This alliance with Audi seems to have more nostalgic than practical justifications. Block stated:
“Audi is the company that first sparked my interest in racing. I am ecstatic to begin this new phase. We will work together to create cutting-edge initiatives and expand the possibilities for electric mobility.
Block had the chance to operate numerous vintage Audi vehicles during his visit to the company. Including the e-tron Vision Gran Turismo, the Audi V8 quattro from the DTM, and the Audi Sport quattro S1.
The only people who stand to gain from Block’s indulgence are his followers and car aficionados. The crazier the car builds, the more they’ll turn around in a cloud of tire smoke.
In This Article...
Ken Block left Audi Subaru, right?
Kenneth Paul Block, a member of the Hoonigan Racing Division (formerly the Monster World Rally Team), was born on November 21, 1967[2] and is a professional rally driver. Block is one of the DC Shoes co-founders. [3] He has also participated in several action sports competitions over the years, such as skateboarding, snowboarding, and motocross. Block has turned his business attention to Hoonigan Industries, an apparel line for auto fans, after selling his stake of DC Shoes. He currently serves as the business’s co-owner and “Head Hoonigan In Charge” (HHIC). [Reference needed]
After 11 years of partnership, Hoonigan Racing Division and Ford Performance announced their separation in January 2021.
[4] Block declared in April that he would be returning to Subaru.
[5] Block revealed in September that he and Audi would be working on “joint ventures in the sphere of electric mobility.” [6]
Is Ken Block a Subaru or Audi racer?
- In order to produce the S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron, an all-electric beast that will appear in Ken Block’s upcoming film, the two companies have linked together.
- The Hoonitron has two electric motors for all-wheel drive and is constructed on a carbon fiber frame.
- Block and Audi partnered in September to concentrate on electric mobility.
Ken Block has participated in more than 80 rallies and more than 60 rallycross competitions, but his most popular YouTube series, Gymkhana, features him pulling off absurd driving exploits like jumps, donuts, and drifts. Block said in September that he will start working with Audi “in the arena of electric mobility” after parting ties with longstanding partner Ford earlier this yearan association that aided in the development of beasts like this Mustang with 1400 horsepower. While such term might conjure images of robotaxis and e-scooters, Block and Audi’s initial project couldn’t be more dissimilar: The powerful, bewinged Audi S1 e-tron Quattro Hoonitron is an electric coupe that promises a lot of tire smoke.
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The Audi Sport Quattro S1, which won the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in the 1980s, served as an inspiration for the Hoonitron. Similar to the original S1, Block’s latest vehicle has a large hood, wide wheel arches, numerous bodywork vents, and towering front and rear wings. In just four weeks, the Hoonitron, which was developed by Audi Sport in Neckarsulm, where the R8 and e-tron GT are made, reportedly went from early concepts to the final design.
Ken Block works for Hyundai or Audi.
For the whole season, Block will be behind the wheel of an i20 WRC that has been modified to adhere to ARA standards. Hoonigan revealed today that its creator Ken Block will drive a Hyundai i20 WRC rally car for the 2022 American Rally Association season.
Is Ken Block a Subaru driver?
With his ten-year association with Ford coming to an end, Ken Block is extending his reach in 2021 by combining a domestic rallying program with a well-known ally and a few new endeavors.
After 12 years since his last competitive appearance for the company, Block will make a comeback this weekend for the Olympus Rally. Together with his seasoned co-driver Alex Gelsomino, the Head Hoonigan In Charge will operate his own Hoonigan Racing Division with manufacturer assistance while operating a WRX STI constructed by Vermont SportsCar.
“This year is going to be crazy! Block exclaimed, “I’m thrilled to be back in an American Subaru racing rally. “I can go do things like race a Porsche made by Tuthill Porsche in Africa and compete in the iconic Baja 1000 in a Trophy Truckboth of which I’ll be doing for the first timenow that I’m not only committed to one manufacturer.
Block made his rallying debut with Subaru in 2005, and because to the first two Gymkhana videos, which included Impreza WRX STIs, he later became well-known.
Before transferring to Ford for the 2010 season, he went on to win nine times at the national level in the US with the company and made his first three World Rally Championship starts driving Imprezas.
His association with the Detroit manufacturer came to an end early this year, and Block summarized it by saying “We’ve made the decision to see other individuals, so he’s now free to drive cars from other companies and isn’t restricted to just one.
Block’s first excursion after leaving Ford was at last month’s 100 Acre Wood Rally in a koda Fabia, despite the fact that a reunion with Subaru had long been rumored and even hinted at in his Ford separation news video. He came in second place behind Travis Pastrana and tested the factory team’s vehicle after the race.
This season, I am without a doubt the underdog. For me, this is a brand-new automobile. Block, Ken
“Working with Vermont SportsCar once more is fantastic, he remarked. “The day after I placed second in The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, I test-driven their most recent WRX STI and was incredibly satisfied.
Block’s return to Subaru will also be his first serious attempt since 2013 to win the US national rallying championship. Although he already missed the season-opening Sno*Drift Rally, he will have his work cut out for him. Due to scheduling issues, Block and Gelsomino will also miss the season finale of the Oregon Trail Rally.
This season, I’m unquestionably the underdog, said Block.
Travis Pastrana, who has been racing for a while, has already won the first two races of the year in a car that is entirely new to me.
“Therefore, Alex and I have a lot of work to do! I have to settle very quickly in a brand-new vehicle and compete against a highly talented driver who has already claimed two victories this season! That’s racing, though. We’re going to put all into it.
Why did Subaru leave the WRC?
Subaru made the decision to stop racing in the World Rally Championships on December 16, 2008.
[104] The decision was made by Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), the parent corporation of Subaru, in part due to the economic slump but also because it was believed Subaru had accomplished its sports and marketing goals. Ikuo Mori disputed that the decision was influenced in any way by changes made to the WRC technical regulations in 2010 or a rumored deterioration in the working relationship with Prodrive. He added that while there is still a chance that Subaru would race again in the WRC’s premier division in the future, current developments indicate that this is not a certainty. [105]
The Hoonicorn still belongs to Ken Block, right?
The Hoonicorn is still under Ford’s possession, to put it simply. Although it’s possible that the fire-breathing beast may return, Ken Block won’t be driving until something unexpected happens. Sbastien Loeb joined the Ford World Rally Team for 2022, according to FordMuscle.
What happened to Subaru and Ken Block?
Ken Block currently intends to return to Subaru after terminating his exclusive Ford deal at the beginning of 2021. In six rounds of the American Rally Association (ARA) season, beginning with the DirtFish Olympus Rally in Washington State on April 2425, he will compete in a Subaru WRX STI for the first time since 2009.
Block began his career with Subaru, driving a STI in his early Gymkhana movies, even though his garage has been packed with Fords for the previous ten years. Block drove a 2008 Subaru WRX STI hatchback in Gymkhana 2 before swapping to a Ford in the first Gymkhana Practice video. In 2005, Block also participated in a rally for the first time while driving a Subaru.
Vermont SportsCar, which also constructed some of Block’s earlier Subaru rally cars and the rally vehicles that factory-team drivers will face off against, manufactured his most recent Subaru. Travis Pastrana, who substituted for Block in the most recent Gymkhana video, will operate one of those vehicles while operating a specially modified WRX STI.
Alex Gelsomino, the spouse of Pastrana’s co-driver Rhianon Gelsomino, is Block’s co-driver for the ARA rallies. Therefore, there is everything in the lineup to create a fierce yet amicable rivalry.
After the Olympus Rally, this battle will continue over the course of five additional rallies, concluding in June with the Southern Ohio Forest Rally.
The future of Block’s relationship with Subaru is currently unknown. He previously claimed that terminating his relationship with Ford will let him to explore new avenues, as evidenced by his recent testing of a Skoda rally car. Additionally, it’s uncertain whether Block will carry out the Fox-body Mustang project he revealed last year. Maybe a Subaru BRZ will take its place.
How come Ken Block not any longer with Ford?
What led to the breakup? According to one myth circulating in the automotive industry, Ford had already invested tens of millions of dollars on Block’s outrageous antics, but when Block demanded a fee increase, the Blue Oval just terminated the relationship.
In 2010, Block agreed to be a Ford driver. Block is a skilled rally driver, yet most people only know him as a specialist drift master who flips vehicles into bends while smoke pours out of all four corners. He has raced in numerous rally disciplines, including the World Rally Championships and Rallycross, in a Ford Escort Cosworth rally vehicle, a Fiesta, and a Focus, earning 19 victories, 17 podium finishes, and two X Games medals. He won the first-ever Projekt E race of the FIA World Rallycross Championship, which was held in Holjes, Sweden in 2020, while driving a Ford Escort.
But it’s possible that Block is most recognized for driving vehicles with the Hoonigan and Monster logos around big cities. He wrecked downtown San Francisco in 2012 with a 650 horsepower Hoonigan Fiesta, as shown in a YouTube clip that received over 108 million views. A few years later, in 2014, he drove an all-wheel-drive 1965 Mustang with 845 horsepower around the streets of Los Angeles, receiving over 54 million views. But the incident in 2017 where he narrowly avoided tragedy by hanging the back end of his Mustang over a precipice while climbing Pikes Peak demonstrated exactly how far he will go for a thrill and viral video gold.
Another video with 49 million views, in which he gave Friends co-star Matt LeBlanc a ride in his Mustang through the streets of London for BBC’s Top Gear, contributed to his reputation and appeal on a global scale. The London video shoot received the greatest criticism because of Block’s donuts and burnouts, which drew the anger of the people. Block and LeBlanc performed many donuts and maxed out the V8 engine in locations like The Mall, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, and even the Cenotaph, a war memorial, with parts of London’s city center shut off by police. Even parliamentarians voiced their complaints over the noise. But in the end, such notoriety just strengthens the tale.
Sincere to say, Block is the most well-known and divisive motorsports figure on the planet. He has elevated Ford performance vehicles and trucks to a global level. His talent, knowledge of video creation, and media appeal are unsurpassed in the automotive industry. It is, to put it mildly, enviable to have a person like him driving and marketing your goods. It may be years before it is apparent what damage Block’s departure from Ford has done to the brand. If indeed that’s what he sought, I believe that tripling his budget was more than justified in order to elevate the Ford brand and appeal to a more affluent younger demographic. He had only recently begun to drive and succeed in an electric Ford Escort.
Which manufacturer Block will work with next is anyone’s guess now that he is free to wander anywhere he pleases. Will he stick with an American manufacturer or will he shop abroad at automakers like Toyota, Hyundai, or perhaps even Audi, who are renowned for their all-wheel-drive powertrains? You can depend on the Block brand to keep the suspense level at 11 wherever he goes.
What source of funding does Ken Block use?
Block started his auto enthusiast lifestyle brand, Hoonigan Industries, as a motorsport business. He founded Hoonigan Racing Division, his own rally squad, at the beginning of 2010. Hoonigan Media Machine, another lucrative offshoot of HRD, was created to produce entertaining content, particularly videos for the fans. The Gymkhana Files, a series that went viral, included the racing team’s extreme feats, inner peculiarities, how-to films, and Block’s distinctive donuts. On a Gymkhana race track, it first began as an experimental ride and practice session, but Block quickly saw its actual potential and created a full-fledged series out of it. One of the little-known truths of Ken Block’s Gymkhana series is this one.
His ability to raise money from sponsors and participate in subsequent races was aided by this viral series. Because the sponsors could advertise their logos in the program, it was really more of a win-win situation for Block and his sponsors. Similar to an infomercial, it greatly increased their exposure. Block popularized the Rally in America, and for that, he is totally deserving of every cent. We are fortunate that, at 54 years old, he has no plans to stop working hard any time soon. He only recently announced his comeback to Subaru, and he also recently agreed to work with Audi to create electric transportation solutions. Ken Block appears to be still at the top of his game.
The Hoonitron was inspired by this Audi model?
A carbon fiber chassis, two electric motors, and all-wheel drive are features of the customized Audi S1 E-tron Quattro. The highest regulating organization for motorsports, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), has certified that it satisfies all of its safety requirements.
Its design was influenced by the iconic S1 Pikes Peak, a car that broke records during the hill climb that gave it its name.
In Germany’s Neckarsulm, where the Audi RS e-tron GT is made, the S1 Hoonitron’s whole development process took place. Ingolstadt was the location of the style. Although they were thrilled to work on the project, Audi chief designer Marc Lichte and his team acknowledged that it was not without its difficulties.
“The goal was to reinvent the S1 Pikes Peak as an all electrified structure in the present day. The time frame was really constrained; from the first drawing to the final design, we only had four weeks, although our design process typically takes one to one and a half years “explained Lichte. “We had frequent communication and extensive conversations with Ken Block and his staff.”
Block had the chance to test drive the Hoonitron last month in Germany thanks to Audi.
Block said, “There were a lot of new things for me to learn here. I’m familiar with a wide variety of cars employing internal combustion engines and transmissions.
“I’ve never experienced anything like spinning into a donut at 150 kph while only using my right foot to accelerate from a stop. Our efforts were directed toward acclimating the car and I to one another. I want to express my gratitude to the entire Audi Sport team for their superb cooperation.”
The vehicle will make its official public debut as a part of Block and his team’s Gymkhana video series, which is currently going by the working name Elektrikhana and is available on Hoonigan YouTube.