American superstar Ken Block revealed a multi-purpose car last weekend at the Gymkhana World Tour event in L.A., named the ‘Hybrid Function Hoon Vehicle’, or H.F.H.V. for short.
The car gets its name for its ability to be transformed ready to compete in stage rally, rallycross and gymkhana events, all of which Block regularly competes in as part of his busy schedule.
“Many people may not realize this, but despite the fundamental similarities between stage rally, rallycross and gymkhana, in order to be the best at each, you must have specific built vehicles,” said Block. “My WRC Fiesta just can’t do what my Gymkhana Fiesta can, and vice versa. But having to campaign three separate cars is a nightmare, so we built one car that can be transformed to suit each form of racing I do on the highest level.”
The chassis of the H.F.H.V. is based upon M-Sport’s current Ford Fiesta RS WRC, which Block uses in his World Rally Championship program. In order to produce the power needed for rallycross and gymkhana the original 1.6L engine has been replaced with a 2.0L unit, based on the powerplant used in the previous generation Ford Focus RS WRC. Though the engine makes the car ineligible for the WRC under its latest regulations, the addition of a 34mm restrictor will allow the car to compete in the Rally America series.
Different gear ratios and suspension setups are used for each of the three modes to suit each discipline of competition.
“The H.F.H.V. is the best of all worlds for me,” said Block. “The current WRC Fiesta is the greatest handling car I have driven, but it lacks the sheer grunt that the 2.0L engine in the WRC Focus created. The H.F.H.V. brings those two things together, and the result is a manic beast that is just too much fun to drive.”
Ken will race the H.F.H.V at Summer X Games 17 in Los Angeles this weekend. A video showing the transformations between each of the three modes can be seen below.
Block’s Hybrid Function Hoon Vehicle in its three modes
