View Full Version : Crazy skills behind the wheel
After spending the better part of a decade under the hood of a car/racing, I can only begin to understand and appreciate the amount of skill that went into building this machine, and the talent this driver has. Camera work is pretty slick too.
One thing's for sure, I'd give a nut or kidney to be next to him in the passenger seat during all this. Screaming like a little bitch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuDN2bCIyus&feature=player_embedded
Linky broken, but if it's the guy that made the shoe company and the vid in SanFran... Yes, it is bad ass!
Linky broken, but if it's the guy that made the shoe company and the vid in SanFran... Yes, it is bad ass!
Yes it is and thanks - linked fixed! 3:52 is the best part
FromMyColdDeadHand
07-10-12, 18:40
5:42 ain't bad either.
Reminds me of the CLive Owen BMW mini-movies
Damn that was impressive!
Am I the only one who finds drifting retarded? I am far more impressed by the men who build the cars than the guys who put them sideways in a cloud of smoke? Maybe its because I enjoy racing and find that sideways is not the fastest line through a corner but as impressive a display of car controll as it may be, I still find it a bit silly...
I dunno, maybe it's just me...
Completely agree Alex. It's not the best line (ever) and its a colossal waste of tires. Just like the guys with 900WHP that can't get any power down without smoking rubber in the first 3 gears :suicide2: nothing gave me more joy than smoking those dudes with the huge dyno sheets with my lowly Audi +GT3076.
And yes the guys that build the cars deserve a ton of credit.
No matter how idiotic, the dude definitely has talent. I can get a little sideways through a turn with a RWD car and it's fun but controllable. But that Ford, which I'm guessing is a 4 cyl, with 600something WHP (8xxBHP), has to have a larrrgeeee turbo on it. That typical big turbo, non-linear power curve is hard enough to control when going straight. Modulating throttle in that short powerband to maintain a controlled slide takes serious skill IMO.
Moose-Knuckle
07-10-12, 21:28
Am I the only one who finds drifting retarded? I am far more impressed by the men who build the cars than the guys who put them sideways in a cloud of smoke? Maybe its because I enjoy racing and find that sideways is not the fastest line through a corner but as impressive a display of car controll as it may be, I still find it a bit silly...
I dunno, maybe it's just me...
I'm no gear head by any means, nor do I follow any motor sports (if I did it would be European road races). However, IMHO this display is much more impressive than watching stock cars go in circles for 500 miles or two funny cars dragging side by side.
To each their own. . .
The durability that they have to build into that car is far more impressive than the 600WHP itself. The level of finesse and control required to pull that off is equally impressive. It's one thing to drift on a figure 8 track and quite another to do it on the streets of San Fran.
However, Kenny from the Block still hasn't managed to become a dominant force in the WRC. If you want to watch an insanely talented driver, look no further than Sebastian Loeb. He's won the world championship a record eight times in a row and holds several other WRC records, including most points, wins and podium finishes. The guy is a machine and rally drivers are some of the most talented (and insane) in the world. That they compete in road legal cars on public roads is all the more impressive.
theblackknight
07-11-12, 01:06
Yea, doing things sideways going too fast is just dumb.
http://images.motorcycle-usa.com/PhotoGallerys/DSC_8210.jpg
http://p.vitalmtb.com/photos/users/3659/photos/17852/s780_PIC_9747.jpg?1303091440
http://www.dedleg.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/vintage_skateboard.jpg
http://2siiyg.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pn_Hwjles8Ao0S0VZcYZ6BQnWHToWIQ4qt3FacMNwgG-B3Dy3v_ilP60qRGBvT1uv5HR9bSlJpvCrJI60UVKKfw/316424381.jpg
http://www.yourautostuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/rmillin-pikes-peak.png
http://www.cyclenews.com/files/news_articles/regional/0907/0710-CA-USANationalSpeedwayChampionshipSeries-Rd2-A-GregHancock.jpg
:D
http://farm1.staticflickr.com/190/453631752_18bf18bf02_z.jpg
Yea, doing things sideways going too fast is just dumb.
:D
http://farm1.staticflickr.com/190/453631752_18bf18bf02_z.jpg
I was waiting for Ken Block to drive through Lombard street in the video, fast or comically slow it didn't matter, but he didn't.
FromMyColdDeadHand
07-11-12, 09:25
Is that a hand brake that he is working? The big silver thing? Does it just lock up the rears?
Is that a hand brake that he is working? The big silver thing? Does it just lock up the rears?
Yea that huge thing is the hand brake which locks up the rear. Unless they've changed something, these cars are FWD I think. So to cut the back loose you have to lock it up for a second. I have no idea how you maintain and control the slide with FWD though.
Yea that huge thing is the hand brake which locks up the rear. Unless they've changed something, these cars are FWD I think. So to cut the back loose you have to lock it up for a second. I have no idea how you maintain and control the slide with FWD though.
I only watched it once, but I'd swear he lit all 4 tires several times under power. It looked like all AWD to me, but I'd have to watch it again. One thing for sure, the guy has a dump truck full of balls.
Pretty sure I'd read that he can lock up the front wheels independently, like when he's spinning around those barrels.
It's AWD. The gearbox is a sequential manual. The handbrake is the big silver thing in the middle.
If you want to watch an insanely talented driver, look no further than Sebastian Loeb. He's won the world championship a record eight times in a row and holds several other WRC records, including most points, wins and podium finishes. The guy is a machine and rally drivers are some of the most talented (and insane) in the world.
You got that right; dude can drive. WRC is without a doubt my favorite of the racing sports and I put them and F1 drivers at the top of the pile when it comes to talent.
While perhaps not as technically impressive as the SF drifting; this is probably my favorite of the Block vids out there. I miss my STi:cray:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av0VsTxJd78
beat to the reply, forgot to refresh before i posted.
at least illl add a link
http://www.motoiq.com/magazine_articles/id/2081/ken-blocks-gymkhana-4-four-video--ford-fiesta.aspx
How they ever got permission to do that in "eco aware" San Fran I don't know. The "carbon footprint" of 4 days of filming that sort of driving (and the driving itself of course) has to be huge.
It is very impressive to watch though...
--
Here is another video showing off some insane skill and balls of steel.
F1 at Monaco
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6H9HtL-AzA
It's AWD. The gearbox is a sequential manual. The handbrake is the big silver thing in the middle.
Nice - way to go Ford. Had no idea they offered AWD.
Nice - way to go Ford. Had no idea they offered AWD.
That's the problem, they don't, at least not in the US. :(
If they offered the 252HP Focus ST in AWD, I'd own one. :(
I am sorry... But at about the 6:20 mark did I see him drive under a guy doing a wheelie on a bike? Yeah. both those guys must need forklifts to carry their balls around with them.
Belmont31R
07-11-12, 22:54
Am I the only one who finds drifting retarded? I am far more impressed by the men who build the cars than the guys who put them sideways in a cloud of smoke? Maybe its because I enjoy racing and find that sideways is not the fastest line through a corner but as impressive a display of car controll as it may be, I still find it a bit silly...
I dunno, maybe it's just me...
Its just for show of skills. Its not meant to be the cleanest line around a track. Ken Block has quite a few videos out there, and you'd be hard pressed to find another driver who can put a car around a course like he can. Kinda like the bicycle stunt guys....not the fastest way around the city but not everyone with a 21 speed can do what they do.
I am sorry... But at about the 6:20 mark did I see him drive under a guy doing a wheelie on a bike? Yeah. both those guys must need forklifts to carry their balls around with them.
That would be Travis Pastrana. He's won motocross world championships and X Games gold medals in several events, including supercross, motocross, freestyle motocross, and rally racing. He did the 1st ever double backflip on a motorcycle in the 2006 X Games. He's shattered the world record longest ramp to ramp car jump at 269 feet. That would be impressive enough, but he did it by jumping off a pier and onto a barge.
Between him and Block, I'd say they need a dump truck to haul their balls around.
That would be Travis Pastrana. He's won motocross world championships and X Games gold medals in several events, including supercross, motocross, freestyle motocross, and rally racing. He did the 1st ever double backflip on a motorcycle in the 2006 X Games. He's shattered the world record longest ramp to ramp car jump at 269 feet. That would be impressive enough, but he did it by jumping off a pier and onto a barge.
Between him and Block, I'd say they need a dump truck to haul their balls around.
¬_¬
Yeah. I got nothin.
That's the problem, they don't, at least not in the US. :(
If they offered the 252HP Focus ST in AWD, I'd own one. :(
I'm not a Ford guy, but I figured that if they did offer AWD somewhere, it would be in Germany. So I went and checked the German Ford website and all the various Focus models. No AWD found. I also checked the UK Ford website. No AWD found. (But I did find an almost $40K Focus -- ST-3).
So it looks like a special version not sold to the public, for now.
--
That's the problem, they don't, at least not in the US. :(
If they offered the 252HP Focus ST in AWD, I'd own one. :(
You, me, and half a million others. It's frustrating that the WRX is the only viable AWD turbo thingy around, and even used lease units are above 25k. Hyundai could do the same thing, but cheaper and I'd be all over that too - the 2.0T powerplant in an AWD Elantra GT would be just fine.
There's way better car control than KB, he's just phenomenal at the choreography. Anybody at the world class level of rally can manipulate a 500BHP car similarly, but stringing it all together and producing an awesome video is another story.
Belmont31R
07-11-12, 23:42
Top Gear is a good show to watch if you want to keep up to date on European cars, and actually see them driven.
The Rally cars are not even close to the production models.
I do wish there were more performance oriented small cars sold in the US. I drive a 350Z (bought in 2007 and paid off) because there just aren't a lot of smaller performance car options in the US. I don't need a boat anchor Mustang or pay 60k for a GT500. At the time I bought my car the V6 mustang was barely over 200HP and was several hundred pounds more than my car. Ford and Chevy have upped the HP of the V6's a lot but they are still boat anchors.
The reason these small cars with AWD and turbo engines don't sell here is because you can get a V8 RWD mustang for 30k. In Europe insurance and registration is based on the engine displacement. So theres no sense in selling a 300hp AWD econo car here when for a 50 dollar bumb a month in payments I get a 402 HP GT Mustang. LMAO. The C5 ZO6 was 405 HP and now the base GT Mustang is 402.
Top Gear is a good show to watch if you want to keep up to date on European cars, and actually see them driven.
The Rally cars are not even close to the production models.
I do wish there were more performance oriented small cars sold in the US. I drive a 350Z (bought in 2007 and paid off) because there just aren't a lot of smaller performance car options in the US. I don't need a boat anchor Mustang or pay 60k for a GT500. At the time I bought my car the V6 mustang was barely over 200HP and was several hundred pounds more than my car. Ford and Chevy have upped the HP of the V6's a lot but they are still boat anchors.
The reason these small cars with AWD and turbo engines don't sell here is because you can get a V8 RWD mustang for 30k. In Europe insurance and registration is based on the engine displacement. So theres no sense in selling a 300hp AWD econo car here when for a 50 dollar bumb a month in payments I get a 402 HP GT Mustang. LMAO. The C5 ZO6 was 405 HP and now the base GT Mustang is 402.
350s are great cars, one of my favorite factory exhaust notes :)
That's part of the reason I love cars with forced induction, I could put a handheld controller from REVO in the OBD2 and dial it to econ mode. ~5psi, 29mpg, cruising at 70mph/2800rpm. Or I could load up on 110oct and change settings again and it was like driving a diff car. You just don't have those kinda options with a v8.
And any factory turbo car from overseas can be 'chipped' to see a 38-75bhp gain over stock. And you don't have to worry about internals, cooling, etc. you're just returning it to how they run em overseas. Best $400 you can spend on those imports IMO.
And any factory turbo car from overseas can be 'chipped' to see a 38-75bhp gain over stock. And you don't have to worry about internals, cooling, etc. you're just returning it to how they run em overseas. Best $400 you can spend on those imports IMO.
Problem is it never stops with just the chip. What starts with a simple chip soon turns into a turbo back exhaust, turns into headers and a front mount, turns into built bottom end and methanol injection, etc., etc...turns into empty bank account. :D
Pastrana and Block can both drive. Tanner Foust is no joke either.
http://youtu.be/c6PQ49B5Gpw
Battle*Hound
07-12-12, 18:20
Very cool vid...thanks for that
Problem is it never stops with just the chip. What starts with a simple chip soon turns into a turbo back exhaust, turns into headers and a front mount, turns into built bottom end and methanol injection, etc., etc...turns into empty bank account. :D
Pastrana and Block can both drive. Tanner Foust is no joke either.
http://youtu.be/c6PQ49B5Gpw
Turbo back exhaust covers the downpipe, no headers on a turbo car, but I know what you mean...it never ends :dance3:
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t294/myersma2/IMG_1129.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t294/myersma2/IMG_1136.jpg
AR15barrels
07-12-12, 18:49
How they ever got permission to do that in "eco aware" San Fran I don't know.
Cubic Dollars fix everything...
theblackknight
07-12-12, 23:29
I met travis at RedBud nationals one year when he was still racing 125's.Nicest dude ever.
Block's videos are fun to watch. He started out doing the gymkhana stuff to practice for his rallying. I think he was doing Rally America before but now he's doing selected rounds in the WRC.
Rally drivers have some of the biggest "attachments" in racing. They're going faster then most people drive on the freeway...with a mountain on one side and a cliff on the other.
Turbo back exhaust covers the downpipe, no headers on a turbo car, but I know what you mean...it never ends :dance3:
??? Yes the downpipe is included in the turbo back but they still have headers or I guess exhaust/turbo manifold if you like. Semantics maybe. On the Subaru for example: headers (or exhaust manifold + crosspipe) -> uppipe -> turbo (hot side) -> downpipe and on back.
http://www.airpowersystems.com/wrx/apswrx-emk02/headers.htm
Only problem with the equal length is you lose that beautiful lopsided boxer rumble. We're on the same page though--money pit. :)
Completely agree Alex. It's not the best line (ever) and its a colossal waste of tires. Just like the guys with 900WHP that can't get any power down without smoking rubber in the first 3 gears :suicide2: nothing gave me more joy than smoking those dudes with the huge dyno sheets with my lowly Audi +GT3076.
And yes the guys that build the cars deserve a ton of credit.
No matter how idiotic, the dude definitely has talent. I can get a little sideways through a turn with a RWD car and it's fun but controllable. But that Ford, which I'm guessing is a 4 cyl, with 600something WHP (8xxBHP), has to have a larrrgeeee turbo on it. That typical big turbo, non-linear power curve is hard enough to control when going straight. Modulating throttle in that short powerband to maintain a controlled slide takes serious skill IMO.
I agree it is impressive, I just find it a bit silly. A friend of mine did some amour drifting in his '05 GTO and enjoys it a lot... does not stop me from making fun of him. We went GoKarting and I lapped him in a 12 lap race lol.
I'm no gear head by any means, nor do I follow any motor sports (if I did it would be European road races). However, IMHO this display is much more impressive than watching stock cars go in circles for 500 miles or two funny cars dragging side by side.
To each their own. . .
I did not want to knock NASCAR on this site... I agree tho. I find NASCAR almost as silly as Drifting lol.
Its just for show of skills. Its not meant to be the cleanest line around a track. Ken Block has quite a few videos out there, and you'd be hard pressed to find another driver who can put a car around a course like he can. Kinda like the bicycle stunt guys....not the fastest way around the city but not everyone with a 21 speed can do what they do.
Agree 100%
That's part of the reason I love cars with forced induction, I could put a handheld controller from REVO in the OBD2 and dial it to econ mode. ~5psi, 29mpg, cruising at 70mph/2800rpm. Or I could load up on 110oct and change settings again and it was like driving a diff car. You just don't have those kinda options with a v8.
I drove my 507rwhp (346CID) Trans Am with 4:56 gears from NJ to NC to visit friends... on a 28" tall drag radial on the back... in 6th gear 70mph is ~2000rpm... 27MPG on Sunoco 93 ;)
Good MPG is not reserved to small 4 bangers... Its all in the tune.
montanadave
07-13-12, 10:51
Unreal.
I cannot let my wife watch that video.
??? Yes the downpipe is included in the turbo back but they still have headers or I guess exhaust/turbo manifold if you like. Semantics maybe. On the Subaru for example: headers (or exhaust manifold + crosspipe) -> uppipe -> turbo (hot side) -> downpipe and on back.
http://www.airpowersystems.com/wrx/apswrx-emk02/headers.htm
Only problem with the equal length is you lose that beautiful lopsided boxer rumble. We're on the same page though--money pit. :)
Ah manifolds, yea gotcha. I spent a lot of time on my intake manifold trying to install Snowperformance's kit.
I always had a taper to help with back pressure (3in downpipe to usually 2.75" behind the cat). And one can always get the boxer rumble with heavier cams :D
I drove my 507rwhp (346CID) Trans Am with 4:56 gears from NJ to NC to visit friends... on a 28" tall drag radial on the back... in 6th gear 70mph is ~2000rpm... 27MPG on Sunoco 93 ;)
Good MPG is not reserved to small 4 bangers... Its all in the tune.
Haha wow, tune and gearing yea. That's awesome!
A lot of the newer big V8 cars get decent gas mileage if you can keep your foot out of it. My friend averaged 28 mpg in his Lexus IS-F one week.
But nothing beats a WRX. Best car I ever had and miss mine dearly. My best friend who drives a 2012 BMW M3 misses his 06 STi, same story with the guy with the Lexus. There is just something special about a Subaru. That might sound gay but it's true.
A lot of the newer big V8 cars get decent gas mileage if you can keep your foot out of it. My friend averaged 28 mpg in his Lexus IS-F one week.
But nothing beats a WRX. Best car I ever had and miss mine dearly. My best friend who drives a 2012 BMW M3 misses his 06 STi, same story with the guy with the Lexus. There is just something special about a Subaru. That might sound gay but it's true.
My big GS 460 gets 24-26 mpg every week. I attribute that to the low 0.27 drag coefficient and 8 speed transmission. It's not IS-F fast, but it's still pretty damn quick. :)
Here's an actual pic of our 02' Vette convertible (with Z-06 power upgrades) getting 26.6mpg.
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s157/Glocktogo/Vette21.jpg
This was my 03' REX and I still miss it. You're right, they are the best cars. I'd still have mine, but I needed something bigger and the Legacy GT was never an equal for the REX. :(
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s157/Glocktogo/Suby-CIMG0162.jpg
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