If there’s one thing which has helped off-set the sadness at the end of the current generation of Rally1 cars, it’s the Audi which sits at the top of this page.
Secto Automotive founder Matias Henkola is a through-and-through rally fan and somebody with a huge appreciation for the history and heritage of both the sport and the cars which have thrilled fans down the generations.
At the same time, Henkola’s an innovator and – as you’d expect from the biggest supplier of sustainably fuelled lease cars in Finland – a man with an eye to the future.
The combination of character traits are the reason why his sensational, 900bhp Audi quattro S1 E2 has got to be made… even faster.
Henkola told DirtFish: “We did Rallylegend last month and we broke two gearboxes. This was the time we decided we have to make some changes to the car. We can either go down in power or we can fix the problem. Now we will have a completely bespoke transmission, a custom-built gearbox to handle the power.
“At the same time we will bring more carbon fibre to bring down the weight by 150 kilos.
“The car is so much fun to drive and we can see how much the fans are loving it – the reception we had in San Marino was the same in Poland as it was when we drove the car at the Harju stage at Secto Rally Finland. It’s amazing.
“Of course, I understand this is not the original Audi, it’s not the way it was running in 1985 – but it looks the same and it still has this wonderful sound, just with even more noise and drama.”
Henkola is planning further outings with the car next season, adding: “We’re looking at a five-event schedule, mainly in Europe – but we’re also thinking to take the car overseas as well. Let’s wait and see what’s coming for the car which seems to be known as ‘DirtFish Audi’ now!”
DirtFish has been aligned with Henkola’s Audi since this year’s Secto Rally Finland, when Colin Clark stepped aboard the car to co-drive through the streets of Jyväskylä.
Talking about the association, DirtFish owner Steve Rimmer said: “There’s a huge appreciation for Matias’ Audi and the spectacle it brings. Rallying, the sport and that spectacle is right at the very heart of everything we do here at DirtFish. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the fans at the side of the road, as the car goes by is something special.
“We’re very grateful to Matias for the opportunity to work with him on a project which sits outside the scope of what you might expect from Group B.”
