KEN BLOCK: 1967-2023

The Gymkhana Youtube star, rally driver and car culture icon has passed away at the age of 55

The automotive world has been paying tribute to Ken Block, who died aged 55 following a snowmobile accident on his ranch in Utah on 2 January, 2023.

Ken was perhaps best known for his breathtaking stunt driving in the Gymkhana series of Youtube films. The Californian was also a professional rally driver who competed in the World Rally (WRC) and World Rallycross championships. In addition, he became a modified car icon via a selection of notable creations, including the recent ‘Hoonipigasus’ – a build based on a Porsche 911.

An adventure-seeker from an early age, Ken’s short-lived career as a draughtsman gave way to a love of skating and snowboarding. This led him to co-found the DC Shoes fashion brand in 1994. DC Shoes was sold a decade later and Ken immediately indulged in his life-long passion for stage rally driving. He attended a school to learn the ropes and soon began competing in the Rally America series, taking 16 wins across 10 seasons.

An adoration for 1980s and 1990s rallying meant the WRC was always on Ken’s radar. However, he lacked experience of driving on tarmac and so enrolled himself in a small ‘gymkhana’ series in southern California. It was here that he learnt to four-wheel drift on asphalt. Ken’s memorable Gymkhana videos soon followed, and when the films went viral they bolstered his profile and aided his rise to WRC, Rallycross and X-games competition.

In more recent years, Ken became known for his wild modified car builds allied to his Hoonigan lifestyle brand. This gave rise to a series of one-off creations dubbed Hoonicorns. In 2022, the latest project attracted the attention of Porsche enthusiasts. The Hoonipigasus Porsche SVRSR was designed to tackle the 100th running of the famous Pikes Peak International hillclimb, with Ken seeking to emulate the success of his heroes such as Walter Röhrl, Ari Vatanen and Sébastien Loeb. The bespoke build by Porsche specialists (and Pikes Peak category winners) BBI Autosports and Hoonigan Racing Division was based on a classic 911. Its eye-popping exterior was designed by Oil Stain Lab while its livery paid homage to the iconic 917 ‘Pink Pig’. Powered by a Bbi-developed 4.0-litre engine based on a 2017 911 GT3 R unit, the jaw-dropping four-wheel-drive, twin-turbocharged machine produced 1,400bhp, but hopes of a Block victory at Pikes Peak in 2022 were sadly dashed by mechanical issues.

Ken Block is survived by his wife Lucy and their three children. Total 911 sends its sincere condolences to his family and friends.