One 600-horsepower, rallycross-spec, Zubaz-stripe-liveried Ford Focus RS RX. The rust-scarred locale of Buffalo, New York. Many, many abused tires. You know the formula by now. Feast your eyes on Gymkhana Nine.
Gymkhana Nine stands in direct contrast with the polished, moneyed locale of Dubai from Gymkhana Eight, and all for the better. We’ve all fantasized about hooning the crap out of every loosely monitored, possibly abandoned space in our hometowns. Gymkhana Nine brings the hoonage back to reality, with Block popping out of an eerie looking old station to terrorize the pavement.
If you’ve ever looked at a vast expanse of pavement and said, “that needs a donut,” you may now live vicariously through Ken Block in his Focus RS RX—a car which had never ventured outside its World Rallycross duties until now.
Look, I don’t care that this series has evolved into slick Ford/Forza Horizon 3 ads with a star driver tie-in. I have about as much shame about loving Gymkhana videos as Buffalo Bills fans do about, well, anything. Gymkhana is beauty in the form of tire destruction and slick tricks. It is my spirit animal with a bigger budget.
This is one of the best Gymkhana videos Block’s put together in ages. More close shots. More death cheated, especially with that insane train stunt. Let’s enjoy it together.