It’s undeniably cool that Honda decided to put an 800 hp (596 kW/811 PS) IndyCar engine into a CR-V and called it The Beast. And while the use of real CR-V body panels makes it even cooler, it also led to some of the team’s biggest headaches.
In a new video elaborating on the creation of The Beast, Honda senior engineer Jordan Guitar said that getting the body panels to align correctly led to all kinds of issues and caused them to reconsider their design.
“One of our big issues was the rear pivoting portion of the body – the clamshell and how it’s attached to the tube chassis itself. That’s real CR-V bodywork, so sheet metal, pillars, all of that,” said Guitar. “In the original design, that large rear pivoting frame section was supposed to hinge at the front upper edge. We ended up coming with a reverse design that pivots from the lower rear section.”
Read: Max Verstappen Tames Honda’s ‘The Beast’ CR-V Hybrid Racer With Over 800 HP In Miami
Doing that while making everything look good proved to be a major challenge for the team. That’s not to say that it was the only difficulty, though. As has been previously reported, the engine is attached to an IndyCar rear suspension, as you’d expect. But the front suspension is from an NSX GT3 racecar. Getting it all to fit together in a vehicle that’s supposed to look nothing like either of those vehicles is easier said than done.
In addition, the team added a hybrid power system that not only advertises Honda’s own power systems, but offers fans a preview of IndyCar’s future, too. From the passenger’s seat, the experience is something to behold.
“It will launch completely electric, and there’s virtually no sound- or that slight whining sound – and then all of a sudden, it erupts,” said John Whiteman, Honda Performance Development commercial manager. “It’s just this crazy cognitive dissonance, where you see something, but you hear something [else], and it’s all completely new, so it’s a pretty awe-inspiring experience.”
Although it’s a marketing exercise, Honda’s goal with The Beast was to catch people’s attention with something fun. From the Group B rallying-inspired body kit, to the wrap that’s full of Honda Easter eggs, to the ridiculous engine and body combination, to the crazy rides it can provide for its passengers, the automaker says it was mostly focused on amusing people when it created the one-off.