Every year at SEMA we expect some wild builds but nobody was ready for the Chevrolet Beast Concept.
Unlike many of the other vehicles at the event that are simply shells with almost no real functionality. But the Beast is a serious off-road machine that we hope will see some form of production one day.
It started out as a Silverado but it’s been given some incredible performance-enhancing modifications. Let’s take a deep dive into the DNA of the Chevrolet Beast Concept.
Silverado packed with steroids
This Truck Is Brutish
Consider this. The base Chevrolet Silverado makes 277 horsepower. The Chevrolet Beast Concept makes 650.
In effect, it has more than twice the power, weighs less, and is shorter. The engine sitting in front of the Beast is a supercharged LT4 crate motor that anyone can buy directly from Chevy themselves. That engine sends power to all four 37-inch tires through a 10-speed automatic. A two-speed transfer case is also incorporated.
Of the Beast and its wild powertrain, Jim Campbell, GM U.S. VP of Performance and Motorsports at Chevrolet said “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.”
At the same time, no proper desert racer is complete without the ability to control all that power. Thankfully, Chevy thought of that too.
Beast attacking SEMA 2021
Reigning In The Chevrolet Beast Concept
650 horsepower is almost as much as the brand new Chevrolet Corvette Z06. That’s basically a racecar for the road.
Plus, it has special suspension and brakes to keep it on its line too. So what does the Beast Concept have to keep it on its off-road line? A boatload of technology and performance parts.
First, the entire vehicle is held together with a custom 4130 Chromoly tubular safety structure. Then, Chevy fitted a truly bespoke long-travel suspension. In the front, there’s up to 12-inches of total travel while a custom five-link rear suspension provides up to 15.5-inches of horizontal travel.
Inside the cabin, drivers will find a pair of 7-inch display screens that inform on matters like pitch and roll during off-road adventures. Two giant 37-inch tires sit in the bed wrapped around 20-inch bead-lock-capable wheels.
There’s no promise that this vehicle will come anywhere near production. However, considering entries from Ford and RAM like the Raptor and the TRX it would seem likely that Chevrolet is eyeing a potential competitor. We can only hope that it has half of the personality and panache of the Beast concept truck.
