Ken Block's Final Chapter: Watch Electrikhana 2
A car culture giant says his final goodbye and much more in our weekly roundup.
HAPPY RACE DAY! especially to the team at Hoonigan for the launch of their latest auto-stunt extravaganza Elektrikhana TWO. You can watch the trailer below and the full video will be available on their channel by 6:00AM EST.
The loss of Ken Block, driver and Hoonigan founder, in January 2023 rocked the automotive world. His high-octane precision driving inspired millions. Now we get one more chance to marvel at what a true legend could do.
You can learn about the Ken Block Foundation here to see how his legacy is being carried forward into the future. You can also read this Q&A with his daughter Lia Block as she prepares to build a racing career by joining the F1 Academy in 2024.
SHORT NEWSLETTER this week for a couple of reasons.
First, it’s been a busy time for my reporting. One of the main storylines in ‘Cult of GT-R’ was the ongoing prosecution of a husband-and-wife team in Miami accused of forging hundreds of titles for Japanese market cars to sell.
The case is getting closer and closer to resolution. I’ve followed proceedings through all of 2023, and last week, a judge instructed both sides to prepare for trial. Check out Motor1.com today for my article with a full update.
Second, I’m still promoting the book heavily. This weekend I’ll have a pop-up space at the Santa’s Speed Shop car show and toy drive in downtown L.A. Check out my promo video here and stop by to see our surprise car! Show is from 12-4pm.
Heartfelt Video of the Week
This Motor Trend video struck a chord with me. It’s a shortened episode of the show Super Street Garage with hosts John Naderi and Amir Bentatou about car culture. In my opinion, SSG is one of their better programs in recent history.
In this one, Naderi takes the wheel of his dream Honda Civic and cruises around Southern California with some fellow Honda buds. Nothing insane, nothing ostentatious. Just some homies out for a run.
But from the beginning it’s obvious that Naderi considers it something special.
Naderi, or “Nads” to fans, is a beloved figure in the car community. The former editor-in-chief of Super Street, he’s been a dedicated documentarian for a long time. But as he says in the video, he’d never really been a participant.
I’ve met Nads. He’s a genuinely kind and curious person. He wrote a very nice IG post when I sent him an advance copy of the book. It’s that genuine spirit that resonates with people on camera and makes his passion so clear.
I don’t necessarily have some grandiose point to make here. It just made me happy to see my friend getting the moment he deserves. It gives me hope that the car community is about more than stunting and clouting and Gramming. And that there’s room for everyone to find their own niche and enjoy the culture in a way that works for them. And eventually, if you give enough genuine love, you get to see it come back.
That’s why we all get into this. Genuine love. There wouldn’t be so much time spent under the hood or late-night cruising or perfecting the paint job otherwise. For some of us it’s obsessing over every word in an article or a book. But you don’t get this level of excitement and enthusiasm for cars without that look on Nads’s face when that rush of appreciation hits him. And it’s reflective of his character that in that moment all he can think to do is express gratitude.
That’s what it’s all about, man. Just enjoy the things you enjoy and have fun with it. Be like the early version of you that fell in love with these things in the first place. Be like Nads. The car world will be better for it.
In the News
The biggest news in the industry this week was the official release of the Tesla Cybertruck, which is now delivering to customers. There are plenty of enthusiastic videos out there salivating over the stainless-steel pickup EV. For my money, the crew at TFLTruck struck the right tone — impressed with a healthy dose of skepticism. Watch their video here:
It’s also an interesting preview of the EV aftermarket to come. At SEMA back in November I heard journalists predict the demise of the aftermarket once electric vehicles take over. After all, they said, there will be fewer mechanical parts to upgrade.
But the Cybertruck makes it clear that, like frog-DNA mutant dinosaurs, the aftermarket will find a way. Within hours of the Cybertruck launch, the EV upgrading company Unplugged Performance released its full slate of available parts. Pick from your choice of suspension lifts, brake kits, bumpers and fender flares and much more from the new UP Invincible product line.
That didn’t surprise me, because also at SEMA I met companies working to build upgrades for EV powertrain components. Yes, in the future you will be able to upgrade your EV motors and inverters and loads of other components. I’m sure it won’t be long until companies offer the same for Cybertruck customers.
I have questions about the long-term viability of the Cybertruck, especially its true effectiveness as a work truck in demanding situations. But one thing I don’t doubt is that now that it’s here, people will go to extremes to customize it. Now that part I’m pretty damn excited to see.
Here’s what else happened this week:
How out of control are GT-R prices these days? A rusty R32 GT-R attracted bids over $10,000 USD during a Japan auction. It didn’t meet reserve.
You tell me which is more absurd: the rusty GT-R auction, or the fact that RM Sotheby’s sold a 1973 Porsche 911 RS 2.7 Lightweight for $1.18M. (Full disclosure: Sotheby’s owns a portion of Sotheby’s Motorsport, a freelance client of mine.)
The lunatics at Regular Car Reviews got their hands on one of my all-time irrational favorite cars: the Mercedes CL55 AMG. Madness ensues. Watch it here.
YouTuber Dustin Williams was a hugely important source in my reporting for ‘Cult of GT-R’ and his video on attending R’s Day is great. Check it out.
Motorsport doesn’t get much more outlandish than WRC. The series posted its Top 10 Moments of the 2023 Season video and it doesn’t disappoint.
And Finally…
Follow me on TikTok! I’m working on building a following there with on-scene reporting and the latest video is a recap of the most notable Toyota GR86 builds I saw in Vegas. Check it out and throw me a Like — why not!
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Will likely skip an edition of Ryan Drives, my new Friday newsletter, this week. Catch up by reading recent reviews of the Toyota GR86, the Faraday Future FF 91 and the MotoRex R32 Skyline GT-R. See ya next time!
Drive hard and be safe. Black Lives Matter.
Race Day has subscribers in 33 states and 17 countries! Want your event included? Shoot me a note with subject line “Race Day” at ryan@carrarabooks.com.
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