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Electrikhana film featuring US drift artist celebrates world premiere All-electric prototype developed and deployed by Audi Sport Spectacular shoot in Las Vegas with motorsport icons from Audi When US drift artist Ken Block releases his long-awaited Electrikhana video today, the Audi S1 Hoonitron will be featured as one of the principal performers: Developed and assembled at Audi Sport in Neckarsulm, the all-electric prototype that was styled by Audi Design taking cues from an Audi icon thrills viewers. The link to the film: YouTube.com/thehoonigans A drift along the famous Eiffel Tower, a spectacular jump from the parking deck of a neighboring hotel, or donuts on the legendary strip in front of spectating Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen: Ken Block, the Audi S1 Hoonitron, and other models from Audi Tradition’s collection of treasures made a splash during the night-time film shoot in Las Vegas. The US star in the Audi S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron electrified the gambler’s paradise in Nevada’s desert for several days. Now Ken Block has released the cinematic product. “With the S1 Hoonitron we broke entirely new ground at Audi,” says Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board for Technical Development at AUDI AG. “Developing a fully electric prototype for the unique requirements of our partner Ken Block was a big and exciting challenge to which the whole team rose with flying colors. It is great to see how ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ is presented in an all-new environment.” The Audi S1 Hoonitron has two electric motors, all-wheel drive, power galore, a carbon fiber chassis, and fully complies with the safety standards of the FIA, motorsport’s governing body. Audi Sport developed it as a one-of-a-kind car exclusively for Ken Block. Its body shell, for which Audi Design led by Marc Lichte is responsible, immediately evokes memories of the legendary Audi Sport quattro S1 with which the four rings charged to the top in the famous Pikes Peak hill-climb race.

New 2.0 TFSI with 170 kW (231 hp) and 370 Nm (272.90 lb-ft) of torque, but just 7.0 liters per 100 kilometers (33.60 US mpg) From 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 5.8 seconds First quattro drive in the small compact segment A great name makes a comeback: Audi is presenting the S1 and the S1 Sportback, the new flagship models in the compact A1 model line. Their 2.0 TFSI develops 170 kW (231 hp) and produces 370 Nm (272.90 lb-ft) of torque; the quattro permanent all-wheel drive and the extensively revamped suspension put the power effortlessly down onto the road. The Audi S1 and the S1 Sportback set the benchmark in their class for dynamic performance. Back in the 1980s an Audi S1 garnered a legendary reputation – it was the car that would see the brand dominate the World Rally Championship in its day. Now the abbreviation is coming back – but this time as a road-going version: the Audi S1 and the S1 Sportback constitute the new flagship models in the compact A1 model line, adding an entry-level version to the Audi S model portfolio. “The Audi S1 offers all the virtues of a sports car, great performance, direct handling and permanent quattro drive that puts the power to the road in a superior way,” says Prof. Dr. Hackenberg, Audi Board Member for Technical Development, adding: “The quattro drive has a large following of fans, which is sure to become even larger thanks to the offering in this segment.” A high-performance four-cylinder unit provides the drive. The 2.0 TFSI fitted with a turbocharger develops 170 kW (231 hp) and produces up to 370 Nm (272.90 lb-ft) of torque. The two-liter engine accelerates the Audi S1 and the S1 Sportback from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 5.8 and 5.9 seconds respectively. The top speed is 250 km/h (155.34 mph). On average the sporty, sonorous TFSI consumes just 7.0 (33.60 US mpg) or 7.1 (33.13 US mpg) liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (162 and 166 grams CO₂ per kilometer [260.71 g/mile / 267.15 g/mile]) respectively.

All-electric Audi prototype wows audience of millions Behind the scenes of the filming of US drift star Ken Block in Las Vegas Facts and figures: How the S1 Hoonitron was developed The new Electrikhana film featuring the Audi S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron and Ken Block has already been viewed more than four and a half million times in just three weeks. The comments are the proof: The S1 Hoonitron inspires. Visually, it is modelled on the legendary Audi Sport quattro S1, while technically it combines the highlights of Audi’s electric drivetrains from large-scale production and motorsport. Less than eight months after the start of the project, the Audi S1 Hoonitron had to be ready for the first test drives and the filming with Ken Block and his team – an ambitious task for the Audi Sport team in Neckarsulm and the Audi Design team. The result is more than impressive: since the release of the Electrikhana film three weeks ago, millions of people have been following the S1 Hoonitron drifting through the streets, casinos and parking garages of Las Vegas with Ken Block at the wheel. Facts and figures on a race car from Audi like never before. Well balanced – weight distribution and dimensions The weight distribution between the front and rear axles is almost equal at 52:48. The wheelbase is less than 2.4 meters, which is considerably less than the 2,563 millimeters of an Audi A1 Sportback, Audi’s entry-level model, for example. This increases agility when cornering, because the short wheelbase favors yaw moments, i.e. rotating around the vertical axis, which is very desirable in Electrikhana stunts. The suspension with McPherson struts on the front and rear axles and more than 200 millimeters of spring travel is designed for the extreme demands up to and including jumping crests. With this basic concept, the Audi S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron has the ideal characteristics for drifting and for stunts on different terrains.

Second-generation Audi S1 EKS RX quattro presented at Silverstone Audi factory driver Mattias Ekström relies on new technology and new teammate Season kicks off at Barcelona on April 14 and 15. On the official test and media day of the racing series at Silverstone (Great Britain) this Monday, EKS Audi Sport presents the second-generation Audi S1 EKS RX quattro in which Ekström and his new teammate, Andreas Bakkerud, will contest the 2018 season. The calendar features a total of twelve rounds on three continents (Europe, North America, Africa). For 2020, the series is planning to switch to fully electric powertrains. “This prospect is one of the reasons why Audi continues intensifying its commitment in the World Rallycross Championship this year,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass. Ekström had formed his rallycross team at the beginning of 2014 and went on to lead it to the top of the world’s ranking within the space of just three years. In 2016, Ekström and EKS won the drivers’ and teams’ world championships. In the 2017 season, Ekström, after having scored four victories, celebrated the runner-up’s spot in the championship and EKS placed third in the teams’ classification. Looking at the new season, Ekström and Team EKS Audi Sport are brimming with energy: “With intensified support from Audi we intend to battle for victories as well as for the World RX titles in the drivers’ and teams’ championship again,” says the Swede. To achieve this goal, EKS Audi Sport will be on the grid with two new Audi S1 EKS RX quattro cars. “We were driving more or less the same cars for four years. Now we’ve prepared two all-new ones, practically the second generation of our winning car.” Audi Sport is involved in this more than ever. While the focus in 2017 when Audi Sport came on board was primarily placed on development work and support for tests and races, the development of the now 580-hp Audi S1 EKS RX quattro was intensified for the 2018 season.

Appearance in Audi S1 EKS RX quattro at action sports event in the United States New rallycross competition with spectacular jumps Audi rallycross driver Mattias Ekström will take part in the Nitro World Games (September 22–23) in Salt Lake City for the first time. He will compete in the new rallycross event in an Audi S1 EKS RX quattro. Ekström will meet with top-class drivers from the rallycross series and popular U.S. action sports stars. The action sports event featuring freestyle motocross, BMX and inline skating, skateboarding and scootering that is popular in the United States fascinates a large number of spectators. The third running of the Nitro World Games is the first to include a rallycross competition. On the track built for the event at Utah Motorsports Campus some 50 kilometers west of Salt Lake City, Ekström will be pitted against rallycross drivers like Timmy Hansen from the World RX, but U.S. action sports stars such as Travis Pastrana and Ken Block, and U.S. Rallycross Champion Scott Speed are, like Ekström, aiming to claim the winners’ trophy as well. “Extreme sports have always been a different world for me. When Travis Pastrana, whom I know from the World RX and the Race of Champions, invited me I immediately accepted,” says Mattias Ekström. “This event is very popular in the United States and I’m looking forward to seeing the many cool athletes from other competitions, but, needless to say, I don’t want to just have fun but in the end take a trophy home as well.” “I’ve only seen the track itself on drawings so far,” says Mattias Ekström. “It largely consists of gravel, is very similar to a rallycross track and with its spectacular jumps offers plenty of suspense and action to the spectators.” At Salt Lake City, Ekström will be driving a first-generation Audi S1 EKS RX quattro fielded by the Belgian Comtoyou Racing team.

Audi S1 EKS RX quattro with new aerodynamics and new engine Audi provides technical support to Mattias Ekström’s rallycross team First racing event at Barcelona on April 14/15 From 2020 on, the FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX) is planning to race with electric cars. Audi is currently considering a possible commitment. The technological potential of the current Supercars being fielded in 2018 and 2019 has not been fully exploited either. The new Audi S1 EKS RX quattro is a perfect example as it is superior to its predecessor in almost every area. Audi Sport is literally giving wings to the rallycross team of two-time DTM Champion and World Rallycross Champion Mattias Ekström. The complex rear wing of the all-wheel drive sports car is just one of the results of the intensified technical cooperation between Audi’s motorsport department and EKS Audi Sport. “Last season, we started providing factory support to Mattias Ekström’s team in the World RX,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass. “Now our engineers have been involved in the further development of the car for the first time as well.” With innovative aerodynamics concepts Audi was some crucial steps ahead of the competition in recent years with LMP sports cars and in the DTM. This know-how has now been fed into the second generation of the new Audi S1 EKS RX quattro. The new rear wing generates more downforce while concurrently reducing aerodynamic drag. The engineers have optimized the location of the cooling systems with maximum efficiency in mind as well. They are now supplied by air scoops in the roof and in the rear side windows. Compared with the first-generation Audi S1 EKS RX quattro, the technicians have changed the position of the two-liter four-cylinder turbo engine. This in turn entailed extensive modifications of oil management. This year, for the first time, an anti-lag system is used which maintains the turbocharger’s speed even when the driver lifts.

Two world champions from 1984 and 2017 swap cockpits What connects the legendary Audi Sport quattro S1 with the RS e-tron GT Can emotionality also transfer to the electric age? Both are top athletes: Sweden’s Stig Blomqvist wrote rally history with the Audi Sport quattro S1 in the 1980s. It was an era that established the legend of what was then Audi’s revolutionary drive concept. Lucas di Grassi was Audi’s most successful driver in the history of the Formula E championship. The two exchanged cockpits in Sanremo. Blomqvist climbed into the Audi RS e-tron GT and di Grassi into the Audi Sport quattro S1. Both racecar drivers reflect on the golden age of rallying and discuss the electrified present. Lucas di Grassi: Stig, you drove the legendary Audi Sport quattro S1 in the Sanremo Rallye in the 1980s. What did you think of the Audi RS e-tron GT’s performance on that road? Stig Blomqvist: At the Rallye Sanremo, I really know every centimeter. It has fantastic scenery with narrow mountain roads that are like a roller coaster.

The Audi S1 name brings back memories to many rally fans. The racing version of the storied road-going quattro became a legend due to its Group B races in the World Rally Championship and the triumph in the 1987 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. This tradition continues in the Audi S1 EKS RX quattro. In the planning stage of the rallycross project in 2014, the S1 became the car of choice relatively soon. According to team principal Ekström, the subcompact car with its short wheelbase and minimal overhang is perfectly suited for the sometimes very narrow rallycross circuits. Thanks to its good traction and sophisticated suspension, it is in contention for victory on both fast and slow tracks. Aside from these factors, the start is particularly crucial in rallycross. This is when up to six cars are pitted against each other. After the start, the narrow circuits offer only limited overtaking opportunities. For the 2018 season EKS Audi Sport has prepared two all-new Audi S1 EKS RX quattro cars. Previously, the team had decided that the first four prototypes no longer satisfied the requirements profile for tackling the battle for the drivers’ and teams’ world championships. With respective technical and aerodynamic innovations the squad aims to outstrip the competition around Volkswagen and Peugeot again. Under the hood of the Audi S1 EKS RX quattro, a two-liter turbo engine provides the required power. The transverse inline-four unit delivers 580 hp (426 kW) and develops more than 700 Nm of torque which, in spite of its 45-mm air restrictor, makes this engine a similar brute as the one used in the old Group B monster from the 1980s, although the vehicle’s weight is only 1.3 metric tons – including the driver. Hardly of any consequence in terms of weight is the fuel tank with a capacity of 20 liters – which is enough for the short racing distances. Gears are mechanically shifted using a sequential six-speed transmission.