Ken Block needed a car for an upcoming ‘Elektrikhana’ video. Audi has obliged.

WHEN announcing, in September, it was recruiting renowned rally stunt driver Ken Block for its electric car programme, Audi made clear it didn’t expect the American to be involved in the usual rigours that come with vehicle development programmes.

Sure, he’d get to undertake some vehicle testing. But he’d also be involved in brand promotion. 

So it has come to pass.

The Ingolstadt brand has presented Block with a machine that’ll make ‘work’ feel like play.

The S1 Hoonitron is a purpose-built electric drift car mixes in a nice element of historic reference, namely to Blocks’s favourite past blast rally machine, the epic Audi Sport S1 Quattro. A legend from having undertaken an incredible Pikes Peak record run. 

The company's design brief was to bring the legendary design back with a modern interpretation of the rally car.

“It was about creating a modern, all-electric interpretation of the S1 Pikes Peak,” said Audi’s head designer, Mark Lichte.

This car came to life very quickly. Incredibly, just four weeks passed from initial drawing to assembly-ready final design.

Audi Sport and the design team worked side by side with Block to make the Hoonitron a reality.

Aside from the wonderful throwback design, the car rides on a carbon-fibre chassis and boasts all safety standards to meet regulations laid down by the world motorsport body, the FIA. It runs two motors and a fancy all-wheel-drive.

Audi's not prepared, yet, to discuss what kind of outputs and performance it has other than saying there's "power galore.” 

Block first test drove the car last month in Germany and described it as presenting an all-new experience.

More wheel time is imminent, as Audi and Block plan a new chapter for the iconic Gymkhana video series under the working title of "Elektrikhana." It'll feature the star drifter tackling wild courses, stunts and big drifts once again.

Block’s enthusiasm for the new project is clear from today’s video. “The Hoonitron is writing the next chapter in our history and taking our Gymkhana story into the future,” he said in a statement via Audi.