Here's a reminder of the motoring insanity that has taken hold of us all in the last 10 years or so. Nothing is off the table when it comes to speed and power, and to hammer that point home, Honda is building a CR-V with 800 horsepower. It won't be one you can buy, but still... a CR-V. With 800 hp. These are indeed crazy, extraordinary times to be a petrolhead.
What exactly is Honda doing here? Full details will drop on February 28, as that's when the official debut is scheduled. For now, we can tell you it's called the Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer, designed and built by the "creative minds" of engineers and designers from Honda's Performance Development and Auto Development centers, as well as the North America Auto Design Division.
Gallery: Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer Project
Beyond that, teaser images offer a taste of this truly bizarre SUV. There's carbon fiber everywhere – we can see it on the front fascia and on at least half of the doors, which by the way open butterfly-style at the front. At the back, they don't open at all but instead lift up with the entire back half as part of a rear clamshell. Instead of seats for the kiddos, teaser images showing part of the engine and chassis has us thinking a version of the V6 hybrid powertrain from the NSX is nestled in there. The teaser video at the top of the article features some V6 music as well.
But wait, there's more.
The Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer gets a wild carbon fiber widebody kit that would make Rocket Bunny jealous. Up top, a positively enormous carbon fiber wing looks like something we'd see at Pikes Peak, and because it's still an SUV, there are carbon fiber roof rails that blend into it. We also see enough scoops, vents, and NACA ducts to outfit a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, and glancing inside, there's a caged interior with an F1 steering wheel. That's definitely not a typical CR-V option, but hey, we bet it isn't heated.
A short announcement from Honda doesn't offer any context for the build, other than saying it's "a track monster with some 800 electrified horsepower." We will have the full picture on February 28, so stay tuned for more on this wild CR-V.
