Wednesday 18th July 2012

PH Blog: Ken Block's Gymkhana ... snooze

Whatever next for Ken Block? For the love of all that's sacred let's hope it's not Gymkhana Six...

---

What to say about Ken Block's Gymkhana Five? Posted up on July 9, at the time of writing this just 10 days later it's showing over 21m views. Am I the only one of those millions who, after the first minute or so, found themselves thinking "yeah, so what"?

I found it a weird sensation, for sure. After all, what's not to like about some gratuitous, beautifully filmed hooning by an incredibly skilled driver who, thanks to the power of his brand and the internet, can get large parts of one of America's major cities closed off simply so he can do some donuts for a YouTube film?

Tyre smoke, donuts ... seem familiar?

And yet, there I was. Bored. If it hadn't been for the sideways jump I'm not sure I'd have even watched it through to the end.

What I am not about to do, however, is indulge in some Block bashing. Some have gotten a bit snooty about his attempts at rally glory, the tyre marks on the road showing the practice runs and the rest. While he might not be about to challenge Loeb et al, he's clearly hugely talented at the wheel, a very smart businessman and, by all accounts, a very nice chap to boot with a genuine passion for rallying obvious in his rather more low key vid with a Mk2 Escort a while back. Meanwhile the original Gymkhana Practice video is an absolute masterpiece of opportunism, inventive use of new media, smart business and good old-fashioned entertainment. I looked at it again while musing on this rant and it has a charm and rawness about it that, for me, makes it more fun to watch than the latest one.

There are more interesting elements to the Block phenomenon too. Personally I'm fascinated at the way Ford has spotted an opportunity to use him as a way of introducing a very European, hot hatch-oriented/rally-centric take on performance cars to the US market. Sure, as we've seen, muscle cars are still a huge deal. And in a marketplace where you can get a 5.0-litre V8 Mustang for just $7,000 more than a Focus ST there's still a mountain to climb.

Block's fame is being used to push the Focus

But the Focus ST is, as Ford puts it, the firm's first global performance car and it's clear there's more of a future in cars like that than there is live-axle equipped Mustangs. Block makes Fiestas and Focuses look cool to the next generation of American car buyers and Ford is being very smart in aligning itself with him.

Are yet more Gymkhana videos the way to do that? I think it may have run its course. Maybe I'm just being a bit snooty and European about it, but I can't help feeling the franchise has descended into a bit of an 'America, f*** yeah!' parody. I realise the pointlessness is the whole point and something to celebrate. But while I can watch the likes of Kankkunen and McRae (hat tip to Max_Torque in the thread after the Gymkhana Five story for the vid on the former) all day long I don't think I'll be rushing to watch Gymkhana Six, whenever it happens.

Block is a smart, talented and creative chap. I look forward to him being a bit more of the latter and doing something new next time round though.

Dan

 

[monthefish]

PH on the subject of the latest Ken Block video said:

We'll be honest here. When we heard that Ken Block was making another iteration of his gymkhana video series, we were a little cynical.

Sure, the master of the art of hoonery has become an internet sensation over the years, and his ability to make a hugely powerful 4wd rally car do hilarious things is broadly unparalleled. But (whisper it) we were getting just a little bored of it all, so we thought Gymkhana Five might be a mild disappointment.

It's not. The reason? Block's taken his 650hp Fiesta onto the streets of San Francisco, and any project that gets the Bay Bridge closed specifically for the purposes of hooning earns our eternal respect. Plus, some of the jumps as he careers around the famously hilly city are truly giggleworthy.

PH on the subject of the latest Ken Block video later said:

What to say about Ken Block's Gymkhana Five? Posted up on July 9, at the time of writing this just 10 days later it's showing over 21m views. Am I the only one of those millions who, after the first minute or so, found themselves thinking "yeah, so what"?

I found it a weird sensation, for sure. After all, what's not to like about some gratuitous, beautifully filmed hooning by an incredibly skilled driver who, thanks to the power of his brand and the internet, can get large parts of one of America's major cities closed off simply so he can do some donuts for a YouTube film?

And yet, there I was. Bored.

So which is the official PH line then?

[V6GTA]

The first couple were good. Now it's a bit silly and it's always just the same moves.

The fact that it's actually so many shots added to together rather than one long route annoys me too.

[r1ch]

Agreed. I didn't watch it till the end because I was bored.

[trunks82]

I agree.i guess because its not spontaneous and has been practised and rehearsed the lack of danger and excitment is lost.my kids enjoy watching him though.

[anonymous-user]

If you find a 600bhp Fiesta hooning around San Fran 'boring' maybe you're in the wrong business.

[jon-]

Watch this instead. This is a PROPER motorsport video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIoO_N8bSP0&fe...

[ThunderSpook]

God I'd hate to live in your world where people don't do things like this more than once because they get "boring". It had plenty of new stuff in it. How many people get to shut large parts of a big city like that for a hoon. That alone was worth the watch.

Bit of advice (and yes I'm in a grumpy mood here). This is a forum, feel free to have your say on the forum. By writing this story all you have done is turn up to a discussion with a mega-phone saying "LISTEN TO ME, MY OPINION MATTERS MORE THAN YOURS".

Roll on Gymkhana 6 through 10 and beyond. Personally I can't wait, both because they are spectacular to watch and they piss miserable people off by the look of it.

[crispyshark]

PSBuckshot said:

If you find a 600bhp Fiesta hooning around San Fran 'boring' maybe you're in the wrong business.

+1

[JonnyFive]

crispyshark said:

PSBuckshot said:

If you find a 600bhp Fiesta hooning around San Fran 'boring' maybe you're in the wrong business.

+1

This.

It would seem PH is turning into Mumsnet these days.

Boring.

[DanDC5]

PSBuckshot said:

If you find a 600bhp Fiesta hooning around San Fran 'boring' maybe you're in the wrong business.

I'd agree with this to be honest. I actually sat and watched all the Gymkhana videos on youtube a couple of nights ago. They're all entertaining, the only real difference is the production has become more polished than the 1st one. The driving is getting better and better though and some of the moves more extreme. Bring on number 6.

[trunks82]

PSBuckshot said:

If you find a 600bhp Fiesta hooning around San Fran 'boring' maybe you're in the wrong business.

Not bored.just indifferent.send him to corsica.see how big his balls are!

[ThunderSpook]

And while I'm on a moan, to all those people who insist on posting videos from rallying "back in the day" constantly going on about how it was better back then, would you really prefer that nothing new had been done in the last 2 decades because they'd already "reached a pinnacle"? Maybe they're trying new things that appeal to different people.

Grumpy of Portsmouth

[Baryonyx]

I have to admit whilst was watching this edition I did think the series had run it's course.

[StottyZr]

trunks82 said:

PSBuckshot said:

If you find a 600bhp Fiesta hooning around San Fran 'boring' maybe you're in the wrong business.

Not bored.just indifferent.send him to corsica.see how big his balls are!

I can't explain why, but comments like this really piss me off.

Shut the fk up.

[Captain Muppet]

monthefish said:

PH on the subject of the latest Ken Block video said:

MAzing!!!!!!

PH on the subject of the latest Ken Block video later said:

dull

So which is the official PH line then?

I suspect the official PH line is that any long running thread with an argument in it is good for PH.

[DanDC5]

trunks82 said:

PSBuckshot said:

If you find a 600bhp Fiesta hooning around San Fran 'boring' maybe you're in the wrong business.

Not bored.just indifferent.send him to corsica.see how big his balls are!

Given that he's chosen to compete in the WRC as a hobby I'd say his balls are bigger than most.

[Kawasicki]

Dan, as a person who is fanatical about driving I'd be choosing the live axle equipped rear wheel drive muscle car over the hot hatch with an even more serious technical shortcoming...front wheel drive.

Front wheel drive? Your future, not mine.

Oh yeah, Ken's video? Great job. Loved it.

[MrScrot]

I liked it I thought it was better than his last video around that film studio. I think what has happened though is that they've made about 5 of these videos in the past year (at least it seems that way). If the producers has spread it out a little say 1 a year, then perhaps it might not be getting criticised. Also, with a culture that demands new styles and trends constantly and rapidly, you can’t be doing the same old tricks over and over. I’m sure Ken Block has other talented racing driver friends who could do a synchronised event or he could at least drive a different car like a dune buggy or similar off road vehicle.

[trunks82]

DanDC5 said:

Given that he's chosen to compete in the WRC as a hobby I'd say his balls are bigger than most.

For sure.but not in a 650 bhp fiesta!

[Riggers]

monthefish said:

PH on the subject of the latest Ken Block video said:

We'll be honest here. When we heard that Ken Block was making another iteration of his gymkhana video series, we were a little cynical.

Sure, the master of the art of hoonery has become an internet sensation over the years, and his ability to make a hugely powerful 4wd rally car do hilarious things is broadly unparalleled. But (whisper it) we were getting just a little bored of it all, so we thought Gymkhana Five might be a mild disappointment.

It's not. The reason? Block's taken his 650hp Fiesta onto the streets of San Francisco, and any project that gets the Bay Bridge closed specifically for the purposes of hooning earns our eternal respect. Plus, some of the jumps as he careers around the famously hilly city are truly giggleworthy.

PH on the subject of the latest Ken Block video later said:

What to say about Ken Block's Gymkhana Five? Posted up on July 9, at the time of writing this just 10 days later it's showing over 21m views. Am I the only one of those millions who, after the first minute or so, found themselves thinking "yeah, so what"?

I found it a weird sensation, for sure. After all, what's not to like about some gratuitous, beautifully filmed hooning by an incredibly skilled driver who, thanks to the power of his brand and the internet, can get large parts of one of America's major cities closed off simply so he can do some donuts for a YouTube film?

And yet, there I was. Bored.

So which is the official PH line then?

Without wishing to speak for Dan, the first piece was our original news story, and its lightly supportive tone is more more an addition to introduce the video than any particular editorial stance.

Dan's blog, on the other hand is very much his own personal opinion - as are all our blogs...