Can you drive? Are you SURE about that?…
Gymkhana. Ken Block. Insane driving. That’s pretty much all you need to know.
What is Gymkhana? Gymkhana is basically a more complex and more challenging version of the traditional “autocross” event. Gymkhana events often feature obstacles such as cones, tires, and barrels. The driver must maneuver through a predetermined “track” performing many different driving techniques, including reversals, 180/360 degree spins, figure 8s, drifting, and other highly advanced maneuvers. Essentially, a gymkhana is any event featuring a starting point, a finish line and some sort of “obstacle” to get through, around, or by, all within a time limit. Or to put it another way: gymhkana is insane driving…in a “controlled” environment. 🙂
And who is Ken Block? Well…he is the insane driver, of course. 😉 Oh, and he happens to be a professional rally racer for the Monster World Rally Team. And get this…he drives a Ford Fiesta! Yes, you heard that right!
Ok, this ain’t your Mom’s Ford Fiesta (sorry to all the moms out there!) and you can’t just walk into your local Ford dealership and pick up a “Ken Block special” Fiesta of your own. You see, Ken’s Fiesta has a 2.0 Liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 650 hp and 660 lb-ft of torque! Oh, and it goes from 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds. No, that is NOT a typo…let me repeat that: 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds!
The car is actually capable of making 850 hp, but the engine is de-tuned via a restrictor plate so that the car has the proper traction for driveability.
So, being the driver extraordinaire that he is, Mr. Block apparently went in search of the ULTIMATE playground for a gymkhana demonstration and he found one in France at L’Autodrome.
And here is the result…
So the next time you’re feeling good about your driving skills, you might want to reassess, because there is a high probability that your skills are surpassed by Mr. Block. In fact, this video is as “evidence-based” as it gets. 😉
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I was serisoluy at DefCon 5 until I saw this post.