VIDEO: DC Shoes teases Ken Block's new gymkhana Subaru WRX STI
Ken Block's new Gymkhana STI – Click above to jump to the teaser video
Autocross enthusiasts claim their form of motorsport is the most challenging in all of auto-dom. But chasing pylons around a parking lot is nothing compared to Gymkhana. Sometimes referred to as the "car rodeo", Gymkhana is practiced (in the same way that a marshall art is "practiced") in Japan, the UK, South Africa and right here in the good ol' U.S. of A. The idea is essentially the same as autocross, but with some drifting, turn-on-a-dime pivots and J-turns thrown in for good measure. It's what Subaru Rally Team USA driver and DC Shoes co-founder Ken Block, the new name behind the Dirt video game franchise, uses to keep sharp in between rally stages.
The car Block currently uses is a fire-breathing monster. Starting life as a previous-generation Subaru Impreza WRX STI, Block's Gymkhana car was originally prepared for the 2005 Gumball 3000 with 426 horsepower and adjustable suspension, then retuned for One Lap of America 2006 before being thoroughly revamped, complete with 529 hp Crawford rally engine, for rodeo duty in 2007. But for this year's circuit, Ken's got his crew working on an all-new beast. We'll have to wait until June 1 for all the details, but to keep out appetites whet, DC has released a teaser video, which we've posted for you after the jump. Thanks to Khanh for the tip!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
asuka 12:35PM (5/14/2009)
"Martial art", unless you're referring to an art form that was named after a guy named "Marshall".
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CMDR 12:50PM (5/14/2009)
ahahaha!
ack154 12:53PM (5/14/2009)
"Autocross enthusiasts claim their form of motorsport is the most challenging in all of auto-dom."
Really? I autocross on a regular basis and love it... but I don't know many autocrossers that make this claim. There is certainly a lot of challenge in it... but I don't think I could make that statement above.
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Tourian 3:33PM (5/14/2009)
Seriously. I've never heard anybody say that.
Sanders 12:57PM (5/14/2009)
Mr. Marshall...isn't that the guy from the Land of the Lost?
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LBuzzer 1:12PM (5/14/2009)
Loop-the-loop!!
LOOP--THE--LOOP!!!
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U.K. 1:20PM (5/14/2009)
Interesting that his car was ‘Retuned for One Lap of America 2006’.
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8complex 1:40PM (5/14/2009)
There should be no surprise there... the Gumball is about straight line and high speeds, but the One Lap is about a mixture of track racing, drag strips, and other much more technical events than going fast and not being caught by the cops.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking the Gumball, but IMO it was just a little bit more fun when it was a pure race back in the 70's originally (Cannonball).
Alex 1:25PM (5/14/2009)
I hear they rebuilt the dirt track from the movie Rad and he going to run that, kix bowl and everything.
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adrenalnjunky 3:09PM (5/14/2009)
you over-rotated!
Aki 1:29PM (5/14/2009)
I dunno any autox ppl that say there's is the most challenging (although it does take a diff skillset then say NASA).
I love Ken Block's STI, that Gymkhana video is one I've favorited and watched over and over.
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Jason 1:43PM (5/14/2009)
Should've been a Gymkata Subaru WRX STI.
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2004m3driver 2:17PM (5/14/2009)
Those are some nice looking pipes. Wonder if they are glossy white for a reason?
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neutralgear 2:44PM (5/14/2009)
well on the left, one is cold air intake for the turbo, and one is hot air from the exhaust spinning the turbo, so I'm guessing no. It's just to look pretty.
JWQ 5:35PM (5/14/2009)
actually the large pipe at the left of the photo is the intake to the turbo compressor side, the small one next to it is the turbo outlet piping going to the inter cooler and the one on the right of the photo is from the intercooler to the throttle body.
you can't see the exhaust manifold from that shot, or any shot in the case of a subaru unless you are under it.
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MC 1:49PM (5/15/2009)
I'm not really a fan of the new body style, but I loved his '06. Can't wait to see what this one looks like!
MC
www.turbonutz.com
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