Desert-Ready ‘The Chevy Beast’ Concept Arrives at SEMA
Each year, automakers show off their coolest concepts at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Tomorrow marks the start of the event and Chevrolet has brought The Chevy Beast — a powerful, desert-ready concept — to the showcase as well as a packed roster of performance-inspired trucks.
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“The Chevy Beast concept takes the popularity of high-performance off-road trucks to the next level,” said Jim Campbell, GM U.S. vice president of Performance and Motorsports. “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.”
Built from a modified Silverado chassis, The Chevy Beast was created with high-performance desert running in mind. Under the hood is a Chevrolet Performance 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that’s rated at a whopping 650 horsepower. The engine is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission that sends torque to the Beast’s two-speed transfer case, which then distributes that power to massive 37-inch off-road tires.
When it comes to other impressive modifications, Chevy put a concept version of a long-travel off-road suspension system on the Beast as well as a five-link rear suspension. This system was upgraded to provide a wider track and more stable handling when off-roading.
“There’s nothing else like The Chevy Beast,” said Jeff Trush, GM program manager of Pace Car and Specialty Show Vehicles. “It delivers a ton of performance and capability, which makes it adept at conquering rough terrain — and it flat-out flies in desert running.”
Along with being capable, The Chevy Beast is also stylish. However, the concept’s exterior was designed with functionality in mind, too. The lightweight front end optimizes the concept for desert running while the open rear allows dust and debris to leave the vehicle. The back end of the Beast also features nearly no overhang to maximize its climbing abilities and approach angles on steep inclines. Rounding out the appealing yet useful features are the powerful lights from Baja Designs.
While you can’t buy The Chevy Beast from your local dealer, this concept does show what Chevy has in mind for the future when it comes to capability and performance. More of this can be found in the eight other concept vehicles the automaker brought to SEMA this year. Additional details about these models can be found at Chevy’s SEMA website.
Ben never thought he’d be writing about cars for a living, but here he is, knowing more about the Kia Stinger than he’d care to admit. When he’s not devoting his time to researching engine specs and other oh-so-exciting car details, he can be found enjoying time with his wife and dogs. See more articles by Ben.