Ken Block Exhibit Slides into the Petersen Museum Feb. 15
The life and cars of video star and rallymeister Ken Block are being celebrated at a new exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles that opens Feb. 15.
Block is best known for his Gymkhana driving videos, where the Hoonigan co-founder rallies through city streets, country roads, and abandoned military bases all over the world, snapping off jumps and barely missing various fixed objects, basically doing what we all think we could do, too, given the right circumstances. But of course, we couldn't do it. It's just that Block made it look so easy.
The exhibit was already in the planning stages years ago, before Ken Block's untimely death in a snowmobiling accident two years ago. Enthusiasm for the show never really waned, especially at the Petersen, so it has come full circle.
The Petersen calls the exhibit 'the most comprehensive public display of Block's collection ever assembled' and says it 'celebrates the enduring legacy of one of motorsport's most legendary figures.'
In 2013, just five years into his fame, Block received the Petersen's Inspiration Award for 'his contributions to growing and inspiring the next generation of auto enthusiasts,' according to exhibit assistant curator Michael McCardle.
While a handful of Ken Block's cars were shown at The Henry Ford as part of a larger motorsports exhibit, this Petersen showing will be the first one that has been done specifically focusing on the life and career and impact of Ken Block.
'It's certainly the largest gathering of any of his most famous vehicles that's ever been put together,' McCardle said.
Among the cars on display are:
1965 Ford Mustang RTR 'Hoonicorn' featured in Gymkhana SEVEN, Gymkhana TEN, and Climbkhana. This was the world's first all-wheel-drive performance Mustang, the Hoonigan team said at the time. Following its debut in Gymkhana SEVEN, it earned a reputation as one of the most iconic custom vehicles ever built.
2022 Porsche 911 SVRSR 'Hoonipigasus' is a 1,400-hp Porsche built for the 2022 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Unfortunately, after promising practice runs, the engine failed just before race day and Block didn't get to see what it would do in competition.
2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI featured in Gymkhana: Practice (or Gymkhana ONE) and 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI featured in Gymkhana TWO. These vehicles were constructed as successors to Ken Block's original 1991 Ford Escort Cosworth Group A rally car, which he competed in and used as one of five vehicles in Gymkhana TEN.
The 1977 Ford F-150 Hoonitruck was created for Gymkhana TEN, partially out of Block's general love for trucks, and also as a tribute to his late father who had the exact same base truck back in the day. The 3.5-liter, twin turbocharged, Ford Performance/Roush Yates EcoBoost V6 makes 914 hp and 702 lb-ft of torque. The custom-tuned engine features a billet-aluminum block lifted directly out of the Ford Racing Ford GT Le Mans development program, according to Hoonigan.
2022 Audi S1 E-Tron Quattro 'Hoonitron' Inspired by the Audi Sport Quattro S1 rally car of the 1980s, Ken Block and Audi created an entirely new car for a series of Gymkhana spinoffs called Electrikhana.
In addition to the cars, there will be a number of screens throughout the Bruce Meyer Family Gallery playing Gymkhana videos on a loop. You could spend hours in there.
The exhibit opens Feb. 15 and will run through October.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Miami Herald
Major tire and auto repair chain closes 145 struggling stores
The automobile tires and wheels aftermarket has faced significant headwinds over the last year, resulting in companies closing store locations, filing for bankruptcy to reorganize their operations, and sometimes selling their business. Companies facing economic difficulties have cited lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, a decline in consumer demand, supply chain disruption, and increased operating costs driven by inflation as the reasons for taking action to improve their financial situation. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Wheel Pros, which operates as auto parts distributor and retailer Hoonigan, filed for a prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sept. 9, 2024, that would eliminate $1.2 billion in debt and provide about $570 million in new capital through an exit facility, according to a company statement. Related: Popular grocery store chain closes all locations, no bankruptcy After Covid, high interest rates and inflation resulted in weaker consumer demand, the debtor expected the demand to return by late 2023, but inflation and high interest rates continued to depress demand. The debtor was founded in 1994 as Wheel Pros and now operates as Hooningan to design, market, sell, and distribute aftermarket automotive wheels, performance tires, and related accessories to over 30,000 retailers, warehouse distributors, and specialty builders through a global network of over 42 distribution centers. Accuride Corp, a leading manufacturer of wheels and wheel end products for commercial trucks and trailers, on Oct. 9, 2024, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection seeking a consensual restructuring of its debt to continue operating as a going concern. Accuride and 15 affiliates filed their petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware after facing significant headwinds from the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the debtor's business, operational difficulties, business integration challenges, inflation, supply chain disruption, and other geopolitical and macroeconomic forces that depressed revenue and increased costs. Giant tire and wheel replacement company American Tire Distributors on Oct. 22, 2024, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, seeking a sale of its assets, burdened with over $1.9 billion in funded debt. The debtor blamed soaring inflation after the Covid-19 pandemic and a decline in demand for auto products beginning in 2022 for its financial distress, following a tire boom in 2019-2021. The tire boom prompted the company to expand its business, but profits began declining in 2022 and 2023 because of new market headwinds that included customers adjusting to less expensive tires, depression of consumer demand, increased operating costs, and a contraction of sales channels. Some companies with no plans to file for bankruptcy are taking proactive steps to improve their business performance to avoid severe problems in the future. Major tire services and auto repair chain Monro Inc. will close 145 underperforming stores as part of its company improvement plan, after reporting a 4.9% decrease in sales in the 2025 fiscal year ended March 29, 2025. Related: Iconic Baskin-Robbins local ice cream rival closes after 40 years Following a detailed assessment of Monro's business, the company identified four key areas to focus on improvement, including closing 145 stores, improving customer experience and selling effectiveness, driving profitable customer acquisition and activation, and increasing merchandise productivity, including mitigating tariff risk, CEO Peter Fitzsimmons revealed in a May 28 statement. "As I reflect on my first eight weeks, I'm pleased with our detailed assessment of the business. We have identified four key areas of focus as opportunities for improvement," Fitzsimmons said. More closings: Popular retail chain to close unprofitable store locationsBankrupt retail chain unloads store leases, key assetPopular discount retailer files bankruptcy, closes all stores "While our improvement plan will take time to implement, I believe that we will drive enhanced profitability and increase operating income and total shareholder returns in fiscal 2026," he said. Monro was set to begin closing the 145 underperforming stores in the first quarter of 2026, which began March 30, 2025. The improvement plan is expected to enhance operations, profitability, operating income, and total shareholder returns for the company, though it expects the store closings to result in a reduction of annual sales by about $45 million in fiscal year 2026, according to its earnings call. Monro's fourth quarter 2025 sales declined 4.9% to $295 million, compared to $310 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, ended March 30, 2024. The company closed three stores in the fourth quarter of 2025, ending the quarter with 1,260 company-operated stores and 48 franchised locations. Related: Major restaurant chain quietly closes several locations The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Car and Driver
26-05-2025
- Car and Driver
Retro Ford F-150, Lambos Star in New Radwood-Era Petersen Museum Exhibit
A new exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles is showcasing icons of the 1980s and 1990s. Ultra-rare cars on show include the very first Buick GNX, the original DeLorean time machine from Back to the Future, and a one-of-one Nissan Skyline GT-R. It's the biggest Petersen exhibit so far this year, and there are even more '80s and '90s heroes to see throughout the museum. Remember the 1990s? Of course you do, it was just 10 years ago. Oh, wait, no it wasn't. No wonder our knees hurt. Well, should you remember the era of the Sony Discman and New Kids on the Block with fondness, the Petersen Automotive Museum has a great new exhibit for you. Along with a '92 Ford F-150 Flareside, pictured above with eye-popping paint and a cab spoiler, there are other Radwood-era eye candy, including iconic Lamborghinis such as an '85 Countach 5000S and '89 LM002. Read Our Review Petersen Automotive Museum A Radwood-Era Exhibit It's called 'Totally Awesome! Cars and Culture of the '80s and '90s,' and it's crammed with iconic vehicles that defined the era. This is a mainstage blowout experience, a Guns N' Roses touring with Aerosmith type of thing. The new exhibit features more than 13 classics that represent blockbuster movies, a world-beating performance, or the bedroom poster you had up next to the handbill from License to Drive. Petersen Automotive Museum On the Hollywood side of things, there's the original DeLorean DMC-12 time machine from Back to the Future, as well as the 1998 Beetle used in the Austin Powers franchise (also a time machine). Rally-car royalty is represented by a 1985 Audi Sport Quattro Group B car, and there's also the very first Buick GNX on display. Read Our Review Petersen Automotive Museum Perhaps most exciting are the supercars, which range from rare beasts like the Vector M12 and the sixteen-cylinder Cizeta Moroder V16T to the apex predator of them all, the McLaren F1. JDM culture will also be present with something of a mic drop moment: the NISMO Skyline GT-R LM homologation special built to allow Nissan to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. There's only one in the world. Petersen Automotive Museum Read Our Review Petersen Automotive Museum Whether you're into Countachs or Corvettes, there's something for everyone here. Grab your denim jacket, hairspray the heck out of your hair, then get on down to the Petersen Museum. The exhibit opens Friday, June 6. Brendan McAleer Contributing Editor Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
This Evo-Powered Mirage Is How Mitsubishi Should Have Done It
Mitsubishi's little Mirage hatchback gets a lot of flack for being a bad car, but I don't think it's a bad car at all. The Mirage served a purpose as one of the least expensive cars on the road, and they're reasonably reliable rides for folks who need inexpensive wheels. That said, I always believed Mitsubishi should have offered a performance version of the Mirage to play up the brand's significant rally heritage. Imagine if Mitsu had beat Toyota to the punch and delivered a Mirage Evo years before there was ever a preliminary planning meeting about the GR Yaris or Corolla. All of the parts were already in the Mitsubishi parts bin, why not sling them together and see what happens? The world loves a hot hatchback. Rally driver Patrick Gruszka has been running basically that very car in the ARA rally series for a few years. The full drivetrain from an Evo X, including the 4B11T engine and S-AWC all-wheel drive system, though the transmission has been replaced by a proper motorsport sequential gearbox. With a full WRC-style widebody kit and "a lot of one off custom in-house R&D stuff that I can't disclose or talk about" this thing looks like a full factory racing effort, but somehow it isn't. Why didn't Mitsubishi race the Mirage? Why didn't Mitsubishi build us a street rally hot hatch for the ages? Alas, for it wasn't to be. We simply must console ourselves with this new rally video from Hoonigan featuring Gruszka and his Mirage. Read more: These Are The Most Annoying Things About Your Cars After several seasons of competition, it's easy to see that this Mirage is a little on the tired side, and Gruszka won't treat the old girl to a proper quiet retirement. Even as the car seems to fall apart around him, he keeps pushing it for everything it has. With the front differential not putting the power down, the car still managed to be the fastest so far around Hoonigan's secret California rally test facility. At full-send mode the engine finally decides it has had enough and blows up just shy of the finish line, robbing the world, and Patrick, of an even faster lap time. This is a really cool car and I hope it gets rebuilt again and again to keep the flame of hope alive that a Mirage isn't just a boring commuter. Every car has potential, even the Mirage. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
