Enter the Hoonipigasus: Ken Block's Ticket to Pikes Peak Glory

Going all out at the 100th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

After breaking the internet with Climbkhana 1 in 2017 when he piloted his one-of-a-kind 1,400hp, “Hoonicorn” 1965 Ford Mustang up the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Ken Block is coming back for an overall win at the event this year, but not with the Hoonicorn. This time, he’s got the “Hoonipigasus”! It may sound like something out of a cartoon, but the Hooni Pig is nothing to be sniffed at. It is a no-holds-barred track weapon developed by BBi Autosport and Mobil 1 to take on the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in the shortest time possible. It has the biggest turbos that Garrett Motorsport has ever created.

For Ken, the Pikes Peak Hill Climb is more than just another racing challenge. Ken has confessed severally that Pikes Peak largely inspired his entry into rallying. It’s no wonder the Pikes Peak Hill Climb was one of the first events he participated in when he started his rally career in 2005. On his first outing, Ken drove a 200-hp Group N Subaru car. Now, with the Hooni Pig, he will have one of the most powerful cars to grace the track.   

Photo Courtesy of Hoonigan Racing.    

Developed by Pikes Peak Experts

Ken and the folks at Hoonigan Racing Division mean business; they are going for the win, which is why they brought BBi Autosport on board. BBi Autosport is a Pikes Peak expert, boasting five class wins and eight podiums at the event. Their last entries in PPHIC were in 2021 when they brought home one podium finish and two class wins. 

BBi Autosport also focuses on building custom Porsche race cars, so this project was perfect for them. The Hoonipigasus is based on a 2016 Porsche 911 GT3R race car.

Photo Courtesy of Hoonigan Racing.

1,400 hp on Tap

The engine of the Hoonipigasus was initially a GT3 R-specific 4.0-liter flat-six that made more than 500 horsepower. This engine, designed for GT3 series racing, was developed to deliver a broader rev range and flatter torque curve than those of the GT3 RS road car. It paired with a six-speed sequential gearbox and sent power to the rear wheels.

BBi Autosport redesigned this engine’s pistons, rods, head studs, and a few other components; it also set the engine up with three fuel injectors for each cylinder to significantly increase fuel supply. Garrett Motorsport also came on board, adding a high-performance turbo package with the biggest turbochargers the outfit has ever developed for a race car. The Hoonipigasus engine maintains a 4-liter displacement and runs on Methanol. According to the guys at Hoonigan, this engine will rev to 9,600 RPMs and deliver a peak output of 1,400 hp at sea level, 1,000 of which are available at the starting line.

Photo Courtesy of Hoonigan Racing.

An UnPorsche-like Drivetrain

The Hoonipigasus is the first mid-engine, 911-based race car with all-wheel-drive. To achieve this, Betim and the guys at BBi Autosport had to build a custom transfer case at the back of the gearbox that would drive an 8-foot-long drive shaft over the top of the engine. Therefore, its transmission tunnel, dubbed the “Chorizo Tunnel,” cuts through the cabin at shoulder height as it goes down to the front axle.

The Hoonipigasus also has mechanically locked front and rear axles with no center differential, so power and torque to the front/rear are split 50:50.

 Photo Courtesy of Hoonigan Racing.

Rotiform Wheels

The folks at Rotiform also came on board to develop custom 13-inch-wide, super-lightweight wheels for all four corners of the Hoonipigasus. They have been specifically designed to withstand the substantial horsepower and torque loads the car’s engine will put out.

Photo Courtesy of Hoonigan Racing.

Hoonipigawhat?

Yes, it’s a mouthful. You can always count on the guys at Hoonigan to come up with crazy names for Ken’s project cars. But it is so because it pays homage to various things, one of which is the legendary 1971 Porsche 917/20 “Pink Pig.” The Pink Pig, which Porsche designed with pink livery, shows the butcher-style cuts of a pig. The Hoonipigasus also has a Pink livery, brilliantly designed by street artist Trevor Andrew, also known as Trouble Andrew or the “Guccighost.”

BBi Autosport also collaborated with Mobil 1’s Formula 1 engineers when building the Hoonipigasus, so the name also pays homage to Mobil 1’s Pegasus trademark.   

Photo Courtesy of Hoonigan Racing.    

It goes down on the 26th of June, 2022.

The public will see the Hooni Pig in action for the first time at this year’s Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, which will be on the 26th of June, 2022. This year’s PPIHC is a big deal because it will mark the 100th running of the event, so expect a showdown like no other.

For more information about the Ken Block and the Hoonipigasus, join the conversation at https://www.6speedonline.com/how-tos.

Photo Courtesy of Hoonigan Racing.

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