Gymkhana series returns to industrial roots
It’s been eight years since Ken Block first violently finessed his WRX on an airstrip and took over YouTube with Gymkhana Practice, grabbing over 20 million views and kick-starting a phenomenon.
The following seven films took the Hoonigan’s particular brand of theatrical all-wheel tyre destruction beyond the motoring enthusiast niche, with Block rapidly becoming a household name as the views ticked into the hundreds of millions.
Gymkhana Nine is the latest in the series, and it is on theme.
Originally slated to be filmed in Australia, the production was moved after permission issues forced the Hoonigan team to go elsewhere. Gymkhana Nine takes the series back to its roots: an industrial playground littered with obstacles begging to be drifted around by Block and his all-new 2016 Ford Focus RS RX.
On sticky Toyo Tires Proxes R888s Block gets millimetre perfect, taking the mega-spec Focus into some of the hairiest situations the series has seen.
Watch, enjoy and spare a thought for the tyres that gave their tread for this film.
