It’s been over two weeks since Ken Block’s latest slip angle machine, the Audi S1 Hoonitron, showed the world how far you can currently go (sideways) with an EV drift car. Switching to battery power also meant Block moved from his Gymkhana label to Electrikhana, with the tire-killing taking place in Las Vegas. And one thought we had while watching KB’s stunts was the resemblance to sliding shenanigans one can pull in RC cars. So, how about an RC version of the Audi S1 Hoonitron like the one portrayed in this 3D rendering?
The real S1 Hoonitron is a machine that Audi, which reinvented AWD back in the 1980s for rallying (Quattro, baby!), put together with a $10M+ investment. Its pair of Formula E 800V motors, which have a combined torque of 2,212 lb-ft or 3,000 Nm and work with independent limited-slip diffs to facilitate Block’s drifting, allowed wheel speeds to go up to 120 mph while the machine was stationary or traveling backwards.
So yes, placing this kind of awesomeness at enthusiasts’ fingertips via a toy car must’ve crossed somebody’s mind over at Hoonigan, especially since Ken Block’s crew already sells RC scale models of his Hoonicorn V2 Mustang and his Hoonitruck F-150, which are currently offered for $395 and $389, respectively. However, even if we’re not talking about the massive inertia of a giant such as Audi, it’s probably still a bit early to discuss a real-life toy car modeled on the S1 Hoonitron.
The mini Audi S1 Hoonitron looks like an adorable monster
Fortunately, this is the kind of job that rendering artists can gracefully cover. And, thanks to an illustrator known as LNCLN_WRKS, we can now enjoy a mini S1 Hoonitron drifting in the pixel realm.
Staying true to his modus operandi—mini 3D car illustration—the digital master didn’t just deliver still images. This is the Elektrikhana machine after all, so we also got a short animation that shows the ridiculously cute virtual contraption performing a delicious jump.
If anything, that uber-short wheelbase portrayed in the rendering only seems to bring the image of the legendary Audi Sport Quattro S1, the WRC inspiration for the Hoonitron, closer to us.
And speaking of getting off the ground, enjoying serious air time is a challenge for EVs and it’s all due to the inevitably heavy batteries, as we explained when showcasing this twin-turbo V8-swapped S1 Hoonitron rendering. Then again, it’s much easier to build RC cars that can withstand the shock of a landing, even when you’re not confined to a screen.
Jumping back into the real world, Hoonigan’s RC models are built together with Team Associated, and these even offer upgrades like extra tires and wheels. Why would one need that, you ask? Well, as Hoonigan demonstrates in the YouTube video at the bottom of the story, sliding such a contraption can get pretty serious, especially when real cars also get in on the action.
So, no, this is not a sponsored post, but our fingers are itching—when is that S1 Hoonitron RC thingie coming, boyz?
