Travis Pastrana is bringing Gymkhana back — and this time the viral stunt series will star a heavily reimagined 1978 Subaru BRAT nicknamed the “Brataroo,” a carbon‑clad, active‑aero stunt machine built to slide, soar and shred across Australia.
What was unveiled
The Brataroo made its debut at the 2025 SEMA Show in Las Vegas as the headline car for a new Gymkhana short titled “Aussie Shred.” The build is a collaboration between Subaru Motorsports USA, Hoonigan and Vermont SportsCar (VSC), and was designed to blend the retro spirit of the original BRAT with modern race‑grade engineering. Subaru’s announcement describes the car as the highest‑revving Gymkhana vehicle yet and says the new film will premiere on the Hoonigan YouTube channel in early December. The official Subaru media release is available from Subaru Motorsports USA.
“Its got the soul of a vintage Subaru with the tech to do things no Gymkhana car has ever done,” Pastrana said at the reveal. “Every part of it is designed to take abuse, fly big, and come back for more. It’s hands down the craziest Gymkhana car we’ve ever built.”
Powertrain, chassis and key specs
The build flips the BRAT’s utilitarian roots into a competition‑grade machine:
- Engine: VSC‑built, highly pressurized 2.0‑liter turbocharged boxer four‑cylinder
- Output: 670 horsepower and 680 lb‑ft of torque
- Redline: more than 9,500 rpm — the highest in Gymkhana history
- Transmission: six‑speed sequential gearbox (SADEV)
- Drivetrain: motorsport‑spec differentials driving all four wheels (AWD)
- Chassis: VSC‑engineered, with a carbon‑fiber body over a WRC‑standard roll cage
- Wheels/Tires: one‑off KMC forged monoblocks on Yokohama ADVAN A052/APEX rubber
- Front fender louvers that pivot to adjust the car’s pitch during jumps
- Two interchangeable rear wings (a larger high‑downforce wing and a smaller more general wing), each with adjustable angle of attack and the ability to extend/actuate to alter surface area
Those numbers put the Brataroo in a different league from previously featured Gymkhana cars: it combines unusually high revs and a four‑cylinder layout with massive torque, delivered through a race‑spec drivetrain designed for both sideways antics and big jumps.
Active aerodynamics — built to fly and land
Unusually for a filmed stunt car, the Brataroo incorporates a sophisticated active‑aero package meant to control the vehicle while airborne:
Subaru and VSC say these systems allow the team to fine‑tune the car’s airborne attitude during the high‑flying maneuvers Gymkhana is known for — a sign that the new film will emphasize big jumps as much as close‑quarters drifting.
Design, heritage and collaborators
Khyzyl Saleem, the concept artist known for bold, retro‑future reimaginations, reshaped the BRAT’s silhouette into a widebody package with a vintage‑inspired livery (kangaroos and ’70s Subaru branding figure prominently). Inside, the cabin nods to the original with a carbon fiber dash and wood‑grain accents; period‑correct switches have been repurposed to operate modern controls such as the active aero.
Major partners stamped on the project include KMC Wheels, Yokohama, Motul and several motorsport suppliers. According to Subaru, every visual and mechanical choice balances reverence for Subaru’s past with the demands of modern stunt production.
Premiere, legacy and context
Gymkhana — originally popularized by Ken Block — helped create a new genre of cinematic, stunt‑driven car films that became internet hits. Subaru and Hoonigan framed the Brataroo as a continuation of that legacy: a spectacle intended to reach mass audiences while spotlighting Subaru Motorsports USA.
The film’s Australia setting promises landmark locations and local cameos, leaning into the country’s own car‑culture vernacular. Hoonigan says the project will release a torrent of content around the film, aiming to attract both longtime Gymkhana fans and new viewers.
Reactions and implications
Enthusiasts and pundits are likely to applaud the engineering audacity — a 670‑hp, 9,500‑rpm boxer with active aero is an unusual and attention‑grabbing combination — while observers will note the clear marketing value for Subaru and its partners. The Brataroo is a purpose‑built show car, not a production or dealer‑available model; its chief function is performance cinema.
There are also practical tradeoffs: a vehicle optimized for film stunts differs from road‑legal or competition cars in tuning, safety systems and lifetime durability. Subaru and VSC emphasized safety upgrades (WRC‑standard roll cage, motorsport components) and stunt‑specific engineering to mitigate risk during the drastic maneuvers the new Gymkhana is expected to showcase.
Bottom line
Gymkhana returns as a high‑budget spectacle centered on an intentionally unhinged take on a cult classic: the Brataroo blends heritage styling, WRC‑grade safety and extreme performance engineering to create a car built specifically to be seen doing things few cars do on film. The new short, Aussie Shred, will put Travis Pastrana behind the wheel and should appear on Hoonigan’s channels in early December — a welcome revival for fans of the franchise and a showcase of Subaru’s motorsport chops.
For the official technical details and Subaru’s announcement, see the press release from Subaru Motorsports USA.