By Colin Wood
Oct 25, 2022
Some bemoan the electric car for being too sterile and too boring–but does that hold true for every EV ever made?
Ken Block says no in the latest installment of the Gymkhana series by blasting through the streets of Las Vegas–often sideways–behind the wheel of the all-electric Audi S1 Hoonitron.
10/25/22 11:19 a.m.
Okay that was awesome. Might be my favorite one. The noises the car made reminds me of some cyberpunk sense of nostalgia lol. And I need to research the AudiS1
10/25/22 11:32 a.m.
Best Audi commercial ever!
I assume that is his wheel speed being displayed.
id be curious how many tires he went through to make the video.
10/25/22 11:37 a.m.
You think that was all done on one full battery worth of power?
10/25/22 12:13 p.m.
It actually runs four production Audi SUV battery packs. They said they never ran out of power during shooting, that usually in the normal length of time that they would shoot for, it would only get as low as 30%. That was Hoonigan's stipulation on using an EV was that it couldn't run low on power and cause more downtime than they normally have (to reset the scenes and all) while waiting for it to charge.
10/25/22 12:53 p.m.
In reply to yupididit :
It's not like any of the others were done in one take, on one set of tires and one tank of gas. That was likely shot over a few nights, because they sure didn't block off all those roads at the same time.
10/25/22 1:13 p.m.
That was my impression. Not that Ken or an EV couldn't do it, but it would be way too hard to shut down everything to normal traffic, vehicular and pedestrian.
10/25/22 1:53 p.m.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Oh I know the ICE werent done in a single tank of gas. My question wasn't to compare the two. I was just curious about the battery usage with pure hooning. Never get to see that kind of fun with an electric vehicle
10/25/22 3:01 p.m.
Very antiseptic. Without the ICE sounds, it was very 2 dimensional to me. The cinematography was not near as good as some of his others. While I'm sure the vehicle is impressive, it was kind of like watching my toaster make really fast, smoky, toast.
Too bad he wasn't driving a Group B Quattro.
10/25/22 3:22 p.m.
(double post, forum is being weird)
10/25/22 3:26 p.m.
I expect we'll see a fan edit with ICE sounds overdubbed before the weekend. The one thing EVs have taught us is that the thing we value most from engines is noise. Everything else is secondary ;)
I've always found his videos to be antiseptic overall, probably because I spent too much time watching folks like McRae and Loeb do it in real time and against the clock. It's impressive stuff but it's not engaging to me, no matter what the soundtrack.
10/25/22 5:47 p.m.
Was that a Tom Kristensen cameo I spotted?
10/25/22 6:33 p.m.
2x as long as it should have been , but still pretty cool....
and I liked the Vintage Audi race cars.....
10/25/22 6:38 p.m.
That is sick. Given Audi dropped the hilarious amount of money on it, they got a great commercial out of it.
10/25/22 7:03 p.m.
I always wonder long it takes to set up these things and do practice runs. Are they filmed in parts then edited together?
10/25/22 7:43 p.m.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Agreed. Any of the rally guys are insanely impressive. They all must clank when they walk.
10/25/22 8:32 p.m.
Definitely, if only due to the logistics of having to close various major streets piece by piece. Don't take it as cinema verite, just engage your internal 10-year-old and watch the cool car do crazy stuff.
10/25/22 9:05 p.m.
In reply to TJL (Forum Supporter) :
I watch a trailer video about the car recently - said they went through 100 tires shooting this; more than twice what he normally does because the wheel speeds are much higher, since the electric drivetrain is essentially in high gear all the time. It's not like spinning in first or second gear....
10/25/22 9:05 p.m.
In reply to TJL (Forum Supporter) :
I watch a trailer video about the car recently - said they went through 100 tires shooting this; more than twice what he normally does because the wheel speeds are much higher, since the electric drivetrain is essentially in high gear all the time. It's not like spinning in first or second gear....
10/25/22 9:08 p.m.
I read somewhere that they went through 100 sets of tires to shoot the video. I'd believe it--this thing seems to absolutely murder them.
Iirc there was a good documentary on Amazon about the making of a Gymkhana a few years back. Pretty much every shot has a dozen attempts and hours of setup.
10/25/22 9:44 p.m.
Wow - I'm sold on electric cars.
10/25/22 10:01 p.m.
Fast yes. Fun or interesting? Meh. Not just the sound. He just did the same three moves over and over. Vegas is basically flat so kinda boring. Good cinematography and big plus for the Dead Kennedys soundtrack. But no jumps, no other players? Boring. Probably can't jump that 8,000 lb battery without explosion on return to earth. Might be time to retire the whole gymkhana thing Ken.
10/25/22 10:47 p.m.
To be fair, the only real redeeming quality the Group B Audis had was the engine noise
Just watched the video. I would not be surprised to learn that ALL sounds in the video are foleyed. There is a distinct lack of ambient noises, and other sounds are at implausible levels. (Like you're going to be able to hear three cars idling over the sound of something doing a four wheeled burnout)
10/25/22 11:07 p.m.
I don't know about foleyed, but there's some very careful mixing from multiple sources at least.
10/25/22 11:07 p.m.
The post, it was double.
10/26/22 1:45 a.m.
The Gymkhana Files? Great show. =)
10/26/22 4:06 a.m.
The only thing worse than driving an Audi is telling your parents your gay
10/26/22 8:14 a.m.
I think they said around 40+.
10/26/22 8:44 a.m.
Watch it again, couple of points he went airborne. Not full on flying drift like in San Francisco, but certainly air under all 4 tires. End of the parking garage scene.
I liked it, it was different. I especially like watching everyone getting all pissy at the lack of ICE sounds. Seems people care more about the noises it makes than what it can do. Albeit limited tricks this time, but being able to hear the tires beg for their lives was a fun change.
The wife came home while I was finishing watching it on the TV. She thought it was a cut scene from a video game.
10/26/22 8:54 a.m.
The car is definitely impressive, and a few of the big slides were really coo.,l but my favorite parts were Mr. Le Mans and the Trans Am GT cars. Yes it was a big Audi commercial, but it was fun to watch.
10/26/22 10:00 a.m.
He seemed to be a bit more careful in this one. Not sure if that's due more to the cost of the vehicles involved, what the car is/isn't capable of compared to previous gymkhana stuff, or just his comfort in piloting the car. I was entertained, but not blown away. Maybe I"m just used to the formula now? I wish the vintage Audis had played a larger role somehow though rather than just being background stuff.
10/26/22 10:03 a.m.
They usually go through 40 sets. This thing was so brutal on tires that they went through over 100 sets of tires. They were getting weird blistering on them, due to the instant high wheel speeds, so Toyo was actually having them send back the tires to study them and make improvements.
10/26/22 10:09 a.m.
In reply to STM317 :
This^^^ What would have made that video cooler would be the old Audis chasing Block around like a pack of Banshees. But what I'm guessing is that this was shot at about 3 in the morning and even in Las Vegas, noise regulations mean something.
10/26/22 10:09 a.m.
In reply to STM317 :
Tried to delete. couldn't.
10/26/22 11:44 a.m.
Now that would be amazing. Probably an insurance nightmare, but insanely cool.
10/26/22 11:49 a.m.
On a similar note, I wonder how the characteristics of the EV drivetrain affected the driving? No need to shift, much higher possible wheel speeds (which would have been under Block's control), flatter torque curve.
10/26/22 11:52 a.m.
In reply to STM317 :
Ken said he had to get used to a few different things with this car. The seating position is LMP car like, your heals are above your butt and he had to relearn how to modulate wheel speed without a clutch, that may have had something to do with it.
10/26/22 12:52 p.m.
I'd bet the tire problem had more to do with it weighing 7,000 lbs. than anything else.
10/26/22 12:56 p.m.
I wonder if the logistics of setup and waivers for insurance kept this one a bit more tame?
Having limited time to set up larger stunts on the strip and then the insurance needed to cover incase something went wrong, not just the car but the scenery and there seemed to be waaaay more spectators (probably because Vegas) than any other gymkhana video they have produced.
I need to watch it again later with sound.
10/26/22 1:15 p.m.
I think we were all hoping for a jump over the fountain like Evil :)
or was that a jump over the Shark like the Fonz !
And did Audi do the car build or did Ken Blocks crew do it ?
I hope they run the car again , I doubt it fits in any race class !
10/26/22 1:31 p.m.
This reminds me of when jet skis first came out. I remember seeing them as an exhibition after a (piston) thunder boat race in San Diego, where they had pros showing what could be done with them. After awhile, seeing what they do is no longer "oh wow", but "meh." We got acclimated.
These performances are waning in interest I think for the same reason, not because they're aren't spectacular, but because we've become acclimated to the same small set of actions. "Oh look, another Block video; let me guess, he drifts a car and generates tons of tire smoke."
As for "look how exciting electric cars can be", yeah, well, it's a $200-300K car, and 100 sets of tires are $$$$$. No one's going to be doing anything close to this in their electric car, and seems to be more of a WWF sort of thing, where people can pretend.
10/26/22 9:24 p.m.
Car is cool and driving was impressive. I was hoping to be really excited about the video but yeah, the sound really makes a difference.
Go watch the Hoonicorn in London and mute your speakers. It's cool, but not nearly as fun to watch without the heart pumping sounds. The ICE sound draws the viewer into the experience instead of just watching through a window. At least that's my 2 cents.
10/27/22 5:10 a.m.
In reply to TJL (Forum Supporter) :
Right, been reading GRM since the beginning but forgot fun is not longer allowed in these modern times.
10/27/22 5:50 a.m.
In reply to 05CAR :
Fun at the expense of others, especially marginalized people, has thankfully lost its shine. Let's keep it genuinely fun for everyone.
Margie
10/27/22 1:34 p.m.
I don't think anyone was harmed by the above post. I didn't see the humor in it, but I wasn't offended by it either.
I did find the misuse of homonyms your and you're to be unsettling though.
I'm all for free speech even if I don't like it. People can misuse homonyms all they want.
10/27/22 1:55 p.m.
In reply to Marjorie Suddard :
I think we're defining "modern times" as "the last quarter century" in this case.
10/27/22 2:13 p.m.
In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :
The harmless misuse of homonyms is what you found unsettling in that post?
10/27/22 3:30 p.m.
I think I saw somewhere that this car generates somewhere around 4400 lbs-ft of torque, which easily explains the absurd amount of tire melting abilities, but at a level like that I'd imagine it's borderline unusable power, especially when it's instant, for anything besides being slid around.
10/27/22 3:39 p.m.
Let me guess, "Words will never hurt me?" No, words have power and thankfully we've finally begun to realize that as a society. Frankly I'd just hit the delete user button if I saw that post and had that power.
10/27/22 4:23 p.m.
The other video said it has two Formula E Gen 5 motors in it with a combined rating of 4400 lbs-ft, I can't even imagine.
10/27/22 4:56 p.m.
Thought about it, but this discussion and the effect of seeing it voted into oblivion will hopefully inspire change in a way that wouldn't.
10/28/22 11:40 a.m.
I'm sure this will get downvoted but the usuals, but I disagree.
I don't see where censoring, cancelling, deleting or wishing grave bodily harm up to and including death on everyone you disagree with is making the world a better place. In fact I disagree to the point I think this is a path to irreparable harm. The end consequences of this path are ultimately very uncivil and completely avoidable. It seems the desire for control of every word and thought is more important to many though. Good luck in that endeavor.
10/28/22 11:58 a.m.
Personally I like the electric noises. I hear cars go up and down the street near my wife's store all the time. The newer electrics catch my attention as mush as the ICE cars do.
10/28/22 12:05 p.m.
In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :
People can say what they want. But they have to own the consequences. You can be a homophobic ass at someone's party, but the host can also ask you to leave because you're being a homophobic ass and you're spoiling the party. Eventually, you might realize that being a homophobic ass is not beneficial if you want to go to certain parties. So you modify your behavior. Or you can decide to keep being a homophobic ass and accept that you won't be going to certain parties anymore. Margie is hoping for the first.
That's not control. That's consequences.
10/28/22 12:14 p.m.
In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :
I know you've said you've been verbally accosted on this site before but I don't think that's not what this is, maybe I'm wrong though. To me this just seems like the admins are saying, 'Hey, the rest of the people on this forum think that comment was a little much. Can you chill?' I'd hope you or anyone here can disagree with anyone else around here with resorting to unsettling comments.
10/28/22 12:45 p.m.
Now, back to regularily scheduled programing....
I know many of us may see Block's stunts as old hat. But... for some 12 year old seeing one for the first time it could be an introduction to a life long passion.
I might have been to road races 100s of times in my lifetime, but when I take the grandkids for the first time it is eye-opening to them.
10/28/22 12:59 p.m.
In reply to Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) :
Funny you said that. My 11 year old sends me Ken Block vids all the time because he thinks they're so cool.
10/28/22 1:02 p.m.
In reply to Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) :
So along that line, what are people's favorite Block videos? I think mine is probably this old one because it just looks like a lot of fun and wasn't over-staged. Also, we learn that cars fly further than snowboarders with the same ramp and speed :)
10/28/22 1:05 p.m.
We'd need some more information, but if that 4400ft-lbs is being applied directly to the wheels at a 1:1 ratio, it's really not all that much. Of course if there's any amount of gear reduction in there then it does become quite a bit pretty quickly. I'd guess the tire destruction is more the immediate application of full torque, combined with being able to spin all the way up to top speed with probably not much of a torque dropoff as speeds increase, very unlike an ICE drivetrain.
10/28/22 2:41 p.m.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
I don't think anyone was scared of anything, so phobia isn't an issue. This hyperbole is exactly the kind of talk that is dangerous. And the comment was about a car and a hypothetical person not an actual named individual. Poor taste and actual harm are very different things. No one can control taste or should attempt to.
I wasn't bothered by this persons comments. I was fine ignoring it. The typical over reaction isn't surprising though.
This place is great when cars are the topic. When it goes off topic it turns into a cesspool of only one side's talking points. The funny thing is going full extreme on either side leads to the same disastrous endpoint. You don't have to be that endpoint.
The only phobia I see here is free speech phobia. That's the real fear. Someone might say something you disagree with, oh the horror!
If we can't disagree then open and honest discussion doesn't exist, and I'm not going to pretend it does no matter how much anyone says it.
10/28/22 2:52 p.m.
Can I chill? Define chill? Maybe your wrong? Maybe I'm wrong too? Maybe everyone is wrong sometimes. That's kind of the point.
I've actually had death wished on me in horrific fashion for disagreeing with someone here. Were they wrong? I've never done that to anyone anywhere nor would I.
I am perfectly okay admitting I'm not nice all the time. At least Im not faking it though and then congratulating others for being rude too.
So yah I still disagree.
10/28/22 3:41 p.m.
In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :
Despite the fact that homophobia includes the word "phobia", it's not defined strictly as a fear of homosexuals. The post was referring to homosexuals in a derogatory manner, which fits in the actual definition. It doesn't have to be an attack on an individual, and it wasn't really about a car. It was intended as a slur, and that is not generally accepted by society and certainly not by our hosts.
Homophobes are free to use homophobic speech if they want, but the people who own this message board are also free to choose not to allow it on their board because those freedoms go both ways. And note that the post was hidden due to a majority vote on the part of the forum users, using the thumbs up/down voting system. That's not a phobia of free speech, that's a "we don't accept derogatory slurs" choice. The only person who overreacted was the original poster who didn't like that their homophobic views were not appreciated. Margie was quite polite in her response.
10/28/22 3:53 p.m.
The sounds don't do it for me, sounds like something from Power Rangers or a SyFy original. I'm not going to say they're terrible, they certainly float someones boat and young folks will certainly learn to associate it in a positive way with power and coolness. Not going to be much choice on that, any hydrogen noises will be muffled like a Ninja 300. Anywho, I think the noises are pretty meh, I'd be inclined to say silly but it comes down to just not being a sound I perceive as desirable.
Now I can retire to the patio and pontificate on the reality of free speech vs the fantasy of forced audiences and "censoring". If I walked into someones house I'm free to talk smack about them, their momma, their kids, and their dog but I don't get to cry foul if they ask me to leave. Especially since the right to free speech does not protect from individual consequences, like being kicked out of a house for asinine behavior. Then again, maybe I'm being inconsiderate of sensitive feelings when I disagree with people. Really makes a guy/gal think, doesn't it?
10/28/22 3:55 p.m.
Wait..we aren't discussing hooning electric Audis?
10/28/22 3:56 p.m.
In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :
I don't think you're wrong. I disagree that the slur was an appropriate thing to say, but yeah I have had some crap come out of my mouth/fingers that doesn't represent who I am or who I want to be. There are other times when people don't realize what they've said can be hurtful. That's when there is an opportunity for discussion and education about someone else's worldview.
I don't pretend to be nice; I am a work in progress who more often fails and lives with that regret. And yes, I think your point is correct: Leaping on people like wild dogs is not the way to make them nice. And it is not nice in itself.
I know I will be crucified for any kind of kumbahyah post here, but yes, my goal is to have us all get along. Even the people who are wrong! (That last is a joke, I swear.) Anthony may think this place is best when we talk about cars, but I have learned a lot from this forum. Glad for the learning, even if some of the lessons were painful ones.
Margie
10/28/22 4:09 p.m.
In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :
The comment above about homosexuality may not literally a phobia but its anti-gay. If someone was browsing the internet looking at post about Ken Block and came across this forum. They see that post and the rest of the forum members encouraging or ignoring what was said, that person may be turned off from further exploring the GRM forum because of unchecked/supported hate speech. That is the opposite of what we want. Content should bring in fresh members to join and add support for GRM. This isn't anti free-speech, your Constitutional rights are not being violated. Hate speech does violate civil rights though. You may be okay with or support hate speech or possibly you're un-phased by hate speech; but, a lot of us are not okay with it and some of us are hurt and offended by it. It's crazy that this has to be explained to you, a grown man in 2022. But, I'm suspecting that it doesn't have to be explaining to you and you like to stir the pot just to get people riled up.
Either way, I have an issue with you finding poor grammar more unsettling than hate speech. But, I'll further keep that issue to myself.
10/28/22 4:52 p.m.
The first F1 race I went to was Austin 2014. That was the first year of the hybrids, when a bunch of people were wound up about the cars not making the correct noise (ie, the noise they made the year before, nothing to do with noises they may have made years earlier). It wasn't a shriek that would cause hearing damage, but a collection of different sounds from different systems. I thought it was fascinating, you could hear all sorts of other high energy sounds coming out of the cars as they harvested and deployed. The actual ICE noises from that year were not very good ones either.
Cars like that and this Audi are from the realm of science fiction a couple of decades ago, so I guess I don't mind if they sound like it. I do think that high power EVs are best heard in person, as there's almost a staticky feel to the sound that gets lost in recordings.
10/28/22 4:55 p.m.
In reply to yupididit :
I would not personally classify it as hate speech, just a really bad/offkey attempt at humor. As a friend would put it, goes over like a fart in church. (I have had friends/family who had good coming-out experiences and awful ones...)
In that light, the grammatical fail is more distressing but also kind of expected.
10/28/22 5:00 p.m.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
The sound does bring me back to SyFy movies and that's why I like it so much
10/28/22 6:00 p.m.
Classic.
10/28/22 6:17 p.m.
Okay, guys, I am going to close this because it's starting to repeat itself in a not great way. Thanks all for the honest thoughts and discussion.
Margie
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