Honda is ready to take on the Pikes Peak hill climb for the first time, and will be fielding an all-new entry this year. Based off of the Pilot crossover, Honda Performance Development will send the 400-hp HPD Desert Pilot into off-road Racing Duty.
Far from a stock Pilot crossover, HPD has built the off-road racer around a tubular space-frame chassis with King Shocks, four-wheel independent suspension, and dressed it in bodywork that replicates the Pilot’s bodywork. The wheel arches have stretched to cover the 35-inch tires and wears Baja Design lights. Giving the Desert Pilot its motivation is a 400-hp racing-modified version of Honda’s 3.7-liter V-6 that sends power to all four wheels -- a far cry from the250 hp from the stock 3.5-liter V-6 found in the Pilot. As a final nod to the HPD Pilot’s mission, the driver’s seat has been centered on the vehicle, with the engine mid-mounted right behind.
Piloting the Desert Pilot will be Gavin Skilton and his California Race and Rally team; after Pikes Peak they will go on to race the HPD Pilot in a number of Class 6 off-road races, finishing with the Baja 1000 this November. The HPD Desert Pilot replaces the CR-R Ridgeline, a previous two-time winner of the Baja 1000.