Think Rally and Rallycross are similar? Ken Block's car begs to differ

If you've ever wondered about the "hybrid" in Ken Block's Ford Fiesta H.F.H.V. (Hybrid Function Hoon Vehicle), then this video is definitely worth watching. After winning the Olympus Rally near Shelton, Washington, Block's Fiesta headed to Las Vegas for the fifth round of Global Rallycross (GRC). The same car is used in both racing series. As you'd imagine, racing on narrow dirt back roads Washington is very different than running on the mostly paved course at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Aside from the chassis and most of the body components, the Ford Fiesta that raced on Sunday September 23 is almost completely different from the car that practiced on Thursday September 26. The entire powertrain gets swapped in favor of a setup making over 600 horsepower, and the front-mounted radiator is moved aft for the GRC event. To ensure proper air flow to it, different side vents and a vented liftgate are installed. The GRC car also gets bigger brakes and the proper wheel/tire combo. After three days of disassembly and reassembly, this Fiesta is ready for Rallycross.

Sure, it'd probably be easier to just have a second, dedicated GRC car, but where's the fun in that? Scroll down to watch the video of what it takes to transform Block's Fiesta from a gravel-spewing Rally America car to a ramp-jumping Global Rallycross car.