Driving simulators provide engineers with a power tool in the development and modification stages of vehicle models. One of the most important factors to realistic simulations is the fidelity obtained by a motion bed and a real-time visual image generation algorithm. Virtual reality technology has been widely used to enhance the fidelity of vehicle simulators. This paper develops the virtual environment for such visual system as head-mounted display for a vehicle driving simulator. Virtual vehicle and environment models are constructed using the object-oriented analysis and design approach. Based on the object model, a three-dimensional graphic model is completed with CAD tools such as Rhino and Pro/ENGINEER. For real-time image generation, the optimized IRIS Performer 3D graphics library is embedded with the multi-thread methodology. The developed software for a virtual driving simulator offers an effective interface to virtual reality devices.