Dream Car Series: Ken Block’s Audi S1 Hoonitron

Silence is the new fast for one of the top racing names in the world. Ken Block will drive a new Audi S1 in his new series.

The new S1 takes inspiration from the Sport Quattro S1 PikesPeak race car, but very little about the power is the same. In fact, nothing about power is the same. The new car that Ken Block drives is an entirely electric racing machine. This means the only sounds you’ll hear coming out of this car will be the tires as they squeal and Ken as he does the same.

Built from the Ground Up

Much like many of the other cars that Ken Block drives, the new S1 is built entirely from the ground up. This car is specific for his racing style and made to fit the type of driving he’ll enter. This new S1 E-Tron Quattro Hoonitron, which is its full name, is meant to be an AWD monster that can sneak up on you and take your soul. While we don’t know how much power it produces, if Ken is excited about it, you can be this car is going to steal the show.

A Seriously Fast Build

This new Audi S1 went from the design table to reality in only four weeks. Not many cars ever created have ever been built that fast, but the team working on this Audi didn’t sleep much and got the job done in record time. Using computer-aided techniques, the winning design, based heavily on the original S1, was input into the computer and built straight to a full-scale version. This doesn’t often happen at all, but the Audi designers were so excited they wanted to do something much different from what they normally do for this car.

The Initial Test Drives Were Successful

Taking a computer plan straight to a full-scale, drivable car is a risky venture. Audi bet on themselves, and it worked out. Ken Block drove the S1 Hoonitron and loves the car. This is the car he will drive in his next Gymkhana project, which will use a different name called Electrikhana. This new name is appropriate for the car, and the partnership created. If people aren’t excited about driving electric vehicles yet, they should be once they see the Audi S1 E-Tron Quattro Hoonitron in action during Electrikhana.

What do We Know About This Car?

A few non-specific details surfaced during the testing of the car in Germany. The S1 uses a pair of electric motors, its AWD (the quattro part of the name tells us this), it has a carbon fiber chassis, and there is a full suite of safety items required by the FIA. These elements give Ken Block an incredibly powerful car, but also controlled and safe at the same time. He mentioned getting used to driving an electric car with instant torque and impressive power. He got familiar with the new Audi S1 during his testing days in Germany.

You Can’t have the S1, butYou Can have the e-tron GT

If you want to drive a sports car from Audi, you won’t get a chance to drive the S1; that car is only for Ken Block. There is an electric car in the lineup that’s exciting, fun, and accessible to you. That car is the Audi e-tron GT. You’ll have a car with impressive power and performance when you head to your nearby Audi dealer to find the right model to drive. Just a suggestion, the RS version rockets to sixty mph in 3.1 seconds; if you can, grab that model.

What is the Audi e-tron GT

This car is a luxury sports sedan that seats up to five people and offers you power that ranges from 522 to 637 horsepower. That’s an incredibly generous range of power in a car that can be a lot of fun wherever you go. You’ll want to schedule some time on the track, regardless of the trim you select. This car brings a stylish and sporty build, a sophisticated interior, and all the power you need to have a lot of fun when you’re behind the wheel.

This Audi is Loaded

Even the base model of the e-tron GT comes packed with the goodies you’re after. For a price of more than $100,000 it certainly should. The Premium Plus base trim of this car brings you:

• Fixed panoramic glass roof
• Walnut inlays
• Heated front seats
• Power tilt/telescoping steering wheel
• 3-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel
• Tri-zone climate controls
• Leather-free seating surfaces using Dinamica
• 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless smartphone charging
• Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
• Automatic emergency braking
• Forward-collision warning
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rearview camera
• Lane-departure warning
• Traffic sign recognition
• Acoustic front and rear parking sensors
• Rear cross-traffic warning and assist

f that’s the base trim, imagine what the Audi RS e-tron GT gives you. Stop imagining, here’s the list.

• 637 horsepower from the dual-electric motor setup
• AWD with torque vectoring
• Lightweight carbon-fiber roof
• Black-optic trim on the front grille and side sills
• Year One suite of features
  • 21-inch five-twin spot concept car alloy wheels
  • Carbon fiber side mirror housings
  • Rear-wheel steering
  • Perforated Nappa leather seats with RS logos
  • Ventilated front seats with massage function
  • Carbon-ceramic brakes with red calipers

  If you don’t want the Year One Package, you can have the Carbon Performance Package and/or the Full Leather interior package. As you can see, the RS model brings a lot to the table, including a ton of power for the driving pleasure you desire.

  Enjoy the S1, Drive the e-tron GT

  If you’ve ever watched Ken Block drive, you know he pulls off some pretty cool stunts and does things with cars that most of us can’t imagine. This and the Audi S1 are reason enough to tune in and watch the Electrikhana series when it’s available. Until then, enjoy some electric driving fun of your own with the Audi e-tron GT that you bring home from the dealership. These two activities together will make you go from a petrol head to an electric head in no time.