Well-considered blend of sporting prowess, oiled-up promotional machine and artistic flair in visual processing, videos Gymkhana, which star the American pilot and entrepreneur Ken Block, remain as unclassifiable as ever. Fourteen years after his first opus, Block is doing it again this time with a racing car prepared by Audi. However, it is not the flames licking the exhaust pipes or the rhythmic gear changes that capture the attention here, but rather the – relative – silence of the exercise.
For’Electrichana, an obvious contraction of “electric” and “gymkhana”, the pilot is strapped on board an electric racing car custom-made by Audi. The project aims, it goes without saying, to promote the electric component of the manufacturer, but also tows Block towards a renewal. The Audi S1 Hoonitron is a retro-futuristic interpretation of a Group B rallying legend, the Audi Sport Quattro S1.
As its name suggests, the car does not feature a turbocharged five-cylinder like its ancestor, but rather a duo of electric motors borrowed from the manufacturer’s Formula E team. These motors are linked to differentials to independently control the behavior of the front and rear axles. In a video detailing the technical aspect of the project, director Brian Scotto clarifies that they produce a combined total torque of 2213 lb-ft. Everything is powered by a combination of batteries borrowed from rechargeable hybrid models of the brand with the rings. The chassis is an adaptation of a Rally2 platform.
Couple instantaneous
It is also the immense torque reserve that sets the tone in the first seconds of the video. Block climbs in and takes off with a bang, spinning all four wheels simultaneously. Antics follow, each as technically complex as the other in the illuminated streets of Las Vegas at night.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY AUDI
The car shines.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY AUDI
The pilot is having fun.
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Throughout the artwork, racing and road-going Audi models from the past adorn the image in a kind of passing of the torch. It’s very intriguing, both in the exceptional agility of the machine and in the rather shrill sound of the gears. There is also the originality of the scenes, including one filmed in the lobby of a casino. Have !
