Ken Block's 1965 Ford Mustang Hoonicorn RTR and CR Supercars Villain are retro done right

Wed, 05 Nov 2014

Gymkhana king Ken Block has had a pretty simple car history in his trademark videos, starting out with Subaru Impreza rally cars before moving into Ford Focus racers for the past four installments. His next video, though, Gymkhana Seven, kind of goes back in time.

Rather than the cutting-edge rally racers of past videos, Block will pilot a heavily modified 1965 Ford Mustang, called the Hoonicorn. How heavily modified is it? Well, Block's Hooligan Racing Division, ASD Motorsports and Vaughn Gittin Jr.'s RTR, spent two years working on it, ditching the standard engine and rear-wheel-drive layout and replacing it with a 410-cubic-inch Roush Yates V8. Yes, that's a NASCAR engine, and it produces 845 horsepower.

A NASCAR-powered Mustang would be news in itself, but it's the other powertrain changes made by Block and Co. that really makes headlines. Power is channeled through a one-off Sadev transmission and all-wheel-drive system, meaning that Block has basically married a NASCAR stock car with a WRC racer. ASD also developed the customized suspension, tubular chassis and roll cage. The wide Mustang body is the work of RTR and Block's own Hoonigan Racing Division, while the 18-inch fifteen52 wheels are shod in Pirelli Trofeo R tires that use a specialized compound exclusive to Block.

Another cool classic custom Mustang on display at SEMA comes courtesy of CR Supercars, a new division of Classic Recreations. Seen at right, the so-called Mustang Villain boasts composite bodywork grafted atop an original 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback. Power comes from a 5.0-liter Coyota V8 engine, and those 420 horses are sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed Tremec transmission. Handling prowess is enhanced through a completely reworked chassis that relies on modern suspension bits and pieces.

We have a full battery of images available of both vehicles above and below, while you can scroll down to take a look at the official press releases from Block, Hoonigan and CR Supercars.

KEN BLOCK UNVEILS THE HOONICORN RTR, HIS BATSH*T RETRO-MODERN ALL-WHEEL DRIVE GYMKHANA SEVEN FORD MUSTANG

NOV 4th, Las Vegas, NV: Hoonigan Racing Division's Ken Block is pleased to debut his Gymkhana SEVEN car for the first time publicly in the Ford booth at SEMA 2014. The car? A completely unique, one-off, world's first performance all-wheel drive 1965 Ford Mustang notchback. A collaborative effort between Block, Hoonigan and RTR-fellow Ford and Monster Energy athlete Vaughn Gittin Jr's automotive tuning brand-the car shares the spotlight with Block in his upcoming Gymkhana SEVEN video project.

Built at ASD Motorsports in Charlotte, North Carolina, over the course of two years, the car is based upon a 1965 Ford Mustang notchback-the iconic pony car, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The car was heavily modified by RTR and ASD Motorsports to feature a 410 cubic inch Roush Yates V8, with 845 hp, mated to a one-off Sadev all-wheel drive system. The styling for the build harnesses a mix of influences and inspirations that include the current crop of WRC cars, DTM cars and even toy cars from Block's youth. These elements were harnessed through a collaborative effort between Block and RTR-since RTR is known for their Mustang expertise-and incorporated into the build.

"I'm stoked to be able to publicly unveil this car for the first time at SEMA in the Ford booth," said Block. "This is a project that I've been working on for two years, so to see it fully come to fruition and be able to drive it for Gymkhana SEVEN was absolutely amazing. I also knew that working with Vaughn [Gittin Jr.] and his RTR team was the right choice for this project since Mustang's are their world, but they really went above and beyond on this car. The attention to detail with the fabrication and bodywork blows my mind. This is hands-down the best Gymkhana car I've had yet."

To see Block's Gymkhana SEVEN Mustang in person, swing by the Ford booth on the SEMA show floor, the car will be on display to the public for the entirety of the show.

HOONICORN RTR SPECIFICATIONS:
- MOTOR: Roush Yates 410 cubic inch Ford V8, 845 hp/720 lb.ft with ITBs
- TRANSMISSION: 6-speed Sadev SC90-24 all-wheel drive transmission with a hydraulic handbrake system
- SUSPENSION: Custom ASD Motorsports-designed geometry and components

- BODY: 1965 widebody Ford Mustang designed by RTR, Ken Block and Hoonigan, ASD Motorsports full tubular chassis, ASD Motorsports custom roll-cage, door bars and front/rear suspension mounts, RTR carbon fiber body panels
- WHEELS: fifteen52 three-piece R40, 18" x10.5"
- TIRES: Pirelli Trofeo R, 295/30/18, custom Ken Block compound

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Award-winning coachbuilder Classic Recreations is proud to announce a new division, CR Supercars, dedicated to handcrafting turn-key supercars that fuse classic styling from the golden age of American muscle cars with the latest high-tech engine and chassis components to create world-class sports cars that are totally bespoke and turn-key. Debuted at the 2014 SEMA Show by Centerforce Clutches and MMA fighter Josh "The Warmaster" Barnett, the Mustang Villain is the first model from the CR Supercars lineup. Based on an iconic design but totally reimagined for 2015, the Villain marks an exciting departure for Classic Recreations, a company known for its world-renowned Shelby continuation cars.

Mustang Villain

The CR Supercars Mustang Villain starts life as an original 1968 Mustang Fastback. CR Supercars strips the car to a bare shell then updates the iconic sheet metal with new composite body panels that are crafted using the latest 3D mold making technology. Accented with subtle carbon fiber trim, the design accentuates the Mustang fastback's timeless lines but improves aerodynamics and reduces weight. Once the new panels are fit to the car, it undergoes a 2,500 man-hour transformation. The car is rebuilt using cutting-edge performance tech, hand-rubbed custom paint and a custom-stitched interior. All of that creates the ultimate sports car: more unique then an Italian exotic and faster than anything from Detroit.

The Mustang Villain is powered by Ford Racing's 420-HP all-aluminum DOHC 5.0L Coyote engine, which will be mated to a Tremec T-56 Magnum six-speed manual transmission through a Centerforce DYAD.

The Villain performs as well on a canyon road as it does in the quarter mile, thanks to a Detroit Speed Engineering suspension system that includes a hydro-formed Aluma-Frame fitted with Corvette-based A-arms, a QUADRAlink 4-link rear suspension and fully adjustable DSE/JRi coilovers. CR Supercars utilizes massive Wilwood six-piston 14-inch brakes at all four corners and sits them behind a custom set of 18-inch Grip Equipped Series Wheels by Forgeline.

The Villain marks the next level in performance from Classic Recreations. Its CR Supercars division is developing other exciting advanced-technology tribute cars. Look for another industry-rocking CR Supercars debut in the near future.

About Classic Recreations

Classic Recreations founder Jason Engel, and his company's team of skilled technicians and craftsmen, have been modifying and custom fabricating high-performance vehicles including its award-winning, officially licensed Shelby Mustangs for more than 10 years. Each built-to-order vehicle takes approximately four months (nearly 2,500 man hours) of painstaking assembly. For more information about Classic Recreations, please visit www.classicrecreations.com.

About CR Supercars

Classic Recreations has created CR Supercars, a company with the mission of delivering a global, turn-key supercar combining the modern reliability and performance of today's high performers and the character of classic American Muscle designs. To learn more about CR Supercars, the Mustang Villain head to www.crsupercars.com.

By Brandon Turkus