zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
Watch Ken Block Hoon A Secret 700-Horsepower Audi Rally Prototype
Watch Ken Block Hoon A Secret 700-Horsepower Audi Rally Prototype-September 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:14

Image for article titled Watch Ken Block Hoon A Secret 700-Horsepower Audi Rally Prototype

Most Jalopnik readers are probably familiar with , the 1980s rally class full of big wings, big fenders, and big turbos. But before the class’s demise in 1986, it very nearly spawned an even wilder successor: Group S.

Group S was so close to becoming FIA reality that manufacturers actually built wild race prototypes, uninhibited by Group B’s 200-car homologation rules. Lancia had the ECV, Toyota made the 222D, and Audi built the mid-engined RS 002.

That is, they built one RS 002. Out of three initial prototypes, only one was ever fully completed and roadworthy. That’s the one that Ken Block just drove.

We talked about back when it was announced, but now we’re starting to see the first bits of content from that partnership make their way to YouTube. He’s already , but today’s video went back to Block’s rally roots for some Quattro-powered slides.

Block was given the keys to two Audi rally legends: The Sport Quattro S1 and the RS 002. The Sport Quattro may not have been in fighting trim, with its Pikes Peak record-setting 598 horsepower detuned to 300 for “longevity”, but that didn’t stop Block from getting it sideways.

Image for article titled Watch Ken Block Hoon A Secret 700-Horsepower Audi Rally Prototype

The Sport Quattro S1 (with Walter Röhrl’s name still printed on the side) may have Audi’s rally heritage behind it, but the RS 002 was the company’s rally future — for a brief period. It used the 5-cylinder turbo engine from the S1, but shifted the block behind the driver for improved balance. With Group S abandoned before competition, the RS002 prototype languished in garages and (later) museums, undriven.

According to Timo Witt, Block’s guide through Audi Tradition, Ken is only the sixth person ever to sit behind the wheel of the single working RS002.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
I Don't Need A Volkswagen ID.3 Cabriolet, But I'll Take It
I Don't Need A Volkswagen ID.3 Cabriolet, But I'll Take It
I’m not going to pretend to be excited about the prospect of a convertible Volkswagen ID.3, something teased by VW Group chairman, Herbert Diess, on in the form of a bright, pseudo-impressionistic render. “We‘re thinking about an e-convertible,” Diess writes, describing it with adjectives like “quiet,” “smooth” and “open”...
Sep 13, 2025
Jaguar Land Rover Is Cutting Capacity By 25 Percent
Jaguar Land Rover Is Cutting Capacity By 25 Percent
Jaguar Land Rover is knocking back one quarter of its production over the next five years, . The news has come via an investor presentation. If there’s a popular JLR machine that you know and love, though, don’t get too worried—the brand’s cuts are mainly going to be coming...
Sep 13, 2025
1.9 Million Toyota RAV4s Investigated For Catching Fire
1.9 Million Toyota RAV4s Investigated For Catching Fire
Everyone’s favorite small SUV — America’s best-selling vehicle that’s not a pickup truck — is under investigation by NHTSA as of Monday. It could possibly lead to another recall for Toyota, reported. The is the subject of a new probe after 11 incidents of “non crash thermal events” have...
Sep 13, 2025
It's The Infrastructure, Stupid
It's The Infrastructure, Stupid
Nationwide charging infrastructure is still in a woeful state (unless you own a Tesla), automakers are starting to vaccinate their assembly line workers and Japan just made a risky bet on autonomous cars. All that and more in the for March 1, 2021. It’s no surprise that America’s charging...
Sep 13, 2025
Blip: March Into March
Blip: March Into March
It’s March! Which means we should likely all consider the Nissan March, which is what Nissan called their Micra in export markets, for reasons I can’t begin to guess at. The Micra/March was the basis for Nissan’s Pike cars like the Be-1, Pao, and Figaro, and they had the...
Sep 13, 2025
What Modern Car Feature Can You Not Live Without?
What Modern Car Feature Can You Not Live Without?
My may be decades old, but I don’t ever see getting rid of it. It’s the heart and soul of my driving life and even if road trips with friends in their own cars is fun, nothing beats going for a solo drive in my old hatch. But, I...
Sep 13, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved