Ken Block Drives Audi’s Rarest Rally Monsters at Audi Tradition

Ken gets a personal tour from Timo, who walks him through the evolution of Audi’s rally cars, starting with front-wheel-drive models and moving quickly to the iconic Quattros. Ken is clearly in his element, geeking out over the Group B Sport Quattro S1 E2—Walter Röhrl’s Monte Carlo-winning car—and the ultra-rare Group S prototype. The Group S was supposed to take rallying beyond Group B, but the series was cancelled before it could really get going. Only five people had driven this prototype before Ken.

The real highlight is when Ken is handed the keys (figuratively) to both the Sport Quattro S1 E2 and the Group S prototype. They take the cars out to a nearby airfield because they’re simply too loud for Audi’s own test track. Ken is visibly excited, especially knowing he’s about to drive cars worth millions that are usually kept behind closed doors.

He first drives the S1 E2, which, despite being detuned to preserve it, still packs a punch and sounds fantastic. Then he hops into the Group S prototype—a true one-off with a mid-engine layout. Ken notes the differences right away: the S1 E2 understeers heavily, while the Group S feels more balanced and nimble. He pushes both cars just enough to get a feel for them, but is careful not to risk any damage—after all, these are irreplaceable pieces of rally history.

After his runs, Ken is buzzing. He talks about how surreal it is to drive these dream cars, especially knowing how few people have ever had the chance. He jokes with Timo about the stress of watching someone else drive these priceless machines and imagines what it would be like to actually rally them on gravel stages.

For any rally fan, this is pure fantasy garage stuff—two of the most significant cars from Audi’s golden era, out of hiding and actually being driven. Ken’s reactions say it all: it’s not every day you get to thrash a Monte Carlo winner and a prototype that never got to race, all before lunch.