Ford and Chevrolet are seemingly in a battle to present the most badass V8-powered desert runner at SEMA 2021, and it’s honestly too close to call.
The Baja 1000-focused Bronco Desert Racer is the first (limited) production version of the bucking SUV to be offered with an eight-pot. But this Chevy “Beast” boasts considerably more power—650 hp—from the previous-gen Corvette Z06’s supercharged 6.2-liter V8.
The 10-speed transmission from a Camaro ZL1 distributes the output to 20-inch beadlock wheels wrapped in 37-inch off-road tires.
The Beast began as a short-bed Silverado, which then shortened, enforced with a chromoly tubular safety structure, and dressed in a lightweight body featuring tubular doors, a clamshell-style front end, and an overhang-less design in the rear for aggressive attack angles.
Other mechanical upgrades include an unspecified long-travel suspension system and Chevy’s Performance Big Brake Upgrade System, which features enlarged rotors and brake pads, as well as six-piston front brakes.
There there’s the style. Car and Driver likened the open-air, utilitarian off-roader to the Warthog military fast-attack vehicle from the Halo video game franchise.
The black and olive drab body is close, but instead of a rear-mounted machine gun turret, the Beast carries a pair of spare tires in the bed. Baja Designs contributed a host suite of off-road lighting, while the grille and Chevy bowtie emblems are custom.
The cockpit is also spartan (that’s with a lowercase S, Halo fans), featuring four Recaro seats with four-point harnesses, a schematic placard, and a pair of seven-inch LCD screens to monitor vehicle status.
“The Chevy Beast concept takes the popularity of high-performance off-road trucks to the next level,” said GM Performance and Motorsports VP Jim Campbell. “It’s a vision for a new dimension of Chevrolet Performance capability from a brand that’s been pioneering performance and supporting customer personalization for more than 50 years.”
Chevrolet is showing off the Beast next to Silverado, Colorado, Tahoe and Suburban concepts now at SEMA in Las Vegas. If there’s an alien invasion, you’ll know which ride to pick.
