Why Car Companies Still Use Expensive Clay Models

For nearly a century, car companies all over the world have built life-size clay models of vehicles in order to make all sorts of design decisions. But don’t let the humble materials fool you: luxury brands like Bentley often spend more than $650,000 to make just one model. This video looks at the benefits of building these pricey prototypes during the development process and why virtual reality tools won’t entirely replace clay anytime soon. 

Questions:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using clay models during the automotive design process?
2. Do you think life-size clay models of vehicles will eventually be replaced by virtual reality and other sophisticated digital tools? Why or why not?