Audi have released a video of Ken Block, who is working with the company for joint projects with electric vehicles (EVs), of him putting the Audi RS Q e-tron electric vehicle (EV) through its paces in the snow at the GP Ice Race.
Block, who is from the USA, first made a name for himself as a rally and rallycross driver. These days he’s more widely known for his elaborately produced videos where drives high-performance cars to the limit.
Block swapped seats with Audi driver Mattias Ekström at the GP Ice Race in Zell am See, Austria driving the prototype Audi RS Q e-tron in its first appearance after its successful debut in the famous Dakar Rally.
The Audi RS Q e-tron, which Audi clinched four stage victories in January at the Dakar event, impressed the crowds at the GP Ice Race during it’s first race in the snow.
Ken Block, Audi high-performance driver, said: “The laps in the Audi RS Q e-tron were a phenomenal experience – even though the car probably feels more comfortable in the desert than in the snow.
“Thanks to Mattias Ekström, who patiently explained all the special features of his car to me. A few minutes behind the wheel was enough to understand the fascination of this car.”
Ekström, the most successful Audi driver in the 2022 Dakar Rally, took part in the event and made it through to the semi-finals when he was beaten by the eventual winner Sébastien Loeb, who also races in the Extreme E off-road electric car race series.
Mattias Ekström, Dakar Rally competitor and Extreme E racer, said: “It only took three turns for Ken to get fully up to speed.”
Soon there will be even more moments like this with the pure electric Audi S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron, which Audi developed as a one-off exclusively for Ken Block. The Hoonigan team are currently producing a video entitled “Electrikhana” that will be released in the next few months and will be the latest chapter of their “Gymkhana” series.
