Awesome Rally

Hoonigan brings the thrills with its Rally Speedrun Championship. Shot on a gnarly, custom-built 1.3-mile course, the six-part series pits skilled drivers like Jeff Zwart and Blake Wilkey against the clock in high-horsepower machines through tricky turns, blind crests, and over jumps. Hosted by rally racer Wyatt Knox, it’s raw, fast, and pure Hoonigan energy.

Developed with Alpine, the Renault 5 Turbo 3E is a modern take on classic 1980s rally cars. The rear-wheel drive “mini-supercar” has two in-wheel motors that produce 540 hp and gobs of instant torque. The petite 2-seater rolls on 20″ wheels, with performance aerodynamics, sport seats, and a roll bar. Just 1980 will be made, with deliveries starting in 2027.

This upcoming FIA racing series will send drivers to some of the toughest terrain on earth. The Extreme H series will feature special Pioneer 25 race cars powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and a dual-motor AWD system capable of producing up to 550 hp. These zero-emission off-roaders can zoom from 0 to 62 in 4.3 seconds, with a top speed of 127 mph.

In this thrilling video from Red Bull Motorsports, World Rally Champ Kalle Rovanperä drifts up Japan’s Mount Iwaki in his Toyota GR Corolla. But he’s not alone. On his ascent through its 69 treacherous turns, he must face off against street racers, supercars, and some of the world’s greatest drifters. The nighttime ride back down features an unexpected racer.

As part of its N Day 2024 event, Hyundai revealed an awe-inspiring electric car we wish we could take to the track. The short-wheelbase RN24 is based on the powertrain from the IONIQ 5 N combined with a WRC-style chassis with an open-air rollcage. You can’t buy one, but Hyundai will use the car as a rolling testbed for high-performance EV development.

Most times that cars race each other on a track, they’re equally matched in horsepower, weight, aerodynamics, and other attributes. But in this unusual race, Red Bull put four very different cars and trucks head to head, then optimized the race course and driving lines for each vehicle to even up the odds. Which car and driver will cross the finish line first?

Pixel Perfect Dude’s #Drive Rally is an upcoming racing game that’s both a throwback to arcade racers and a modern title that packs sweet graphics and a sense of humor. Along with a stable of customizable cars, you’ll select from a roster of co-drivers, each with their own personality and delivery. Drops 9.25.24 for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Ken Block was one of the greatest rally drivers ever. Shortly before his tragic death, Block and team Hoonigan visited Mexico City, where they filmed what would become the final installment of the Electrikhana series. The footage has since been edited and released, bringing us one last ride along with Ken in his AWD electric Audi S1 Hoonitron.

Ford’s electric crossover gets ready to hit the trails with the Mustang Mach-E Rally. It has a two-motor drivetrain that makes 480 hp and 650 lb-ft. of torque. It rolls on 19″ alloy rally wheels with Michelin CrossClimate2 tires and has a 20mm suspension lift, MagneRide dampers, a rear spoiler, and underbody shielding. Expect a 250-mile range and a $65K MSRP.

After teasing us with a concept car, Lamborghini is producing its rally-capable Huracán Sterrato. The AWD supercar is powered by a 601 hp V10 engine and has had its suspension lifted by 1.73 inches to increase ground clearance. It rolls on all-terrain tires and has badass body cladding and fog lights. Just 1499 will be produced.

If you’ve never experienced the Tail of the Dragon, you owe it to yourself to ride down to Tennessee or North Carolina and take a spin. Though there’s little chance that you’ll drive it as quickly as RallyCross champ Scott Speed, who slayed the dragon’s 318 curves and 11 miles in his Red Bull Subaru rally car. (Thanks, Patrick!)

Like the first-gen RS Q E-Tron rally car, the latest incarnation of Audi’s badass hybrid rally car uses its gas engine to charge its battery and drive its motors. It also has a lifted suspension for traversing rugged terrain, a widened stance and lower center of gravity to help keep it more stable, along with greatly-improved aerodynamics.

Clarkson, Hammond, and May continue their across the globe, this time taking on Norway. The gang takes us on a wild, chilly, and incident-filled rally above the Arctic Circle in a used Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII, Subaru Impreza WRX STI, and an Audi RS4 B7. Premieres 9.16.2022 on Amazon Prime Video.

Morgan’s two-seaters are usually driven on tracks or for touring. But the Plus Four CX-T can take drivers across rugged off-road terrain. Built with Rally Raid UK, the car has a custom suspension offering 9″ of ground clearance, larger tires, skid plates, and a rear storage area for tools and spare tires. Just eight of the cars will be produced.

This awesome Porsche 911 was built by Singer for its All-terrain Competition Study. Working with rally expert Richard Tuthill they created the car based on a 1990 Type 964, strengthened its core, upgraded its suspension, brakes, tires, engine, and gearbox to survive punishing off-road events like the Baja 1000 and Dakar Rally.

Rally races can be incredibly dangerous. They require precise coordination between driver and co-driver to negotiate countless twists and turns along the way. One wrong move and you’re off the course or worse. In the case of this rally in Russia, it seems nobody got this corner radius right. Isn’t this the point of recce before a race?