Over the years, we have written many times about the infamous Gymkhana series, so it should come as no surprise we are writing about the latest installment. All of the earlier videos have become viral sensations, because the King of “Hoon”, Ken Block continues to push the boundaries behind the wheel. The new and ninth version likely will too, as it captures the epic “Hooning” tradition of the rally star and his drifting genius.
While it was originally scheduled to be filmed in Sydney to tie in with the Australian Forza Horizon 3 video game, authorities said Block was too much of a “Hoon” for the Land Down Under and would only allow him to make the video on private property. Instead, Block chose to film in an abandoned industrial area in New York state. Yeah Buffalo!
With so many global corporations shying away from the single big endorsement deal as a result of today’s fragmented online world we do appreciate Ford’s decision to buck the trend. The combination of a significant amount of both resources and dollars enables the team to create a world-class product in the Gymkhana video series.
As part of Block’s deal with Ford Performance that sees him compete in the FIA World Rallycross championship, these videos feature him driving the custom-built 600 horsepower Ford Focus RS rally machine. I’m sure the real ROI isn’t great, but it does make you want to take a Ford Focus for a test drive.