For OdeCar (which is a lot of fun) I found it much easier to use a chase view, so I added the following:
} else if (camera == 4) {
// Chase Camera
viewCenter = odeCar.getObjectPosition(4);
viewLocation = odeCar.getObjectPosition(4);
viewLocation.x -= 0;
viewLocation.y -= 0f;
viewLocation.z += 3f;
viewCenter.x += 0;
viewCenter.y += 1f;
viewCenter.z += 3f;
view.getTransform().lookAt(viewLocation, viewCenter,
new Vector3f(0, 0, 1));
Matrix3f m = odeCar.getObjectRotation(4);
Matrix3f m2 = new Matrix3f();
m2.rotX((float) Math.PI / 2);
m.mul(m2);
view.getTransform().setRotation(m);
Vector3f chaseV = new Vector3f(0, 10f, 50f);
Transform3D chaseT3D = new Transform3D();
chaseT3D.set(chaseV);
view.getTransform().mul(chaseT3D);
}
and
case '4':
camera = 4;
break;
This adds the “traditional” chase view found in most driving games these days 
I’ve build an human body (crash test dummy from 3dstudio) that can dropped in a boxstack, it’s pretty funny.