Chevrolet Beast concept unveiled at SEMA 2021

The Chevrolet Beast is designed to conquer the desert.

Up top there’s a lightweight minimalist body, while underneath it borrows underpinnings from the Silverado pickup truck. A custom-made chromoly steel tubular safety structure should help protect passengers if anything goes awry.

Thanks to its short overhangs and a plethora of off-road design features, the Beast has an impressive approach angle of 45 degrees, a departure angle of 46.5 degrees, and a breakover angle of 35 degrees.

If you’re driving or riding along, be prepared to get dusty as the Beast has tubular doors, two partial front windscreens, and no rear windscreen. The concept features a set of powerful off-road LED lights, and an open rear tray fitted with two spare wheels.

Inside, the barebones cabin has four Recaro seats, each with a four-point safety harness. There are two 7.0-inch screens on the dashboard to help monitor the car’s vital signs, including pitch and roll data.

Under the bonnet lies Chevrolet’s LT4 supercharged 6.2-litre V8 crate engine, which generates 485kW of power. All that urge is sent to all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission and a two-speed transfer case.

Under the skin, the Beast uses a version of the short-bed Silverado’s chassis with a shorter frame and various modifications to suit desert racing.

The Beast is said to be 5182mm long on a 3223mm wheelbase, while the track has been widened to an eye-popping 2311mm.

It rides a long-travel suspension system with fully adjustable racing struts up front, and a five-link setup with Panhard rod and adjustable shocks at the rear. There are remote reservoirs at both ends.

The Beast employs 20-inch Raceline RTM260M Avenger True beadlock wheels paired with chunky 37-inch AMP Terrain Attack M/T tyres.

A beefy braking package has been fitted, which includes Brembo units up front with six-piston calipers.

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