The King of Hoonage Prepares New Fiesta for Competition

Ken Block Reveals All New, Revolutionary Hybrid Function Race Car At Gymkhana World Tour L.A.

Campaigning, repairing, and maintaining three separate race cars is a huge time killer (and takes deep pockets). Now Ken Block and his crew have come up with the Hybrid Function Hoon Vehicle to run in all three major events Ken Block runs in. Read more about the king of hoonage and his new ride in today's blog and be sure to check out the video link, as it shows all three modes in action (and will surely give you a chuckle too!).

Ken Block revealed his newest weapon—a multi-purpose race car, built specifically to compete in stage rally, rallycross and gymkhana events—this past weekend at the Gymkhana World Tour in Los Angeles, California. The Hybrid Function Hoon Vehicle (H.F.H.V.), or just ‘Hybrid’ as it has been dubbed, gets its name not from its method of propulsion, but instead from its ability to transform and race at the highest level for each of these motorsport disciplines, making it one of the most unique and versatile competition vehicles ever built.

“Many people may not realize this, but despite the fundamental similarities between stage rally, rallycross and gymkhana, in order to be the best at each, you must have specific built vehicles,” says Block. “My WRC Fiesta just can’t do what my Gymkhana Fiesta can, and vice versa. But having to campaign three separate cars is a nightmare, so we built one car that can be transformed to suit each form of racing I do on the highest level.”

The chassis of the H.F.H.V. is based on M-Sport’s current 2011 Ford Fiesta RS WRC car, but in order to achieve the power outputs required for both rallycross and gymkhana, the 1.6L engine has been replaced with a Pipo Moteurs-built 2.0L, inline-four cylinder. This mill is based off the power plant found previously in the Ford Focus RS WRC car, a motor that has over 10 years of development. The result is a massive 600hp and 665 ft. lbs. of torque when using the 45mm restrictor required by the Global Rally Cross series. While the 2.0l engine makes the H.F.H.V. ineligible for WRC competition, the addition of a 34mm restrictor will allow the car to compete in the Rally America series. Engine management is handled by Cosworth Electronics.

Mated to the Ford EcoBoost motor is a custom AWD system designed by Sadev. The drivetrain features a 6-speed Sadev sequential transmission and three adjustable Sadev mechanical differentials. Different gear ratios are used for each of the Hybrid’s three modes. To handle the varying surface conditions, specific Reiger suspension set-ups have been developed for each of the three modes.

“The H.F.H.V. is the best of all worlds for me,” says Block. “The current WRC Fiesta is the greatest handling car I have driven, but it lacks the sheer grunt that the 2.0L engine in the WRC Focus created. The H.F.H.V. brings those two things together, and the result is a manic beast that is just too much fun to drive.”

The transformations from each of the modes range from half a day, to a whole day’s work. The rallycross and gymkhana set-ups are the most similar, but each discipline still requires different gear ratios, entirely different suspension settings, as well as a different wheel and tire combo in addition to engine mapping adjustments. The conversion to stage rally, however, is even more involved, including an entire relocation of the cooling system from back to front, a smaller brake set-up, the addition of a Recaro Ultima seat for a co-driver, a smaller turbo and items such as functional headlights to replace the faux lamps to make the H.F.H.V. road worthy. Check out the trick video on the conversion process at: http://youtu.be/paoPcFvsbrA

The H.F.H.V. was a collaborative project between the Monster World Rally Team and a assortment of some of the world’s top technical partners. Ken Block will race the H.F.H.V. at Summer X Games 17, taking place in Los Angeles, California, July 30th and 31st. Until then, follow the team at monsterworldrallyteam.com, www.facebook.com/KenBlockRacing and www.facebook.com/MonsterWorldRallyTeam.

About Ken Block
Ken Blockʼs rally career began in 2005. His skill and car control became quickly apparent and Block aptly nabbed Rookie of the Year in the Rally America Championship. Since then, Block has continued to race in the series, boasting a healthy ten overall wins, in addition to numerous podium appearances as well as X Games medals. In addition to his performance in the car, Block has been a driving force in shedding light on the sport within the United States. His keen branding and marketing acumen has allowed Block to achieve global fame as a rally driver through his wildly successful viral videos, which include his record-setting jump for the TV series Stunt Junkies, his scenes in the DC snowboard video Mtn.Lab 1.5 and spy footage of his Subaru TRAX STI project in action, along with his Gymkhana videos. Ad Age named his “Gymkhana TWO” the No. 4 Viral Video of 2009 and his “Gymkhana THREE; Part 2 Ultimate Playground; l’Autodrome” the No. 6 Viral Video of 2010. In January 2010, he formed the Monster World Rally Team and signed with Ford to become the first American to campaign in the World Rally Championship, becoming only the second American to ever score points in the WRC during his inaugural 2010 season. Additionally, his signing with Ford included campaigning domestically in racing (Rally America and X Games), as well as continuing to do gymkhana. Block co-founded DC Shoes, a worldwide leader in performance skateboarding shoes and a renowned action sports brand.

About Monster World Rally Team
Created and assembled by Ken Block, the object of the Monster World Rally Team is to redefine the race-team archetype. The team is driven not only to win, but to also market motorsport through innovative, creative and interactive ways. The team is supported by Monster Energy, Ford Motor Company, DC Shoes, Mobil 1, Pirelli Tires and the Dirt3 videogame.

Follow the fun at www.monsterworldrallyteam.com