This new video from Honda Performance Development (HPD) details the development of the CR-V Hybrid Racer. The engineers responsible tell the story behind the 14-month-long project to build the world’s only SUV powered by an IndyCar drivetrain.
A special one-off, it serves as a rolling laboratory for Honda’s electrified motorsport programs; it shares some components with the CR-V crossover and houses an IndyCar twin-turbo V6.
“The CR-V Hybrid Racer is a passion project for everyone at Honda involved with its design, engineering and contruction,” said David Salters, president and technical director for HPD, the North American racing arm of American Honda. “The Beast epitomizes Honda’s fun-to-drive ethos and racing heritage.”
Experts at HPD’s southern California facility developed the CR-V Hybrid Racer, then the Honda of America Racing Team constructed the vehicle at Honda’s North American Automotive Development Center in Ohio.
