I hear insanity is a relative term, but I doubt there’s much disagreement out there as to how stable one must be to come up with something like the Hoonicorn. Making its big Internet debut two years ago in Gymkhana Seven, the Hoonicorn is the vehicular reincarnation of lunacy, bearing a carbon fiber wide-body kit fashioned after the 1965 Mustang, 42 inches of rubber on the ground, and a six-speed sequential gearbox feeding all four wheels. So where do you go with something like that? Simple – ditch the velocity stacks, then add two turbos and methanol injection for an extra 555 ponies. Sounds reasonable. Say hello to the Hoonicorn V2.

In preparation for a new “video project,” slide-star extraordinaire Ken Block has upgraded the Hoonicorn. It’s still got AWD, massive Toyo Tires, and the classic muscle car shape, but the 6.7-liter Roush Yates V-8 is now breathing heavy thanks a double dose of Garret turbochargers. With 21 psi of boost and a steady stream of alky car stuff, power rises from the V1’s 845 ponies, to a bewildering 1,400 ponies.

“We got approval for a new video concept using the Hoonicorn, but I needed more power for what I needed it to do. So, I developed the concept for the general idea of what I wanted – two turbos sticking out of the hood – and handed that over to my team,” Block explains in a blog post. “They came back with a functional way to make that happen and added methanol to get the setup to produce the power that I wanted. We ended up with 1,400 horsepower! Ha, so they may have over delivered a bit – and I’m happy about that!”

As well you should be, Mr. Block. In fact, I think we’re all happy about that. Because after all, what is the Hoonicorn if not an exercise is over-delivery?

Continue reading for the full story.

Why It Matters

Full disclosure – Gymkhana Seven was my favorite of the series, and for one very simple reason – the Hoonicorn. There were better stunts and cooler video effects in previous Gymkhana vids, but Seven was the only one that had the deliciously perverse composite AWD ‘Stang.

Any Gymkhana video is full of drama. Add the Hoonicorn to the mix, and they’ll have to scoop your jaw off the floor with a shovel.

The Hoonicorn V2 looks to once again up the ante. Adding to the outrageous output figures is a new livery, with blazing ‘Merican goodness spread liberally across the hood and fenders. The stars-‘n-stripes theme is enhanced with a reflective finish similar to the RX43 from Gymkhana Eight.

But that’s nowhere near as eye-popping as the flame-thrower turbos that dump spent gases and excess combustion directly into the atmosphere above the hood.

So it’s bonkers to look at. What’s it like to drive? Block offers some insight –

“When I say that this is the absolute most frightening thing I’ve ever driven, I’m not exaggerating. AT ALL,” Block says in a blog post. “The motor revs and spins my Toyo tires to destruction so quickly that I can’t change the gears fast enough. It’s genuinely a mind-numbing, crazy experience to try to drive this thing. It’s amazing.”

That leaves just one question unanswered – why exactly did the Hoonicorn need an extra Lamborghini Gallardo’s worth of power on top of the existing 845 ponies?

To answer that fully, we’ll just have to wait until the next big video drops. But it couldn’t hurt to speculate… my guess is it’s gonna be something big, like spinning all four at 140 mph across some far-flung mountain top.

You know, some might argue it’s unsustainable to go bigger and bigger with each successive Gymkhana video, but after seeing the Hoonicorn V2, I’m more than willing to see where the ceiling might be.

Making Methmallows