In the thrilling new movie “Twisters,” Glen Powell’s character, Tyler Owens, isn’t just chasing tornadoes for YouTube fame—he’s doing it in style and safety with a custom-built Dodge Ram truck, designed to withstand winds of up to 130 miles per hour.
Tyler Owens, a YouTube superstar known for his daring tornado chases, drives a rugged Dodge Ram that reflects his extreme persona. Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as Kate Cooper, a meteorologist haunted by a stormy past, and Anthony Ramos plays her colleague Javi. Together, they face one of Oklahoma’s deadliest tornado seasons.
The design of Tyler’s truck was a collaboration between Sean Waugh, a research scientist at the National Severe Storm Laboratory, and the film’s production designer, Patrick Sullivan. Originally described in the script as a “battered SUV,” the team decided on a dually truck, reminiscent of the 1996 “Twister” film. The Ram, equipped with an exoskeleton of welded steel and a roll cage-like frame, was made to endure the intense conditions Tyler faces.
Director Lee Isaac Chung and Sullivan created a backstory for the truck, imagining it as a once-shiny red vehicle now reborn after being battered by tornadoes. Tyler’s custom logo, a tornado with horns, adds to the truck’s fierce look.
In a dramatic scene, Tyler’s truck reveals its full capabilities: rods shoot out to anchor it firmly into the ground, preventing it from being swept away by the funnel cloud. This design, based on real-life storm chaser vehicles, underscores the film’s commitment to authenticity.
The truck also features pipes that launch fireworks into the tornado, a fictional but spectacular addition to hype Tyler’s character. “We’ve done similar projects, not necessarily driving into a tornado, but we’ve tried to get near it,” Waugh explains. Although storm chasers haven’t shot fireworks into tornadoes yet, Waugh predicts it could happen soon.
Tyler’s truck, with its extra weight on the chassis and reinforced frame, can withstand winds up to 130 MPH. However, as Waugh notes, even the toughest vehicles have limits. “Once you start getting wind underneath it, you’re going to start changing the aerodynamics of the vehicle,” he says. “That’s when you start running into problems like tipping, rolling, or flying.”
For those inspired by Tyler’s tornado-chasing Ram, Waugh recommends additional panels, more armor plating, and stronger windows to keep debris at bay.
“Twisters” not only delivers high-octane action but also showcases the incredible engineering behind storm-chasing vehicles, making it a must-watch for adrenaline junkies and gearheads alike.
—
Photo Credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com