Giving a car a name like “Beast” typically means it’s going to be outrageous, or at least it should be. And that’s exactly what the Chevy Beast concept truck is. It started as a Silverado pickup truck, and then Chevy engineers were let loose to build the monster desert buggy you see above.
Yes, you read that right, the Beast started as a Silverado. Apparently engineers used a short-bed Silverado chassis to begin with. Then they shortened that frame for improved approach, breakover and departure angles. The whole thing measures 204 inches long with a 126.9-inch wheelbase, both numbers measure more than 20 inches shorter than a Silverado. But then it also became wider. The Beast has a track width of a whopping 91 inches. That’s 17 inches wider than a Ford F-150 Raptor, and nearly the same amount wider than a Hummer EV. The team also built a custom safety structure from chromoly steel and naturally fitted it with aggressive body work, off-road lights and tubular doors.
Some of Beast’s prodigious width is in the huge 37-inch tires on 20-inch beadlock wheels, but some of it is also probably a by-product of the custom long-travel suspension on the truck. The biggest changes are at the back. The leaf-spring setup is gone in favor of a five-link live axle with coil springs. At the front is an independent suspension with custom control arms. All four corners get remote-reservoir off-road shocks. Chevy says the front suspension has 12 inches of travel, and the rear has 15.5. Approach, breakover and departure angles measure 45, 35 and 46.5 degrees, respectively.
Powering the Beast is a supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 V8 making 650 horsepower. It’s coupled to a 10L90 10-speed automatic transmission like what you’ll find in a Camaro ZL1, and it of course has a low-range-equipped transfer case to send power to all four wheels. Stopping the truck is done with a brake upgrade package sold by Chevrolet Performance that includes six-piston front calipers from Brembo. Also worth noting is the fact that the engine and transmission are also available through Chevrolet Performance.
The interior received some attention, too. All four seats are Recaro sports seats and come with four-point harnesses. Instrumentation is provided by a pair of 7-inch screens.
Obviously, this truck is a one-off meant for Chevy to have a little fun, and also to show off some of the parts the company sells through its catalog. As such, you’re not going to be able to buy a Beast anytime soon. But we suppose if you have the money and skills, you might be able to custom build something similar.
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Source: www.autoblog.com