They say that the best creative people are always reinventing themselves. Despite producing things that might be loved by millions, the creators are always thinking about doing something new. Ken Block is one such individual. The popular rally driver who helped give a whole new meaning to “gymkhana” had easily one of the most flashy presences in WRC or in GRC. His bright white, black, and bright green “paint drip” livery was always the easiest car to spot at any event. However, despite his livery being a favorite among fans, the design was about two years old and Mr. Block wanted a change. Not just in livery but for the whole “look” of his brand.
As such he has re-launched his team. Starting with the team name it has now changed from the “Monster World Rally Team” to “Hoonigan Racing Division” giving top billing to his Hoonigan clothing line over Monster Energy Drink (which still remains a sponsor). Ken has also revealed an all new team HQ near his home in Park City, Utah which features state of the art facilities despite being constructed mostly from recycled shipping containers. Block wanted to use shipping containers as a way to be not only environmentally friendly but to keep everything completely modular and somewhat portable. If Ken ever had to move locations, he could literally put his HQ on the back of a semi-truck and drive it away then set it up again somewhere else. Pretty cool huh?
Obviously, the new headquarters is not the only part of the re-launch. Ken has completely re-done the liveries on both his Gymkhana car and his GRC/WRC car. Replacing the dominant “Monster Energy green” color is a bright blue color. Also, instead of the “paint drip” look there is an all new scheme inspired by 90′s skateboard graphics. All together, it looks like Ken Block will remain the favorite car to look at for the 2013 season. If you want to see more pics and learn more about the team relaunch just visit HooniganRacing.com
The first press day of the LA Auto Show was long, and draining (but worth it) so it was really nice for Recaro to invite me to their reception event just down the street from the convention center at the J Lounge for a little R&R. There was no specific reason why Recaro decided to throw a party besides just wanting to celebrate their 106 years of existence and various OEM partnerships (GM, Ford, etc.) as such the wine flowed like a river and there were various tasty treats on hand. Oh yeah; there was also a small fleet of bad ass cars as well as industry celebrities like Ken Block and Tanner Foust.
Despite the clout that Foust and Block have, the real guests of honor of the evening were Jeremy Foley and Yuri Kouznetsov. If those names don’t sound familiar to you, just type them into the YouTube search bar and the results will return one of the most watched crash videos in recent history. It was Jeremy Foley and Yuri Kouznetsov who were passengers in the horrible Evo crash at this year’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb when their car slid off the cliff at the turn known as the “Devil’s Playground”
Miraculously both drivers walked away from the accident with little to no injury. They credit their survival to all the safety equipment in the car namely the roll cage and the Recaro seats that kept both driver and co-driver secure as their car tumbled down the cliff. The mangled remains of their race car was actually on display at the event and last night was actually the first time the car has been put on exhibition since that fateful day. If you look closely at the pictures of the wreckage you’ll see that not only is the roll cage still in relatively good shape, but the driver seat is still in its proper position while the passenger seat has barely moved.
If any one of you out there have asked yourself why Recaro seats seem to be so much more expensive than other brands, this is your answer! I want to thank Recaro and The ID Agency for the invite to the reception. I had a great time and meeting Jeremy and Yuri was inspirational! For pictures just click the thumbnails below. You will eventually get to the wreckage shots!
If you want to see footage of the crash for yourself, you can watch it below. I should warn you though it is a bit hard to watch. Yes both drivers made it out alive and unhurt, but watching a car tumble down a cliff like this knowing that there are humans inside of it, makes it a bit disturbing! I leave the choice to you!
Ever since Ken Block started releasing his famous Gymkhana videos many started to wonder just how good Mr. Block would be at drifting. Many think that he would probably suck because he is used to AWD cars which many believe save you from just about any slide which is true to a certain extent. Others think his skill set would be perfectly suited for drifting because above all drifting requires high car control and a low sense of self preservation instincts which pretty much describes Ken Block to a T.
Well Ken got together with his Hoonigans film crew to at least try to answer the eternal question as he attempted to drift his AWD Ford Fiesta HFHV (Hybrid Function Hoon Vehicle) around Irwindale Speedway AKA “The House Of Drift” following the same course that Formula Drift drivers did in the final round (pics coming soon).
I will make this short. I saw Gymkhana FIVE already during X Games weekend and it is f**king awesome! You are about to watch Ken Block hoon the hell out of San Francisco, consequently having your mind blown. Now scroll down and watch below!
We told you a short while ago that Ken Block’s next Gymkhana video would take place on the streets of San Francisco. Well, juding by this new teaser it looks like things may kick off in the open ocean! Check out this Gymkhana FIVE teaser with Mr. KB doing smokey donuts on a floating barge during rush hour on the Golden Gate bridge! If the teaser makes you hungry for more then just stay tuned for the official release of Gymkhana FIVE on July 9th.
The ultimate hoon, Ken Block has just put the world on notice that Gymkhana FIVE is coming and he is going to take this one to the streets! For the next Gymkhana video Block wants to return to the pure hard-driving, hoonage roots of the Gymkhana THREE video and he wants to do it on the steep streets of San Francisco. Since the presenting sponsor of the next Gymkhana video will be the new Ford Focus ST, I am predicting at some point there will be some type of homage to the movie, Bullit (they even mention the movie in the press release below). I for one am looking forward to seeing what Block manages to do on public streets and I am also wondering how he will be able to pull this off (if he hasn’t filmed the spot already) without any by-standers shooting and leaking video from the set! This is the first time Ken Block as done a Gymkhana video on public streets so I am sure it will prove to be a challenge.
DC also promises that within the video world records will be broken and there will also be a mystery special guest. Interest piqued yet? I thought so. Well we have to wait until July 9th 2012 at 10am EST to see the finished product.
KEN BLOCK AND DC SHOES ANNOUNCE THE UPCOMING RELEASE OF GYMKHANA FIVE, PRESENTED BY THE FORD FOCUS STJUNE 18th, 2012 – Huntington Beach, California – After much anticipation, Ken Block and DC Shoes are proud to announce the coming of Gymkhana FIVE, which will debut globally on Monday, July 9th at 10 AM EST via the DC ShoesYouTube channel. Filmed on the streets of San Francisco, California, Gymkhana FIVE builds on the previous successes of the Gymkhana viral video series and it’s 140+ million views.
“My idea for Gymkhana FIVE was simple,” said Block. “I wanted to build on the ultimate playground concept from Gymkhana THREE, and bring the franchise back to that raw and fast feel that the earlier videos had. I’ve always wanted to film a Gymkhana video in a city and there are few places as unique and iconic with such amazing topography as San Francisco. While movies like Bullit and various chase scenes have tried to use San Francisco to the fullest, I’m pretty confident that I’ve proven there was a lot left to be done on those amazing streets!”
Without question, the streets of San Francisco make Gymkhana FIVE the most unique project to date in the franchise’s history. And for good measure, a few world records and a surprise guest have been thrown in too. Making a return for the second year in a row is Block’s Ford Fiesta H.F.H.V. racecar, which can be seen slaying its tires on the streets of San Francisco globally on the July 9th release date. For select media and action sport VIPs, DC will premiere the video on Friday, June 29th during Summer X Games 18.
A while back I gave you a preview DiRT Showdown a spin-off of the popular “DiRT” franchise by Codemasters. Today I get to show you a brand new trailer! Yay! As I mentioned in the original preview, DiRT Showdown would include a new mode dubbed “Hoonigan” (after Ken Block’s new clothing brand) and we finally get a look at it in the new trailer. If you want a quick primer on what Hoonigan mode is, imagine if Gymkhana mode made sweet, sweet love to your favorite DiRT3 game modes such as “Head 2 Head” and this is their child.. Touching, is it not?
If the new video makes you itchy to get your hands on the game then fear not as the official demo of DiRT Showdown will be released on May 1st! If you really feel the need to “own” the game now then a special “Hoonigan Edition” version of the game is available for pre-order right now. The Hoonigan edition comes with special Monster Energy and Hoonigan skins for the games most popular cars, as well as online multiplayer XP multiplier and in-game cash boosts to advance faster and buy upgrades.
In addition to releasing a new trailer Codemasters has also announced “RaceNet”. RaceNet will be an online hub (think Call of Duty Elite) in which members can look at their stats, track rivals, and rewards for all of their Codemasters racing games (DiRT series, F1 series). A RaceNet beta will be released along side the DiRT Showdown demo on May 1st as well. For now enjoy the trailer below!
DiRT® SHOWDOWN™ TO CRASH INTO RETAIL ON MAY 29th ON NEW “CODEMASTERS RACING” LABEL
All new “Ultimate Hoonigan” Gameplay Video Now Playing at www.dirtgame.com
DiRT Showdown Playable Demo, Available on May 1st, Will Introduce RaceNet, the New Online Community Hub for Codemasters Racing Players
Los Angeles, Calif. – April 19, 2012 – Today Codemasters® announced that DiRT® Showdown™, the new all-action racing game from the award-winning DiRT series, will race into retail on May 29th**. DiRT Showdown will be the first game to launch on the company’s new publishing label Codemasters Racing* (See Notes).
To mark the news, Codemasters has released the “Ultimate Hoonigan” gameplay video featuring the spectacular tricks and stunts players can perform in DiRT Showdown’s Hoonigan game modes. The video features Ken Block’s Ford Fiesta H.F.H.V Gymkhana 5 which is featured exclusively in DiRT Showdown, going head-to-head with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X JUN, and is now playing at www.dirtgame.com.
Codemasters also announced that the playable demo of DiRT Showdown is due to launch worldwide on May 1, 2012. The demo will feature a solo and multiplayer event and will be available from Xbox Live Marketplace, PlayStation Network and Steam on PC.
When the DiRT Showdown demo goes live, Codemasters will invite fans to join the free new online hub for Codemasters Racing games, RaceNet† (See Notes). RaceNet will launch in beta as an evolving interactive community platform for Codemasters Racing games and allow fans to track their Races, Rivals and Rewards.
A special “Hoonigan” edition of DiRT Showdown is now available to pre-order exclusively from Walmart. Sporting unique packaging, the DiRT Showdown: Hoonigan Edition will include an in-game cash boost, an online XP multiplier plus Monster Energy skins for the Kohler D350, Duke Coupe and Ford Fiesta Gymkhana 3 and Hoonigan skins for the Holbrook Growler, Logan Vulture and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X JUN(as seen in the “Ultimate Hoonigan” video), redeemed via an online code.
DiRT Showdown will deliver a new world of competitive and combative racing as players race, crash and hoon their way to “Showdown” finals on a chaotic tour of motorized mayhem when it launches May 29, 2012 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and PC. For all the latest updates straight from the studio, crash over to www.dirtgame.com, www.facebook.com/dirtgame or follow the team at www.twitter.com/dirtgame.
A while back I showed you the trailer for the new DiRT Showdown game which is coming down the pipe from Codemasters. When the trailer hit the intertubes it raised a lot of questions about the future direction of the DiRT series. The biggest question was: Is DiRT Showdown really “DiRT4″? Well recently I was invited to get a hands on preview of DiRT Showdown. Not only did I get to play an early draft of the game myself I also got to speak with Showdown’s associate producer Iain Smith and ask him some of the hard questions. Before we get to that I will answer a few of those questions right now. First of all yes, Ken Block will be making a return appearance in DiRT Showdown in his current Ford Fiesta ”Hybrid Function Hoonigan Vehicle” AKA H.F.H.V. Secondly, Gymkhana mode will be back and improved from DiRT3, meaning that it wont be so damn hard to execute stunts and tricks. Finally, as the trailers suggest there will be a demolition derby element to DiRT Showdown. There are more burning questions that will be answered straight from in our interview as well as some gameplay footage and new screen shots scroll below!
Today Codemasters revealed the first official trailer for their new addition to the DiRT series “DiRT Showdown“. At first I thought this was the sequel to DiRT3 but Codemasters will be the first to tell you that a sequel this is not! Instead DiRT Showdown is an “extension” of the DiRT series that provides a different experience than the first three DiRT games. How do they do this? Well from what I see DiRT Showdown is a mash-up of rally, demolition derby, gymkhana, and a little modern warfare 3 thrown in for flavor. DiRT Showdown is all about “full-contact, combative racing”. You are encouraged to ram your rivals off the road if it means winning! There are other game modes such as demolition derby (self-explanatory), and “Hoonigan Events” which looks to be a new version of Gymkhana mode but, well, bigger. DiRT Showdown will also be the official video game debut of Ken Blocks Ford Fiesta H.F.H.V. used in Gymkhana FOUR. In addition to new cars there will also be new locals such as Tokyo, San Francisco, and Miami. Expect to see DiRT Showdown hit stores in May 2012. For now check out some screen shots, the official trailer, and press release below.
All-action Trailer Now Showing at www.dirtgame.com Reveals a Brand new and explosive extension of the DiRT series coming May 2012
Los Angeles, Calif. – Dec. 12, 2011 – Set to deliver a brand new dive-in-and-drive rush of speed, style and destruction, today Codemasters® announced that DiRT Showdown, an action packed extension of the award-winning DiRT series, will debut May 2012 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and PC.
In DiRT Showdown, players will jump into a new world of competitive and combative racing, boosting, tricking and smashing their way to “Showdown” finals on a chaotic tour of motorised mayhem. The first trailer capturing the unique atmosphere and high-octane thrills of DiRT Showdown is now playing at www.dirtgame.com.
“DiRT Showdown is not the sequel to the authentic rally-centric DiRT 3, but a brand new experience from the DiRT team,” said Julian Widdows, VP, development. “We’re building on Codemasters Racing Studio’s world-class strengths in track design, graphics, AI, damage and online to create a new theatre of racing with the emphasis on accessibility and fun from race one.”
“DiRT Showdown charges into the arcade racing space with a uniquely Codemasters feel,” said Mike Chapman, senior games designer. “Whether players are using nitrous to boost, smashing into their opponents or pulling off stunts, DiRT Showdown’s fresh handling system and super-charged damage engine embed excitement into every event.”
There are three broad categories to DiRT Showdown’s action-sport racing. Players will use nitrous to blast past rivals and negotiate courses filled with ramps, multiple routes and obstacles in full-contact Racing events. Gaming’s most advanced damage engine is unleashed in Demolition Derby themed events where players smash and crash their way to victory in bone-jarring style. Finally, in Hoonigan events, gamers will send fans wild in huge stunt parks where accessible new controls offer every player the chance to become a freestyle driving hero.
From San Francisco to Miami and London to Tokyo, players will dominate their rivals and wow the crowds. Pyrotechnics, lasers and thousands of fans give each venue a sports entertainment atmosphere, becoming the perfect stage for players to perform. Over 50 different events across four championships will challenge gamers in a variety of conditions – sun, snow and rain – through the day and under the floodlights at night.
DiRT Showdown will feature an exciting new line up of off-road machines. Ken Block’s all new Gymkhana FOUR H.F.H.V. Ford Fiesta debuts alongside an eclectic mix of vehicles across a range of classes. From saloons and muscle cars to pick-up-trucks, hearses and vans, players have a wide selection of custom cars to trick, race and destroy.
DiRT Showdown will be Codemasters’ most connected game ever – split-screen multiplayer, eight-player online racing, on and off-line quick-fire party games and YouTube integration all come as standard. Players will also be able to issue “Showdown” Challenges’ to compete with friends whether they are online or not.
Powered by the award-winning EGO Game Technology Platform, DiRT Showdown will be uncaged May 2012 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and PC.
Gymkhana FOUR is finally here! Was it worth the wait? Let’s see: Gorilla’s on Segways, nonsensical explosions, complete hoonage of the entire Universal Studios backlot, and a special apperance by the guys of Epic Mealtime. Yeah, we are going ot have to say it was totally worth it! Check it out below!
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