Mikko Hirvonen takes on the Gymkhana Battersea course – for real!
With Codemasters latest title, DiRT 3, offering a perfect blend of Gymkhana hooning and precision Rally driving gaming modes, it made sense to give the audience at the DiRT 3 preview event at Battersea Power Station the chance to experience first hand two Gymkhana and Rally superstars, in the form of DiRT3 star Ken Block and Ford WRC driver Mikko Hirvonen. Set against the stunning backdrop of London’s Battersea Power Station – the iconic building featured in the actual game as the DC Compound – two Ford drivers were at the heart of the action. Ken Block with his Gymkhana Ford Focus plus the Ford Fiesta RS WRC car, driven by Mikko Hirvonen. Whilst Ken Block is renowned for his Gymkhana videos, some of which rack up over 30 million views, for Mikko Hirvonen this was his first chance to have a bit of fun and show that he can “hoon” with the best of them – quite a difference from the usual high pressure driving in the World Rally Championships where he has racked up over 180 Rally Stage wins in his WRC career.
Mikko had flown in that morning from Finland especially for the DiRT 3 event and after arriving at Battersea announced that he had never done anything like this before, was given a quick briefing on the course with no practice time before a blogger jumped in the passenger seat ready for their ride along. Proving why Mikko is one of the World’s best, he nailed the course first time – inch perfect. 90 minutes of Gymkhana and 12 ride alongs later, Mikko departed Battersea for the Jordan Stage of the World Rally Championship, leaving behind a crowd of thrilled spectators, a whole lot of burnt rubber but grabbing himself a few copies of the game to keep himself entertained en route to the various rally stages.
Who knows – maybe the next time you’re playing DiRT 3’s online mode, it might even be Mikko that is on the other side of the screen! DiRT 3 is out now for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC Games For Windows LIVE.
