Chevy Beast concept unveiled at SEMA

SEMA is always a hot breeding ground for seriously gnarly 4x4 concepts, so it comes as no surprise that Chevy went big this year with its Beast desert racer.

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The concept car started out life as a basic Silverado short-bed chassis, before Chevy engineers cut even more off it and added structure using 4130 chromoly tubing top to bottom.

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For power, the Beast uses the 484kW supercharged LT4 V8 from the previous generation Corvette Z06, mated to a 10-speed 10L90 automatic transmission that sends the power through a two-speed transfer case.

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Despite being a racer, the concept car is actually a four-seater. That’s about where the practicality ends for space though, as the boot is filled entirely with two rear wheels.

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Speaking of which, the Beast uses appropriately massive 37x13.5-inch AMP Terrain Attach M/T tyres wrapped around 20x10-inch beadlock wheels.

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Suspension consists of a five-link setup in the rear – with fully adjustable racing strut units with remote reservoirs, combined with big Brembo brakes that boast six pistons, up front.

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The combination of V8 power, massive 37-inch tyres, exo-skeleton exterior and being purpose-built for desert racing really does point to this being Chevrolet’s direct reply to Ford’s recently unveiled Bronco DR.

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Like the Beast, the Bronco DR also uses V8 power pinched from a sports car (the Coyote V8 from the Mustang GT) with a 10-speed automatic, tubular roll cage, 37-inch off road tyres and race-built suspension.

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However, the biggest difference between the two is that the Bronco is no concept – but rather a prototype that Ford has full intention of building.

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Ford plans on entering its own Bronco DR into the Dakar Rally next year, and while the latter won’t be legal for street use, a limited number of customers will be able to purchase one from the US firm by late next year – with prices starting at US$200,000 (AU$270,306).