Ken Block's Daughter Races 1,400-HP Hoonicorn Against Tesla Plaid

14-year-old Lia Block is not afraid of losing to the Model S Plaid; should she be?

By: Dan Mihalascu

Dec 10, 2021 at 11:01am ET

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Out of all the crazy cars Ken Block has ever driven, the Hoonicorn is probably the most outlandish. The no-expenses-spared project is a fearsome competitor for anything with four wheels—or even two, come to think of it.

The 1965 Ford Mustang-based Hoonicorn V2 has 1,400 horsepower, a rally-derived all-wheel-drive system, and twin turbos fed by pure methanol. It is a true monster that shoots fire and slays tires, but it wasn’t built for drag racing.

Initially, it was purpose-built to handle like a rally car and perform drifts, thanks to an output of more than 800 horsepower from a naturally aspirated V8. But when Ken Block wanted to do the Climbkhana video at Pikes Peak in 2017, the Hoonicorn had to be upgraded. It received two large turbos and was converted to run on methanol, gaining 600 hp in the process.

An interesting “side effect” of the upgrades was that the Hoonicorn V2 turned into a phenomenal drag strip slayer, a fact proven in the popular Hoonicorn vs The World YouTube series of drag races.

Gallery: Tesla Model S Plaid Delivery Day

Now, Ken Block and the crew decided to unleash the Hoonicorn V2 against the world’s quickest-accelerating series production car, the Tesla Model S Plaid. Instead of driving it himself, Block let his 14-year-old daughter Lia in the driver’s seat, while the stock Plaid was driven by its owner, Adam.

This has got to be one of the most anticipated drag races yet, but before placing your bets, here’s the low-down on the specs.

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The Model S Plaid’s tri-motor AWD powertrain delivers 1,020 hp and 1,050 lb-ft (1,422 Nm) of instantly available torque, with the 0-60 sprint taking under 2 seconds despite a curb weight of 4,766 lbs (2,161 kg). The Hoonicorn’s 6.7L twin-turbo V8 delivers 1,400 hp and 1,250 lb-ft (1,692 Nm) of torque and weighs just 2,998 lbs (1,360 kg).

It should be a walk in the park for the custom-built car based on the numbers alone, but we all know the Model S Plaid never ceases to amaze, and this three-race fight with the Hoonicorn V2 is no exception.