Ken Block smokes Pikes Peak

"I'm genuinely glad I didn't die making this video!" - a quote that almost guarantees YouTube views.

1400 horsepower, vs 14,000 feet of frightening elevation, the latest installment in the Gymkhana series, 'Climbkhana' pits viral video star and rally racer Ken Block against the legendary, precarious Pikes Peak track.

In the video, Block campaigns an updated Hoonicorn up a vertical elevation of nearly 4.2 kilometres, billowing tyre smoke and hanging corners over the legendary highway's oxygen-deprived bends.

*wipes tear away* It's so beautiful. (image credit: Toyo Tires)

The video is the first time the Pikes Peak International Hill-Climb course has been closed outside of the race weekend, with the Hoonigan team turning America's second oldest continually running race event course (the Indy 500 is the oldest) into a rally attack playground.

Recruiting eight-time Pikes Peak champion Jeff Zwart as co-director, the Hoonigan Media Machine seems to have done their utmost to murder the wily Mr. Block, whose survival seems to have been contingent on previous experience.

I just love how those exhausts stick out of the bonnet like angry horns. (image credit: Toyo Tires)

"When I was young, I caught the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on TV once or twice," said Block. "Even as a kid I remember dreaming about racing there some day because it looked so epic. Eventually, I did, back in 2005, but it was in a Group N rally car which didn't have much power up in that high and thin air! It was an underwhelming experience because of the horsepower issue, but I loved the road and mountain - and I had always wanted to go back and do it right. So, to drive it like I get to drive in my Gymkhana videos - and do it in the Hoonicorn with 1,400 horsepower - well, that truly is a dream come true!"

Not sure what he's describing here... (image credit: Toyo Tires)

The iconic 1965 Ford Mustang RTR underwent major surgery ahead of filming, with V2 upping the horsepower care of an aggressive twin turbo setup and a healthy diet of methanol fuel.

Suffering setbacks both mechanical and environmental, the video was filmed on three separate occasions over a full year, no doubt gifting Ken a few grey hairs in the process.

Fall off, and you'll have plenty of time to wave goodbye. (image credit: Toyo Tires)

"This car is insane," said Block. "I feel it genuinely wants to kill me! Before we added the twin turbos, it was the most fun car I've ever driven. Now it's still quite fun to drive, but it melts tyres ridiculously quick. To have this thing be such a beast and then take it to this very dangerous mountain, well, I thought I'd maybe finally taken on a project that might be too much for me to handle. This is the most powerful AWD-type car in the world to be driven this way, so I'm genuinely glad I didn't die making this video!"

What should Ken Block tackle next? Tell us in the comments.