Audi has presented the Audi S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron that it has exclusively and uniquely developed for American drift artist Ken Block. This all-electric one-of-a-kind car will be the protagonist in a new video that Block is producing together with his team for release in the next few months. Two electric motors, all-wheel drive, power galore, a carbon fiber chassis, and the full safety standards as prescribed by motorsport’s top governing body, the FIA – these are merely the S1 Hoonitron’s statistics. In November 2021, the driver got to know the car for the first time.
“The S1 Hoonitron combines a lot of what Audi was already famous for in the nineteen-eighties. For instance, the car’s spectacular aerodynamics have now been translated into a modern form. I think it’s cool that the Audi designers have been inspired by their past and uniquely transferred the car’s technologies and appearance into the present. Audi allowed me to test it for a few days in Germany,” says Ken Block. “I’m familiar with a wide variety of cars using internal combustion engines and transmissions, but there were a lot of new things for me to learn here. Spinning into a donut at 150 km/h directly from a standstill – just using my right foot – is an all-new experience for me. Our work was focused on getting the car and I used to each other,” says Ken Block, whose enthusiasm for Audi’s rally cars was sparked at an early age.
The entire development, including the technology, of the S1 Hoonitron, was conducted by Audi Sport at the Neckarsulm location – a perfect fit for the project because that’s also where the Audi RS e-tron GT is produced. Audi Design in Ingolstadt was responsible for the styling, which has been anything but a run-of-the-mill job for Marc Lichte and his team. “When we first heard about this project, the whole team was thrilled immediately: we had the opportunity to develop a car that combines an icon of our brand with the future,” says Audi’s chief designer. The challenges were tremendous: “It was about creating a modern, all-electric interpretation of the S1 Pikes Peak. The timeline was extremely tight: while our design process normally takes one to one-and-a-half years, we only had four weeks from the first drawing to the final design. We were constantly in touch with Ken Block and his team and engaged in intensive exchanges.”
Fans will be able to see the US star’s success with the project for themselves: under the working title Elektrikhana, Ken Block and his team are going to produce a video of his famous Gymkhana series featuring the S1 Hoonitron. The collaboration with Audi is a very special partnership for him. The brand and its passion for motorsport motivated me to get into rallying. That Audi has now developed this car for Ken and his team and has joined us in our next project, has made a dream come true. The Hoonitron is writing the next chapter in our history and taking our Gymkhana story into the future. These new inspirations are also immensely important for our daily work. The development of this car will encourage us to approach future projects with an even more open and progressive mindset. Knowing that Audi is developing a car for a video with Ken Block that millions of people around the world are going to watch has provided our team with additional motivation,” says Marc Lichte. ”
