MAX VERSTAPPEN GOES BEAST MODE WITH THE HONDA CR-V HYBRID RACER IN MIAMI.
A few months back Honda released images and details of their reimagined Honda CR-V which was transformed from a mommy van into a power-packed racecar that shows off all the different technologies and manufacturing processes that the automaker has at its disposal - and that’s a heck of a lot considering the company is heavily involved in Formula 1 and a bunch of that tech has trickled down into this one-off custom racer that is set to be part of the NTT Indycar Series in 2024. This amazing creation was dubbed the CR-V Hybrid Racer and as that same suggests, it was the meeting of old and new technologies that would be powering this ultra-limited edition Honda. At the time of the release of the news of this car, we knew it would have a special powerplant thanks to the name, but there were no real details of what exactly the engine setup would be exactly. Well, now that the car is being seen around the world thanks to the magic of the interwebs, and has been tested on a few racetracks, we now know the car will be powered by a state-of-the-art twin-turbocharged 2.2-litre, electrified Honda V6 INDYCAR power unit and transmission. That means it will likely be rather rapid when it comes to nailing it at 10/10ths on the track. The Hybrid Racer has been based on the 6th-generation CR-V, but the lower half is made from a carbon-composite construction and incorporates a massive front splitter and louvred, flared fenders to accommodate wider race-spec wheels and tyres. The Hybrid Racer features a one-of-a-kind wrap designed by Lili Melikian and it cleverly contains some “easter eggs” that include ghosted images of the powertrain and INDYCAR SERIES circuits.
While this CR-V Hybrid Racer is set to compete in INDYCAR, having a Honda body and powerplant means it has a link to Honda in Formula 1, and that means the car can be made available to some well-known drivers to, shall we say sample? That links the car to the Oracle Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team and in turn that 25-year-old driver who has two Formula 1 World Championships to his name - Max Verstappen. The Honda Racing crew invited the young driver to sample the INDYCAR racer at the Homestead-Miami Speedway where INDYCAR driver James Hinchcliffe showed him the CR-V’s ropes. The combination of Verstappen and the Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer proves just why the car has is referred to as the HPD Beast. “This project vehicle is an INDYCAR ‘beast’ in Honda CR-V ‘sheep’s clothing’,” said David Salters, president and technical director for Honda Performance Development, the North American racing arm of American Honda and Acura. “The CR-V Hybrid Racer is our ‘rolling electrified laboratory’, to investigate where the talented men and women of HPD and Honda could go with electrification, hybrid technology and 100% renewable fuels. It epitomizes Honda’s fun-to-drive ethos, showcases electrification and it just rocks our car culture roots and racing heritage! We present the CR-V Hybrid Racer – aka ‘The HP Beast’!”
Take a look at the YouTube video showing what Formula 1 drivers do in their spare time between races, which if you thought was have more fun with cars as we did, you'd be right. Ahead of the 2023 Miami Grand Prix, Verstappen Homestead-Miami Speedway for a test session with the amazing Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer: Max Verstappen Drives Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer aka The Beast | Honda
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