“F1 Pilot Tests Honda’s Unparalleled CR-V Hybrid Racer SUV on Miami Circuit”

The F1 pilot tested the extreme SUV on the circuit in Miami.

The Honda car company is not normally one of the “most unhinged” brands on the market, but in March its American representative presented a sports SUV that is simply unparalleled. Although its official name is the CR-V Hybrid Racer, it has little in common with a traditional road-going SUV. Both in terms of design and the technology hidden under the hood.

The body underwent a significant degreasing procedure, but in addition, it also received a number of aerodynamic elements. Under the hood is a 2.2-liter V6 engine, turbocharged by a pair of Borg Warner turbochargers, supplemented by an Empel MGU hybrid engine. The energy is stored in supercapacitors, and the tuning of the control unit was provided by McLaren Applied Technologies.

The powertrain, taken from the Honda IndyCar racing special, should offer around 800 horsepower, which is quite a lot for a lightweight, lowered and completely redesigned SUV. Two-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen was able to see for himself, who sat behind the wheel of the “Beast”, as the car is also nicknamed, during the race weekend in Miami.

The automaker published a minute-long video in which Verstappen first looks at the car, but then sits behind its wheel. It would be nice to see the entire bike of the famous driver on the circuit, but the automaker only offers a few shots of cornering, a few views from the cabin and finally some stylish wheels in the smoke of burning tires.

After stopping, Verstappen is obviously smiling and reveals that he liked the car. He also appreciated the car’s traction, although it is clear that he is used to quite different behavior from his Red Bull RB19 single-seater. Especially when driving fast on the circuit.

But Honda did not underestimate anything with the chassis of the racing CR-V. The front axle components come from the Acura NSX GT-3 Evo22 racing special, while the rear components come from the Dallara IR-18 Indy car. There are 20″ wheels in the undercarriage, 11″ wide rear wheels shod with Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tires. Brembo discs with a diameter of 355 and 380 mm take care of slowing down.