Over the years, computer-generated imagery (CGI) brought our fantasies to life in digital form. Our wildest imaginations are able to be recreated in an alternate reality that isn't bound by any laws of physics or what science has told us. CGI has also blurred the line between the virtual and reality, and this prime example that we see here of a 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 recreated in Unreal Engine 4 is further proof of this.

Mustang Mach 1971 - Unreal Engine from Jefferson Dall Est on Vimeo.

As a matter of fact, with even the scenery being digitally recreated, one can argue that this video showcasing a digitized 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 looks better than real life. Without the limitations of your geographic location, every single facet of the environment and the vehicle can be tweaked to look picture perfect.

Videos like these often serve as a showcase of how far we have come in terms of how much graphical power computers nowadays have. This is what picture-perfect driving games are made of, though making the cars drive like the real thing is another challenge to consider. It's one thing to just make a virtual car look good, but it's another to give it authentic and true-to-life driving dynamics.

This digital recreation of the 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is the work of Jefferson Dall Est, and the vehicle has been perfectly crafted from head-to-tail using the power of computers. From the headlights, the top-mounted supercharger, and the chrome trim pieces surrounding the vehicle, no stone has been left unturned in creating this life-like digital model of the Mustang Mach 1.

A contributing factor to its realism is how the digital artist was able to apply ray tracing, which is a relatively new technology in the realm of computer graphics. Ray tracing is a lighting technique that emulates the way light reacts to the various surfaces of the virtual world. For instance, shiny objects such as the Mustang Mach 1's chrome trim pieces will reflect objects, while the leaves and humidity in forests will distort light rays and make them scattered.

Though Unreal Engine 4 isn't the latest computer graphics engine by Epic Games, not a lot of video games were still able to extract its full potential. Since this is only a short video that doesn't need to take into consideration factors such as vehicle physics or an open world, all of the gaming engine's graphical power can solely be dedicated to rendering this short clip of the Mustang Mach 1.

Jefferson Dall Est's CGI work extends far beyond his hobbies, however. He recently created a CGI-based commercial for the WR-V supermini crossover, among other projects. It's no wonder then that even automakers are seeking his talent for their television ads.