Jeep Cherokee.
The truck that holds Caliban, a mutant who accompanies Logan, was originally a large container truck, with the sole function (true to its name) of transporting containers on the seaport. The interior exudes high technology to match the style and habits of the Reaver team. This is the perfect choice from art director Luke Freeborn, because such a container truck will both fit the film’s requirements and be very economical.
The movie takes place in 2029, so futuristic cars are a highlight. In particular, self-driving cars are an interesting performance. But how precise the technology is and how it needs to be represented is another challenge. The answer lies in trucks and tractors. The actual design is a cargo container located on a support system with wheels and engines. “They have absolutely no regard for humans or their health. They look menacing,” Pugh explained.
