While hybrid power units won’t officially debut in the US open-wheel racing series, INDYCAR, until 2024, Honda Performance Development (HPD), the North American racing arm of American Honda and Acura, has turned a Honda CR-V into a prototype hybrid test racer with the upcoming INDYCAR hybrid powertrain technology onboard.
‘This project vehicle is an INDYCAR beast in Honda CR-V sheep’s clothing,’ said David Salters, president and technical director for Honda Performance Development. ‘The CR-V Hybrid Racer is our rolling electrified laboratory to investigate where the talented men and women of HPD and Honda could go with electrification, hybrid technology and 100% renewable fuels.
Conceived and designed by the engineers at HPD in California and designers from the North America Auto Design Division (NAAD) of American Honda; then built at Honda Automotive Development Center (ADC) in Ohio by the Honda of America Racing Team (HART); the CR-V Hybrid Racer sees the 2024 spec 2.2-litre twin-turbocharged, electrified Honda V6 INDYCAR power unit and transmission under 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid bodywork to create the rolling laboratory for the continued development of electrified technology by Honda and HPD.
The CR-V Hybrid Racer runs on Shell’s 100% renewable race fuel and features world-leading Skeleton Supercapacitors and Empel MGU hybrid motor technology. The Chromoly steel tube chassis of the Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer is clothed in suitably “hybrid” bodywork designed by NAAD. From the beltline up, the Hybrid Racer utilized a standard production sixth-generation CR-V steel body, including the glass windshield, windows and even the sunroof. The lower half is of carbon-composite construction, incorporating a massive front splitter and louvred flared wheel arches. A large rear wing and butterfly half-cut doors on either side for the driver and passenger complete the bodywork.
‘When the design studio learnt about this project, we had already established a great relationship with HPD through other projects, including the ACURA ARX-06,’ said Dave Marek, executive creative director. ‘So this was – pardon the pun – ‘right in our wheelhouse’. It became a ‘what if?’ of keeping the CRV as is but adding some serious attitude with parts indicative of an Indy car. Then it was back to my childhood of never building model cars right out of the box, by manipulating areas with DTM or Japanese Super GT cars in mind. I mocked up the idea in 3D…
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