Following its signing on drifter and sometime rally competitor Ken Block, Audi has unveiled the S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron.
The 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.
“The S1 Hoonitron combines a lot of what Audi was already famous for in the 1980s,” said Block, whose enthusiasm for Audi’s rally cars was sparked at an early age. “For instance, the car’s spectacular aerodynamics have now been translated into a totally modern form. I think it’s cool that the Audi designers have been inspired by their own past and uniquely transferred the car’s technologies and appearance into the present.”
Audi has kept tight-lipped so far on the car’s specification, beyond saying it is powered by two electric motors, giving all-wheel drive, which are housed within a carbon-fiber chassis built to FIA standards. However, it is undoubtedly potent.
“Audi gave me the opportunity to test it for a few days in Germany,” added 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 doughnut at 150km/h directly from 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. My thanks go to the whole Audi Sport squad for their outstanding teamwork.”
Development of the S1 was undertaken by Audi Sport at its Neckarsulm facility, where the Audi RS e-tron GT is produced.
