The results are in for 3DModels’ 2024 Car Render Challenge! This year, an impressive turnout of 116 talented artists showcased their skills and creativity in automotive rendering. With a dedicated jury panel of 28 industry experts, each submission was evaluated based on creativity, technical prowess, and overall execution. Fox Renderfarm, a leading cloud rendering services provider and render farm in the industry, is a proud sponsor of this challenge. We are excited to celebrate these remarkable achievements and witness the continued innovation and creativity within the 3DModels challenges.
Meet the Winners of 2024 Car Render Challenge
1st Place: 41 Seconds by Kevin Boulton
41 Seconds © Kevin Boulton
Made with using 3ds Max, V-Ray 6, tyFlow, Chaos Cosmos, Chaos Phoenix, Photoshop, Lightroo
A short story behind the artwork:
2013 saw Jenson Button take the Mclaren P1 up Goodwood Hill Climb chasing the track record, a time set by Nick Heidfeld in 1999 of 41.6 seconds.
We find ourselves looking down the starting line, watching the Mclaren P1 speeding towards us as the reactive spoiler lifts up to control the speed. This beautiful and insanely styled car gave us a glimpse into what the future of the supercar world would look like. There’s no better place to inspire the next generation than launching off the line at Goodwood Hill Climb.
Jury says:
Carlos Colorsponge: 41 Seconds An outstanding depiction of the McLaren P1 in full speed at Goodwood. The environment is masterfully recreated, with stunning lighting that filters beautifully through the trees, enhancing the overall realism.
Kris Yu: Beautiful composition and lighting setup, the depth of field really pushes this piece to a next level. Really impressive piece that catches all the smaller details in the frame.
Samuel Winter: Beautiful Render! The use of DOF to frame the crisp subject of the image is nice, the lighting conveys the sense of a warm day, and highlights the curves of the car. Everything about this image screams high quality.
Ralph Huchtemann: Kevin Boulton did a wonderful job in creating this racing car’s sleek and futuristic design while making it look very realistic. The interplay of light and shadow on the car as well as across the racing track highlights the artist’s skill in creating a scene that feels both cinematic and lifelike. Very good job!
Zacharias Reinhardt: This render is very realistic with great lighting and lots of detail in the car and the scene. The McLaren P1 is well made, and the way it is framed makes it stand out nicely. The background has good details but does not take attention from the car, making the whole render balanced and impressive.
Quick interview with Kevin Boulton:
– How long have you been into 3D modeling? Please, tell us about yourself.
I have been working in the 3D industry for 13+ years now, gaining experience across all areas of the creative industry here at Triad in Northampton UK. I’m endlessly looking to improve myself but also learn as much as possible from the team around me. 3D is like a good book, I can’t put it down once I’ve started, so being up until the early house has made me pretty hardy. I’m pretty sure I have entered this competition almost every year now and each time it’s been as fun as the last.
– How much time did you spend creating your car render? What challenges did you face?
This project took the best part of a month to get right. Each evening I would work until the early hours to craft the details. The car was so much fun to create I had to make sure I left time to add come character to the scene and tell a story. The P1 has so many details I wanted to get them right.
Key challenges such as crafting the smoke were time consuming. Mainly because I wanted to balance realism and quality. Re-running SIM after SIM to get the atmosphere to how I wanted it was a key element to get right. Many tools came together for this render so making sure each stage was completed before adding the next level of detail was key to keep on track. It’s easy to get lost with so many tools in play.
After seeing software change over the last 10+ years, we really do have a huge toolbox to play with now. Seeing renderings almost in real time helps ideas come to life, but more importantly allows improvements to art direction with near instant results. Then it’s about knowing when to stop, that’s the hard part.
– What advice would you give to future participants in our challenges?
My advice would be firstly to give it a go. You will get so much out of it in terms of personal progression and benchmarking. I would also say to keep organised and stay commited. Once you hit key stages of the concept, add that little bit more. You will be surprised where resilience will get you. This competition is a great way to keep driving your skills forward.
2nd Place: High-Speed Frenzy by Todor Vladev
High-Speed Frenzy © Todor Vladev
Made with using Unreal Engine 5, Autodesk 3ds Max, Adobe Substance 3D Painter, Adobe Photoshop
The author also gets the iRender team choice award.
Jury says:
Alessandro Maniscalco: Amazing shots! This scene drive me into a blockbuster movie. A super fast cyberpunk scene and dynamic characters movements give to me a superb emotional feeling.
Samuel Winter: The use of motion blur for the camera and moving objects, really sells the dynamic nature of this scene. The light is very soft, which along with the muted colours of the environment, offers a stark contrast with the neon signs and more colourful aspects of the render.
Xiaoyue Zhang: The complexity of the scene and the dynamic character actions make this render truly stand out. I can imagine the countless iterations the artist must have gone through to strike the perfect balance between lighting, color, material, and composition.
Phillip Gara: Great composition and atmosphere, it is a futuristic render with dramatic elements and a creative car design.
Tom Grimes: This one is full of story, drama, and excitement! Very nice use of motion blur in the places where it’s needed, conveying the speed and the action, but not turning the whole image into a complete blur. Expertly set up to have a focal point of interest (car, falling biker, biker aiming backward, in a nice triangle), but then with plenty of other things to look at and appreciate in the image too.
Erlingur Einarsson: This composition is impressive and captures a vibrant, futuristic urban scene beautifully, reminiscent of Cyberpunk 2077 without being derivative. The scene is filled with intricate details, from the busy street with vehicles and pedestrians to the neon-lit buildings, which enhance the cyberpunk vibe.
Frederic Servant: I feel drawn into the action of this futurist city setting, with a car reminiscent of the 512 S Speciale trying to escape an ambush.
Quick interview with Todor Vladev:
– How long have you been into 3D modeling? Please, tell us about yourself.
I’ve been working in 3D modeling and visualization since 2015, and I currently work professionally as a freelance 3D visualization artist. In my spare time, I enjoy exploring personal projects that allow me to experiment with different styles and techniques, often diverging from the nature of my professional work. Recently, I’ve started incorporating Unreal Engine 5 into my workflow, focusing on visualizations and animations to further expand my skill set and creative possibilities.
– How much time did you spend creating your car render? What challenges did you face?
The entire process, from start to finish, took about a month and a half. One of the main challenges was deciding on the type of car I wanted to model and the environment to place it in. Eventually, I settled on the idea of an 80’s sports car prototype and a chase scene, as it felt dynamic and cinematic, and it was something I hadn’t tackled before. I wanted to create a high-energy action shot with a strong cinematic feel. For the background, I envisioned a cyberpunk-style city—something futuristic but not overly so, striking the right balance to complement the car and the scene.
– What advice would you give to future participants in our challenges?
The foundation of great art lies in a strong idea. Once you have that spark of inspiration, the next step is research and observation — study real-world examples to understand the details, textures, and nuances that bring your vision to life. By grounding your creativity in reality, you can craft work that feels authentic, impactful, and truly remarkable. Remember, the combination of imagination and thoughtful observation is what elevates good art to greatness.
3rd Place: Garage Sweet Garage by Aldison Ymeraj
Garage Sweet Garage © Aldison Ymeraj
Made with using 3ds Max, KeyShot, Photoshop.
A short story behind the artwork:
Welcome to the ultimate haven for car enthusiasts! This dream home-garage combines car detailing and spaces to relax and play. Owned by a legendary race driver, the garage is decorate with his trophies and memorabilia.
For this challenge I modeled one of my favorite need for speed car the Nissan 240SX. I try to make a modern body kit for it and keep the original shape under. The owner of this car is a Japanese legend race driver so I made it ready for the next race.
Jury says:
Philipp Staab: This render instantly became our first pick with its incredible detail, excellent composition, and strong storytelling. Every corner of the scene is filled with storytelling elements that make us want to dive in and discover more.
Jim Thacker: The car is still (just) the star of this appealing image, but there are so many fun details in the ultimate man-cave surrounding it.
Filippo Ubertino: I was very struck by the use of props to communicate something more than a simple rendering of a car. Although the image is overdetailed, it is interesting to stop and notice all those details that add depth to the author’s message.
Chris Scubli: There’s a lot of detail in the scene, assembling a thoughtful and intricate location to serve the car. There’s good worldbuilding with the choice of props and it avoids being too busy through good set dressing.
Clayton Sjoerdsma: I really like the attention to detail in the scene, for example the phone in the bottom with the camera on. I feel maybe overall it is a little busy.
Congratulations to all the winners!
"VW Beetle (fusca) 63′ – around the world" by Luis Fernando Florentino won the Fox Renderfarm Team Choice Award!
VW Beetle (fusca) 63′ – around the world © Luis Fernando Florentino
Fox Renderfarm Team: "A classic Volkswagen Beetle with luggage piled on the roof and various national flags displayed on the windows. The car symbolizes not just a means of transportation, but also companionship and shared experiences. The scene is very heartwarming, evoking a relaxed and nostalgic atmosphere."
For more winners’ work, check out 3DModels’ announcement. A big thank you goes out to everyone who made this challenge a success!
Source from 3DModels
