autoevolution
 

Ken Block Abuses The F-150 Raptor’s Tires In Massive Burnout

Ken Block is no stranger to the Ford Motor Company. After all, his 9-to-5 job is to race a rallycross-prepped Focus RS RX. But his relationship with Ford goes even further, having helped the automaker show off the capability of the brutish F-150 Raptor.
Ken Block's First New Raptor Burnout 8 photos
Photo: screenshot from YouTube
Ken Block's First New Raptor BurnoutKen Block's First New Raptor BurnoutKen Block's First New Raptor BurnoutKen Block's First New Raptor BurnoutKen Block's First New Raptor BurnoutKen Block's First New Raptor BurnoutKen Block's First New Raptor Burnout
Developed with the sole purpose of being the best off-road pickup in the light-duty segment, the F-150 Raptor was demonstrated by the professional rally driver a couple of times now. To the point, once in the inhospitality of winter, and a second time at the Dumont Dunes right outside Death Valley.

On this occasion, however, Mr. Hoonigan put his very own workhorse to the test. Right in front of The Hoonigans’ Donut Garage, Ken came to the conclusion that Toyo’s chunky off-road tires are perfect for a smoke show.

The only problem with pulling a monster burnout in a vehicle as heavy as the F-150 Raptor is, the tread will wear out in no time. Ken’s kids show the extent of the wear after collecting the rubber that tore off during the burnout.

Bearing in mind a set of two Open Country A/T IIs costs something like 600 bucks sans shipping, it’s also pretty damn expensive to light the rears up in a thick cloud of smoke. Still, kudos to Block for proving that the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor is capable of doing exactly that... and for entertaining us.

On a tangent, Ford has yet to say anything about the 2018 model year Raptor. As per the wildest of rumors, the 2019 model year will see the Raptor pack V8 muscle in the form of a purported 7.0-liter engine referred to as 7X. A free-breathing Vee-Eight would be a very interesting choice for the off-road pickup, but chances are Ford doesn't plan to veer off the EcoBoost course.

 

Tire slaying evidence of my “family burnout” at the @TheHoonigans Donut Garage when I was there a few weeks ago. Hit the link in my profile to see the video! Turns out, even @ToyoTires’ off-road tires work great for a smoke show. #justaintcare #familyhoonage #hooneverything #FordRaptor #DonutGarage

A post shared by Ken Block (@kblock43) on Apr 20, 2017 at 2:12pm PDT

 

Mountain life: my Ford Raptor, the Bentley husky, and his and hers @iamspecialized bikes. #afewofmyfavoritethings #mountaintownlife #outdoorgymwithwife #BentleyChickenFingersBlock #ParkCity #FordRaptor

A post shared by Ken Block (@kblock43) on Apr 18, 2017 at 1:03pm PDT

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories