Is this The Stig?

Gallery: click below for images on who might be The Stig. Plus - his funniest ever introductions

Scooby-do

Fast forward a few years and Ken Block is powersliding a highly modified 2006 Subaru Impreza with 530bhp around a deserted airfield in California with scalpel-like precision.

Yes, anyone with a passing interest in cars and some familiarity with something called ‘the internet’ will have heard of Ken Block’s ‘Gymkhana’ videos.

In it, the now famous Mr Block defies the laws of gravity, physics – and respect for tyres – and pilots a highly tuned Subaru Impreza around a bespoke obstacle course in his native California. By piloting, we mean drifting, powersliding, handbrake-turning and, of course, wheelspinning.

“I’m always looking to get extra seat time”, Ken explains, in a Californian drawl so laid-back you think he’d fall asleep any second.

The car-mad Californian began his racing career with Subaru in 2005, and has gone on to take several podium finishes in the US rally series. But his desire to drive sideways even more would eventually make him one of the most famous men on the web…

“I went out with the guy who used to do these Gymkhana-style videos”, Ken explains. “I’ve actually gone out with him to drive, and built my car specifically to go and run in this series.

Gymkhana, for the uninitiated, means driving around a series of obstacles, normally at high speed, normally sideways and always in a plume of tyre smoke.

“But the guy stopped doing them”, concludes Ken, “and I was sitting there with this modified Impreza and nothing to do with it.

“So I took a video guy, headed to the El Toro airfield in California and basically started filming. We put it up online and had no idea it would get the response it did. It still surprises me today.”

Scooby-Tube

Indeed. The original Gymkhana practice video, broadcast in September 2008, was viewed over two million times on YouTube, while the second which aired earlier this year has been watched over seven million times.

It has made Ken a bona-fide internet sensation, drawing attention to his amazing car control and capacity to hold a powerslide like the best in the business.

Video: Want to see what all the fuss is about? Watch Ken Block and his amazing skills

It even attracted the attention of BBC bosses when earlier this year, they decided to send ‘Captain Slow’ over to California for a date with ‘Kenny from the Block’…

“I’ve been a big fan of Top Gear for a really long time”, Ken smiles, recalling his time on the UK’s biggest motoring programme. “It was a huge honour when they said they wanted to do something with me.”

What that ‘something’ turned out to be, was – as James described – “a seat in the theatre of petrol in the royal box of rallying.”

“We hashed through a bunch of different ideas”, says Ken, “and ended up at an airport – imagine that!”

Halfway through the amazing Top Gear film, Ken’s champion dirt-biker friend Ricky Carmichael turns up…to play kiss-chase.

“James was really funny and good to work with. When we hit the jump he was genuinely terrified!

“He was a good sport though, and we had a lot of fun”, Ken recalls.

And this is the thing – the Americans have wanted to recreate Top Gear’s ‘fun’ factor for ages. Last year broadcaster NBC commissioned a pilot for the US version of Top Gear, even asking Star in a Reasonably Priced Car Jay Leno if he wanted to host it.

Leno eventually refused, even penning a column in The Times hoping the US version doesn’t ‘ruin’ Top Gear, while the pilot never made it on air.

But if it did ever make it to the telly, would Ken step up and offer his services?

“I think it would be very difficult to mimic Top Gear for the United States”, explains Ken, taking on the diplomatic air of a UN negotiator.

“You’re dealing with a commercial entity and a commercial television station, so you can’t piss off the motorsports media who sponsor the show.”

Who is The Stig?

So – he’s not the Stig?

“No comment…” Ken answers, with a suspect grin, before breaking out into a massive laugh.

“Just kidding – I wish I was The Stig. I’m not that good on tarmac!”

Gallery: Who is The Stig? Plus, his funniest ever introductions

“Anyway, I don’t think we can recreate the great dynamic and on-camera energy of Top Gear.”

This is quite a statement, especially coming from a man who spends his life driving sideways and whose plan for the ultimate stunt involves not flaming hoops or a destruction derby – but a city.

“I’d love to do a stunt which I know is virtually impossible – building a stage in a big city”, he explains, now with the fervour of a four-year old being let loose in a sweet shop.

“You’ll get natural jumps because of hills, tunnels, street obstacles. It would be amazing to take a place like London and build it into a track…”

Ken Block stars in the hot new rally game Colin McRae: Dirt 2 out now.

We took to the track at Silverstone for the launch party – click here to watch our video.

We've reviewed the game - click here to see if it's any good

Want the lowdown on Ken Block's amazing Subaru Impreza? We spoke with his right-hand man and number one mechanic to get the stats on the 601bhp modified monster.