The apple does not fall far from the tree. As a poignant example of that saying, consider Lia Block, the 16-year-old daughter of the late rally driver Ken Block.
In a real-life tribute to her father, Lia said this week that she plans to drive the “Hoonipigaus” Porsche at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hillclimb on June 25. Ken Block died in a snowmobiling accident in January at age 55. The famous, 1,400 horsepower pink Porsche was about to be raced by Ken Block in the hillclimb last year but his start was aborted when the car developed engine problems. Since his death, Lia has competed in several events honoring her father.
Her entry into the upcoming event will not be in competition, as Lia “admits that it will take a substantial amount of training to pilot a race car of that caliber up one of the world’s most intimidating hill climb races – something she aims to accomplish in the future,” said a statement from Hoonigan, the clothing and media brand started by her father.
Hoonipigasus is an amalgamation of Block’s Hoonigan brand, Mobil 1’s Pegasus motif, and the 1971 Porsche 917/20 “pink pig” that raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1971 and provides the inspiration for the car’s livery. The power is generated by a twin-turbo 4.0-liter flat-six paired to a six-speed sequential gearbox and GPS-activated height adjustable suspension.
The Pikes Peak event—the Race to the Clouds—is a true endurance test, a course of more than 12 miles, finishing at more than 14,000 feet above sea level.
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