words: Louli Kourkounakis, photos: Hoonigan
Editor’s Note: Editor’s Note: This article originally ran in the Q2_2022 issue of quattro Magazine. If you would like to subscribe to quattro Magazine, please join Audi Club here.
Turbo Monster. That was the name of the Sport quattro that Ken Block flew to Germany to pick up. It was also originally red before being made his own, stripped and repainted in white with a subtle old-school chevron livery and traditional 80’s Audi side logo. For those not familiar with the Sport quattro, they were a limited production homologation car built to qualify for Group B rallying and made from the front half of an Audi 4000 and the rear half of an Audi quattro coupe. The result is a car with a little over a foot shorter wheelbase than the quattro. This intended for more acute steering in the tight switchbacks of Monte Carlo, adding even more edge to Audi’s rallying icon.
LCE Performance took this formula and created their own Sport quattro replica, dubbing it “Turbo Monster,” and making it just a little bit better. The entire body of the car is made of carbon fiber or carbon/Kevlar mix, down to the bumpers and wing. The carbon weave can actually be seen peeking through the white paint.
So why repaint a car that looked pretty good when Hoonigan picked it up? Well… Ken wanted a white car, a recent trend in his car-building including an RS e-tron GT that dropped just last week on his YouTube channel. The Sport quattro’s white exterior is complimented nicely with the black grills- another item that Ken Block wanted. One last thing he was looking for… to be in the 700+ hp range. The Turbo Monster checked that box too, dynoing in at 736 hp and 868 lbs.-ft. of torque. To put this in perspective, the standard rally car clocks in around 350-400 hp. So, the name Turbo Monster is definitely fitting.
Let’s get into the more important details though – the specs. The LCE team began the build with a 2.5-liter AEL 5-cylinder block from a diesel Euro Van. It’s now a 2.5L tall block paired with a 3B head, Cat cams, and Tommi billet cam gear. It’s all run by a Vems standalone ECU, and power is transferred via an 01E 6-speed transmission using CAE cable shifter. Completing this nice little package is a modified Garrett G-30 turbo, Wagner reverse inlet intake manifold, Audiland exhaust manifold and a Turbosmart wastegate. A Wagner front mount intercooler peaks through those menacing grills. You might not see this around anywhere else just yet. It’s a prototype that’s still in the works for production. What you won’t see around through those front grills is the radiator. It’s rear mounted.
What other special parts adorn this car? Those old school rally-inspired wheels. They were a custom Rotiform wheel first made for for Ken and also Brian Scotto’s car (pp. 22-23) when they were bound for the SEMA Show. The original design was based off the rally wheel fitted to the final S1 E2 Group B rally car and also the final 1987-spec Pike’s Peak evolution, then adjusted a bit to fit the Hoonigans’ needs. Using this base, they added a dog bowl design to mimic the 80’s motorsports cars. Another subtle detail, the stamp is on the outside instead of the inside so everything you need to know about the wheel is front and center. These are wrapped in a set of 255 Toyo R88R’s all around. Peeking out of those custom wheels are some nice, big Porsche 6-piston calipers. Gotta make sure there’s enough stop for all that go. Helping to get the car around those corners are KW Motorsport Coilovers.
Speaking of brakes, if we move inside, there’s something special in here you might recognize: the Hoonitruck’s hand brake. A few extra were made when Block’s Gymkhana drift truck was built and one of them ended up in here. Other Hoonigan signatures continue, including Recaro Pole Position seats with fabric graphics pulling from Ken’s Porsche livery. Look closer and you’ll see Walter Röhrl’s signature on the dashboard. Seems even the most famous YouTube rallyist can be a fan, and maybe not such a surprise given Röhrl is such a rally legend and likely kindred spirit.
The car’s dashboard also features a bunch of fuses and switches. Hoonigan was trying to bring everything back to that old school feel. Rally cars of the 80s had fuses on the dash so that your passenger could swap them out while you drove to help reduce any downtime. Lights went out? No problem, the co-pilot would take care of it while you focus on the road.
All these great mods helping the car to put down some impressive power but it’s a replica. Why would Ken not try to find a real Sport quattro? Well, that’s an easy answer. The Hoonigan crew didn’t want Ken beating on a real one. That, and some of the future mod plans are going to require some modification and the guys didn’t want to ruin such a rare car. We are looking forward to seeing what Ken and the Hoonigan team have in store for this homologation special. Rumor is that the build isn’t yet complete.
