TiAl aluminides represent a new class of heavy-duty construction materials for application in the temperature range between 500 and 800degreesC. Considering a significant breakthrough in the development of TiAl aluminides in the last few years, this material is on the verge of commercial application in the automotive and aerospace industries. A prototype of a TiAl-based turbocharger rotor was produced by a precision casting process in a centrifugal vacuum furnace applying a >>selfsupporting<< ceramic shell mold. Optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction technique, hardness measurements and unaxial tensile tests were performed for the characterization of microstructure and mechanical proper-ties.