Yesterday, Hoonigan set the internet ablaze with a short clip introducing Ken Block’s latest creation: the reimagination of his first rally car, a 1978 Mk2 Ford Escort RS. While the 9,000rpm burnout outside Hoonigan’s Donut Garage in LA was very cool, what we really wanted to see was the old school Ford with new school tech (and a one-off Rocket Bunny kit) being put to proper use on a Gymkhana-style course. After all, that’s what it’s been built for.
Today, that wish has been answered.
For this video, Hoonigan-sponsored Formula Drift Pro driver Ryan Tuerck gets behind the wheel of the 333hp rear-wheel drive weapon to show exactly what it’s capable of. The noise generated by the Escort’s naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter Millington engine is alone worth hitting the play button above.
The Speedhunters
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
Hoon....lol...
Might be my favorite of the Block-mobiles. Anyone know the background song?
The want is strong with this one! I WISH we had the Escorts here! Ken Block is SO damn lucky!
I'll make no bones about it, those flares and wheels just look shit.
In before everyone says UR JUST A HATER LMAO
Overfenders have officially "jumped the shark"
Right when I first saw this I was like, here we go, let the hate begin!
Just so you know I think its awsome that he has a car that is rear wheels drive and it is bulit the way that he likes it.
And that is all that matters right! But everyone is entitled to an opinion..........
Nice driving Ryan... so smooth.
If only those were box flares
before the 86, there was the escort!
OT - watch please. got it from Fernando Alonso's twiiter
http://savekidslives.fia.com/
PhatRainbows I don't hate the car. I love everything about it...except the overfenders. I like flared/overfenders...just not all the partial arcs that are trendy. Call me a hater. Whatever.
Dunno what the haters are spouting about, this car is sick from bumper to bumper.
Color scheme and all, way to go guys!
Omg love it. Feature car please.
This is the car that I wish we had in NA, EuroFord was absolutely killing it in the 70's and 80's. Muira-san did an amazing job on the flares, ties the car together very nicely. Amazing machine.
I'll admit, I'm a bit on the side where the American flag on a car that has never seen American production is pretty strange to me, but it's not my car, and the "because 'murica" answer suffices here.
As I always say, Speedhunters needs to feature more fords! In the UK there are some amazing examples and they are pure bred rally machines that dont really get a looking on here.
Amazing car ken has "had" built though. Merca flag ruins it though but each to there own.
this car is ridiculously awesome, theres just 1 thing wrong with it, it needs a union jack on the bonnet not the stars and stripes,
P.S, im now looking for a MKII Escort...
kphillips9936 Agreed, I would do a lot of things for a chance to hammer this car for a day.
@adamp89 Agreed, its like putting a Union Jack on a Mustang, just wrong IMO.
@adamp89 Fully agree! Good luck with the hunt for a Mk.II. Prices have been climbing for years and continue to rise...
Preferred the look of the car when it was sporting Group 4 arches, but that wide kit works does well. Pretty much dream spec for a Mk.II Escort. Just need to get those damn Stars & Stripes off the bonnet!
The more I look at it, the more I like it. Millington power, the sequential box and I'm really coming around to those over-fenders as well. Pretty much the ideal tarmac Escort, although might not be ideal for the stages. Kudos, Mr. Block.
Any idea if it's coming to Europe at any stage?
Paddy McGrath Agreed! As I understand it they are bringing the escort and Tuerck to the https://www.facebook.com/gymkhanagrid event in London
seal fish Plenty of Escorts have made it here, they're just not as plentiful as you would think:
http://www.speedhunters.com/2012/10/a-car-is-for-life-not-just-another-ford-escort/
http://www.speedhunters.com/2012/09/when-is-an-escort-not-an-escort/
http://www.speedhunters.com/2015/04/a-ford-built-to-divide-conquer/
http://www.speedhunters.com/2014/03/300hp-of-zakspeed-inspired-escort-awesome/
And of course, the late, great, Simon McKinley's MKII:
http://www.speedhunters.com/2014/02/warrior-comes-play-maximumattack-escort/
Eirik Aadde Paddy McGrath It's on this weekend? Doesn't exactly give much notice to get there.
Paddy McGrath Eirik Aadde Yup, a little short notice
But lets hope they keep it in Europe, and bring it somewhere else to.
Ok i stand corrected. Still not regular enough though
Would love to see an HPE feature on here some day. They place to go with a ford since the 50s and still going very strong today.
seal fish Actually, one of the few places in the UK that I haven't managed to get to in a while. Their baby blue MKII at Ford Fair a few years back was absolutely mega...
Paddy McGrath seal fish They really do no how to put a car together. That just looks so right! And the way the squeeze every last HP out of the crossflows and pintos... Hopefully you make it there some day, would be an amazing feature.
Paddy McGrath yes Paddy please do a feature on HPE if they're up for it. We need more of these Workshop Features.
Eirik Aadde Paddy McGrath isn't it at Santa Pod in Northampton?
econti Yep, plenty of pre-existing flares that would have done the same job and looked better. Instead, we get the usual Miura hype train. The wheels I don't mind so much.
seal fish Eirik Aadde Paddy McGrath Yeah, that's right: Santa Pod, not London.
Gutted I can't make it up there, as I rather wanted to see the Hoonicorn in action again!
mrwicksy Paddy McGrath I'll do my best
abezzegh87 Came here to pretty much say this!
To me, Block isn't a "driver", he's a stunt man in a snap-back His rally results speak volumes.
Saying that, I can't even dream of driving at the same level...
The car, it looks and sounds incredible. Sack off that flag on the bonnet though.
This makes me want another Mk1 Fiesta XR2 as an RB kit on my old fezzy would look sick!!!!! What a build, he certainly kept this one quiet........
Awesome
Since you know that the owner and driver are both American, why would they remove the stars and stripes?
I watched this the minute it came out. Incredible is a good word.
REKT_Disco abezzegh87 People always take a dump on Block's driving achievements and in particular use his WRC experience as a stick to beat him with. I think it's a bit harsh too.
The WRC is incredibly competitive, even in an era when either Citroen or VW were running away with the title. It's even more difficult when you're not in a manufacturer backed team with a wealth of knowledge and experience going into each event. What I'm saying is that for a privateer, with limited rallying experience (he didn't grow up within the sport) I think he's done really well for himself and it shouldn't be used as something against him. He's never proclaimed himself to be the best in the world, so good on him for enjoying what he does.
Ok I'm in the US, how the hell do I acquire one of these?!
Paddy McGrath REKT_Disco abezzegh87
Ah absolutely, I do agree with you about that. It's more the hype that surrounds him which I understand isn't really his fault. I realise that it came across as bashing him.
To me, he's an entertain first, perhaps a driver second.
chiprez You could probably import one from Germany? (So it's LHD)
REKT_Disco Paddy McGrath abezzegh87 Let's be clear KB is a marketeer first. He's living the dream. Doing what he wants and getting other people to pay for it.
JayDee7 I think it peeves some people because it's not an American car. Personally, I've no issue with it at all.
@adamp89 I think you all are forgetting that although the escort was a british car, the owner, driver, and manufacturer are all American
The mechanical spec looks similar, if not identical, to McRae's DJM Escort Paddy McGrath, so I think it would work on gravel (though possibly after some setup tweaks!)
Paddy McGrath JayDee7 Yep, that's it, it's an English car and engine, so the Stars and Stripes seem a bit out of place to me.
Sure I could live with them if I was given the car though.
JohnTruitt The MK2 Escort was made by ford Britain and Germany. Euro ford and US ford have been completely different companies until very recently and the MK2 has been the rally car of choice in Britain for the last 40+ years. It is really like putting a US flag on a Jaguar or Bentley just because a guy from the states bought it and let his American buddy drives it.
ConnorMcRae JohnTruitt Thats like saying the rising sun doesn't belong on an Infiniti, Acura, Scion, or Lexus because they aren't technically Japanese. Euro Ford may be a separate entity but that Blue Oval is as American as it gets
Eirik Aadde Paddy McGrath
Its in the uk I saw it yesterday being prepared ;o)
I love everything, the insane driving here is just wow and I wish I had a 10th of the skill to pull some cool stuff off lol but Rocket Bunny is not to my taste. However it does suit Ken Blocks stuff. It does look nice. BTW, have you guys seen the parody of his Fiesta on youtube lol.
Pick one up in south America. Mexico or Columbia, they are literally dirt cheap. $400 gets you a solid driver.
mrwicksy The wheels would almost be alright if they weren't so massive.
prazzi How exactly does one go about finding them in these countries?
Shoulda put a YB in it
I need to get my stuff together.Lol. That looked like fun.
Lol, sorry. It's easiest to go down there and ask local mechanics. We spend every winter in Colombia and always buy a car instead or renting. Mexico would be best though. You could theoretically drive it back over.
IRONWOLF RD I've always wondered why the quintessential American company offered us such neutered Escorts and other cars. Granted they withheld the Mustang from the other countries, but still!
REKT_Disco Paddy McGrath abezzegh87 He was the US Rally champion for years before ever doing the first Gymkhana video and internet stardom. No, he didn't take FIA WRC by storm but seriously, that's a very tall order for anyone much less an American where we get 0 coverage of FIA rally, and the nearest FIA rally being way down in Mexico. He didn't start out in lower ranked rallies set on the same stages as WRC like Latvala, Loeb, etc.
Trust me, Subaru does NOT want Ken back in US rally. Just because he didn't beat the WRC in the first year and the fact that he has a ton of entertainment value doesn't mean he can't drive his ass off. So what if he is also a social marketting sensation and has a ton of fun. He's a hell of a driver. So is Tanner and Ken beats him in GRC.
@Byron H REKT_Disco Paddy McGrath abezzegh87 He built a company that pays for his racing....why isn't that called SUCCESS?
good to see a British engine in in innit
the car was very good
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