autoevolution
 

Ken Block Drag Races Rob Dahm in the "Close to 3,000 Horsepower" Battle of 2020

The most anticipated drag race of the year has finally happened. Rob Dahm in the turbo four-rotor Mazda RX-7 has taken on the colossal task of racing against Ken Block in the turbo V8 Ford Mustang, and the result is hard to describe using simple words.
Hoonicorn vs Ahura 19 photos
Photo: Hoonigan
Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7Hoonicorn Mustang vs Ahura RX-7
Rob Dahm has been working on the Ahura RX-7 for several years now, and he has never really done a proper shakedown so far. As a result, most of the world was expecting to see him fail in his attempt to defeat Ken Block in the Hoonicorn vs the World series produced by the people over at Hoonigan.

But the rotary community, which seems to have been growing bigger and bigger recently, was rooting for Rob, hoping that he would be the first one to actually win the battle against the ferocious Hoonicorn. Rob and the people close to him have been teasing us about the outcome for a few days now, and although a few hints were dropped, the exact outcome remained unknown.

First of all, nobody knew exactly how much horsepower the four rotor would be sending to all four wheels, because Rob has been fiddling around with various boost settings. By the time the video was shot, it seems that 1,240 was the actual outcome - around 160 horsepower short of the Hoonicorn figures.

Both cars make use of an AWD system and pack 6-Speed sequential gearboxes, and it seems that ultimately the Hoonicorn is around 300 lbs (136 kg) lighter than the rotary Ahura.

After looking at what both cars can do, the drivers lined up for the first race. A 1,000-foot (304-meter) sprint with a rolling start for round 1, and Ken Block immediately takes control, leaving the RX-7 way behind. About halfway into the run, disaster strikes, as Rob's hood gets detached, destroying the rear window and blocking Rob's line of sight in the process.

But that didn't discourage Rob, and the two drivers lined up once again. The second race seems to be a bit more balanced, but once again, Ken Block crosses the finish line 1st. For the 3rd run, they change things up a bit, and they proceed to go with a standing start. Rob gets a good start, and by the end of the run, he manages to bring back hope to the rotary community by finishing 1st.

So by the end of the day, this was to be expected. The Hoonicorn has proven to be a reliable race car, capable of wining run after run, while the Ahura still needs some more dialing in before it can actually be a threat. Maybe they'll do a rerun next year!

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

The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories