AUDI

Ken Block has a new ''toy''

Audi has just introduced the Audi S1 ​​e-tron quattro Hoonitron, which was developed exclusively for American pilot and drift specialist Ken Block. The car resembles the legendary Audi Sport quattro S1, with which the German brand reached the highest place on the famous climb to Pikes Peak, the mythical race known as 'The race for the clouds'. This unique car, powered by one hundred percent electric, will be the protagonist of a new video that Block is producing together with his team, and which will debut in the coming months.

“The S1 Hoonitron combines many of the values ​​for which Audi was already a recognized brand in the 1980s”, comments Ken Block, who from a young age was already passionate about four-rim brand rally cars. “For example, the car's spectacular aerodynamics has now been interpreted in a totally modern way. It's great that Audi's designers are inspired by the brand's past to uniquely transfer the car's technologies and appearance to the present.”

Two electric motors, four-wheel drive, lots of power, a carbon fiber chassis and all the safety measures prescribed by the highest motoring body, the FIA: this is the cover letter for the S1 Hoonitron, which Ken Block(in the image on the side) was able to see through first time in November. “Audi gave me the opportunity to try it out for a few days in Germany. I'm familiar with a wide variety of cars with an internal combustion engine and different types of transmissions, but here there was a lot of new stuff to learn. Doing a turn at a speed of 150 km/h leaving directly from neutral and using only the right foot is something totally new for me. Our work focused on getting the car and I used to each other. I want to show my gratitude to Audi Sport for its extraordinary teamwork,” adds Block.

The entire development of the S1 Hoonitron, including the technology, was carried out by Audi Sport at the headquarters in Neckarsulm, a perfect place for the project, as the Audi RS e-tron GT is also produced there. Audi Design in Ingolstadt took charge of the design, which was anything but a conventional commission for Marc Lichte and his team. “When we heard about this project for the first time, the entire team was immediately moved. We had the opportunity to develop a car that combines an icon of our brand with the future,” explains Lichte, Audi's Design Director. The challenges were enormous: “It was about creating a modern, electrified interpretation of the Audi S1 ​​Pikes Peak with extremely tight deadlines: we only had four weeks from the first sketches, whereas a design process usually takes between a year and a year and Midle. We maintained permanent contact and intense exchanges with Ken Block and his team”, said Lichte.

Aficionados will soon be able to see the result of the American star's project: under the tentative title of Elektrikhana, Ken Block and his team are producing the next video in their famous Gymkhana series, with the S1 Hoonitron as the protagonist.

“The collaboration with Audi is a very special partnership for me. The brand and its passion for motorsport motivated me to enter rallys”, explains Ken Block. “The fact that Audi developed this car and teamed up with us on our next project made a dream come true. Hoonitron is already writing a new chapter and taking Gymkhana's story into the future.”

A future story that at Audi is also looking forward to: “Knowing that we are developing a car for a video with Ken Block that will be seen by millions of people around the world has given our team additional motivation,” explains Marc Lichte. “These new inspirations are also very important for our daily work. The development of this car will encourage us to approach future projects with an even more open mindset and focused on constant progress”.

Autonews