Audi has created a one-of-a-kind, 1980s S1-inspired, all-electric car dubbed the "Hoonitron" in partnership with drift artist and Hoonigan founder Ken Block. The Hoonitron is set to star in the Elektrikhana, a video produced by the Hoonigan team that will be released in the coming months.
"The S1 Hoonitron combines a lot of what Audi was already famous for in the nineteen-eighties," Block said. "For instance, the car's spectacular aerodynamics have now been translated into a totally modern form. I think it's cool that the Audi designers have been inspired by their own past and uniquely transferred the car's technologies and appearance into the present."
The custom Audi S1 E-tron Quattro has two electric motors, all-wheel drive and a carbon fiber chassis. It meets the full safety standards prescribed by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's top governing body.
Its design was inspired by the S1 Pikes Peak, a legendary model that set records during the hill climb it got its name from.
The entire development of the S1 Hoonitron took place at the same location the Audi RS e-tron GT is produced — Neckarsulm, Germany. The styling took place in Ingolstadt. Audi chief designer Marc Lichte and his team said that although they were excited to work on the project, it was not without its challenges.
"It was about creating a modern, all-electric interpretation of the S1 Pikes Peak. The timeline was extremely tight: while our design process normally takes one to one-and-a-half years, we only had four weeks from the first drawing to the final design," Lichte said. "We were constantly in touch with Ken Block and his team and engaged in intensive exchanges."
Audi gave Block the opportunity to test drive the Hoonitron in Germany last month.
"I'm familiar with a wide variety of cars using internal combustion engines and transmissions, but there were a lot of new things for me to learn here," Block explained.
"Spinning into a donut at 150 kilometers per hour directly from standstill – just using my right foot – is an all-new experience for me. Our work was focused on getting the car and I used to each other. My thanks go to the whole Audi Sport squad for their outstanding teamwork."
The car will officially makes its public debut as apart of Block and his team's Gymkhana film series, available on Hoonigan YouTube under the working title Elektrikhana.
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