The Japanese company has always been famous for amazing engines and innovative engineering and the new 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer is just another car that showcases the latest achievements of its engineers. A company that produces numerous popular car models, some of the best motorcycles and even airplanes also have a great motorsports pedigree and among other involvements, it is also part of the IndyCar competition. Currently, it supplies five teams with a powertrain and we have just seen the launch of its latest hybrid power unit, which offers an impressive max output of 800 horsepower.
The new powertrain brings some pretty interesting technical solutions and once again, Honda engineers confirmed their excellent reputation. So, we have no doubt that many of these patents and technical solutions will soon find their place in commercial use.
2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer Powertrain
Of course, this is the most integral part of the new car and it showcases the latest technological achievements of the world’s largest producer of internal-combustion cars. The system is based on a 2.2-liter V6 engine, which runs on a 100% renewable race fuel, developed by Shell, which is pretty much ethanol that comes from sugarcane waste and other biofuels.
Besides the internal-combustion engine, the system also includes a unique hybrid setup, which includes an Empel electric motor and a supercapacitor that was developed by Skeleton Technologies. Also, it’s good to mention that the engine comes coupled with a six-speed gearbox.
One of the most important parts of this system is the aforementioned supercapacitor, which may not be able to store as much energy as batteries but, on the other hand, it is able to dispense plenty of energy incredibly quickly and it offers exceptional efficiency. So far, Lamborghini has been the only manufacturer to use this technology in the production year, in just one model called Lamborghini Sian, which was produced in very limited numbers.
All in all, the whole system offers a max output of around 800 horsepower.
2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer Design
The new engine comes as a part of the 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer, which comes with the body of Honda’s super-popular CR-V crossover. You can easily recognize a familiar silhouette, which comes upgraded with tons of exclusive details. Many of them are inspired by the legendary Group B rally cars from the 80s. You can also notice a couple of parts from the standard CR-V, such as a windshield and greenhouse. Also, there is a bunch of custom parts, such as fender flares that are made from carbon fiber. Of course, this model is all about aerodynamics, so you can see parts like a gigantic rear wing, a sharp front splitter, and sporty side skirts. On the other hand, the interior is completely stripped out.
In terms of the chassis and suspension setup, there are many components worth mentioning. For example, the rear suspension and brakes come directly from the Dallara IndyCar, while the front suspension and brakes are the same as those found in the Acura NSX GT-3 Evo22. The car features 20-inch wheels, wrapped with Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 summer tires measuring 285/35 up front and 305/35 at the rear
Does this mean that Honda is secretly working on a high-performance CR-V? We can’t say for sure but we would definitely love to see something like that.