Porsche 917/20-inspired Hoonipigasus aiming for overall victory at hillclimb
American racer Ken Block has shown off the Hoonipigasus, an outlandish 1400bhp Porsche-based creation which will race at the Pikes Peak hillclimb in June.
The Porsche started out in life as a four-cylinder 912 – a 1960s budget version of the Porsche 911 – but has been radically modified for the event by Block’s Hoonigan Racing and Porsche specialist BBi Autosport, who has taken several class wins at the event over the years.
The car – which has been almost a decade in the making – has been completely redesigned, with a huge splitter and towering rear wing helping to keep it glued to the road. The rear wheels have been moved out and further back to help improve handling, while the lack of a rear bumper shows off the car’s inner workings.
The Hoonipigasus has been fitted with a mid-mounted, twin-turbo 4.0-litre flat six, producing around 1380bhp. Despite this new engine and an all-wheel drive powertrain, the car weighs just 1000kg.
The transmission tunnel runs from shoulder height down to the front axle to lower the centre of gravity, while the car rides on height-adjustable GPS suspension, which raises and lowers the car to suit specific parts of the hillclimb.
The bright pink livery – designed by street artist Trouble Andrew – pays tribute to the 1971 Porsche 917/20, a research car that raced at Le Mans with a famous livery depicting butcher’s meat cuts running over the bodywork, earning itself the nickname “Pink Pig”.
Pikes Peak is a personal conquest for Block himself, who competed at Pikes Peak in his first year of racing back in 2005.
“The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is one of the big reasons as to why I’m a rally driver,” said Block. “The list of drivers who have raced and won this hill climb includes many of my heroes: Walter Rohrl, Ari Vatanen, Michelle Mouton, Sebastien Loeb and Rod Millen to name a few.
“I’ve always wanted the chance to race Pikes Peak at the top level and compete for an overall win – and with our team and BBi Autosport creating this amazing Porsche, we’ve got a good shot!”
Block has previously taken his Ford Mustang-based Hoonicorn up Pikes Peak as part of his Climbkhana video, but this will be his first time aiming for an overall victory.
Keyword: Radical 1400bhp Porsche restomod to take on Pikes Peak