GM Can Now Turn a Car Sketch Into a Render in Less Than a Day

Car design used to move slowly. You sketch, pass it on, wait, and then come back and refine it. GM still starts the same way, with designers drawing by hand.

From there, though, things move much faster. Turning a sketch into a full render or even a 3D animation can now happen in less than a day. Daniel Shapiro says this used to take months and multiple teams, so the whole process just flows a lot quicker now.

That speed really changes the flow. Designers can play with dozens of versions of the same idea, instead of settling too early. They can explore, tweak, and follow what feels right. It also frees up time to come up with new ideas, not just polish one direction.

On the engineering side, AI is helping in a different way. GM has built a tool that works like a virtual wind tunnel. Before, testing aerodynamics meant using CFD simulations and physical wind tunnels, which could take days or even weeks for small changes.

Now, engineers can tweak things like the roofline or hood and see the effect on drag almost right away. It helps them move faster and try ideas more freely.

So the process still feels familiar. Designers sketch, engineers test. It just flows better now, with more chances to explore different ideas along the way.