ONE LAST BLAST
Ken Block’s final Gymkhana video was filmed in late2022. And now it’s out for us to enjoy.
We started 2023 with the sad news of Ken Block’s passing, in a snowmobile accident on January 2. But we finish the year with a celebration of the man and his machines: the release of Block’s final Gymkhana video, which was filmed in November 2022.
Electrikhana TWO: One More Playground; Mexico City is the second instalment of the Electrikhana series, featuring the Audi S1 Hoonitron, and follow-up to the previous episode in Las Vegas. The location for the new film is Mexico City.
Indeed, it’s as much a character in the video as Block himself or the
Audi; the action takes place around some of the most iconic parts of the city.
Block launches the Hoonitron out of the world’s largest bullring: Plaza de Toros. From there, it’s through important areas of the city, with tricks around the Museo
Soumaya, a clincher moment with a slide past JUCA (one of Mexico’s biggest automotive content creators), and ending with a session in and around the Benito Juarez International Airport. Following Las Vegas, the Audi Sport engineering team worked with Block to modify the car’s drivetrain to better serve his driving style for the new film.
One of the biggest improvements comes from the “simulated gears” feature: giving the car a sort of digital gearbox by programming multiple levels of wheel speed.
Additionally, Block wanted to explore all-new driving features made possible with an EV drivetrain: such as oppositedriven wheels for a standing AWD burnout, instant switching from all-wheel to rear-wheel drive, “differential” tuning to influence chassis balance, as well as the ability to shift into reverse at any speed.
Each of these features are put to the test in the film.
Check out the end credits, which pay tribute to the previous Gymkhana films and serve as a tyre-smoking farewell to the man who helped make car videos viral.