Three of Ken Block’s Fords Are Up for Sale
For those of you who didn’t know, Ford and Ken Block are now splitsville after a long and very fruitful relationship. Block announced the quiet and harmonious separation earlier this year and proclaimed himself a free agent until further notice.
By the same token, the Honnigan clan is putting some of its Ford-branded equipment up for sale. Three units have appeared on LBI Limited’s website, giving enthusiasts a chance to acquire some properly “hooned” Ford cars seen over and over (just about 200 million times) in Block’s series of YouTube videos. The trio is called the "Ken Block Collection" and is composed of two Ford Fiestas (GYM3 and RX43) and the infamous “Dream car” Group B Ford Escort RS200.
- Also: Ken Block’s New Rally Car Will Surprise You
- Also: Ken Block Adds a Pair of Turbos to tts 1965 Ford Mustang
If you spent some time on Hoonigan's YouTube channel, you are aware that these vehicles have been spiritedly driven - to say the least. But that doesn’t mean they don’t carry a rich tire screeching, sideways-going heritage that made them a heck of a lot more famous than many other vehicles on this planet.
Here’s a quick look at the ins and outs of these fine automobiles:
The GYM3 Ford Fiesta ST
The GYM3 Ford Fiesta ST was built by legendary Swedish rally car preparator Olsbergs and was the first Ford product to star in a Gymkhana film (Gymkhana THREE). Originally powered by a 1.6-litre Ford EcoBoost engine with 180 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque, it has since sustained quite the transformation.
Although the car normally runs on a 600 horsepower/650 lb-ft of torque tune thanks to a 2.0-litre turbo four-banger, it can also put out upwards of 850 horsepower with a dyno and some magic behind the laptop. Additionnaly, it is geared with an Olsbergs MSE MakTrak six-speed paddle-shift sequential gearbox and an Ohlins suspension. It tips the scale at just under 2,425 lb.
The RX43 Ford Fiesta ST
Seen in Ken Block’s Gymkhana SIX, EIGHT, and Terrakhana Films and in a drag race alongside Lewis Hamilton’s Formula One car, the R43 is an M-Sport/Pipo Motors-designed Ford Fiesta ST powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder that also churns out 600 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque.
The powerplant is mated to a Sadev 6-speed sequential gearbox with a Sadev rear diff and centre diff release unit. Thanks to that, and other expensive gear, the car can speed from zero to 97 km/h in about 2 seconds.
The 1986 Ford Group B Ford Escort RS200
This one lives in our mind rent-free. The RS200 is genuine Group B rally car, but it is also one of 24 example that were upgraded to EVO spec. This means that it had made more than 500 horsepower thanks to the 2.1-liter Cosworth-tuned four-cylinder engine back in 1986. In its current state, the powertrain now produces 700 horsepower on pump gas and over 800 horsepower on high-octane dinosaur juice. The car sits on a KW custom coil over suspension and custom Rotiform wheels.
LBI listed this one at $550,000US – which is quite the chunk of change!
Ken Block is a professional rally driver. But his real success as a social media personality and entrepreneur lies in its Gymkhana productions, and businesses like DC Shoes and Hoonigan lifestyle brands.
Now that the Ford era at Hoonigan is a thing of the past, these three cars (along with others that Block would rather keep) are considered valuable because they are well-built, but they also entertained millions of people around the globe.