Hoonigan is finally working on a new Gymkhana video. The company made famous by the late Ken Block’s driving antics also has a new Gymkhana car for the action, and it’s another awesome new Subaru build. How do you one-up the wild, active-aero “Family Huckster” Subaru GL wagon? With a pickup called the Subaru Brataroo 9500 Turbo. That’s right – it’s time to hoon a 1978 Subaru Brat festooned with a 9,500-rpm engine and enough active aero to achieve low Earth orbit.
Subaru’s Brat, short for Bi-Drive Recreational All-Terrain Transporter, was a lovingly odd pickup that Subaru built from 1978 all the way to 1994. Subaru killed it in the US in 1987, but it endured a few years longer in Europe and Australia. It’s the truck best known in the US for offering two rear-facing bucket seats in the bed – the perfect way to avoid the notorious chicken tax.
The original Subaru Brat came with a 1.6-liter flat-four making a whopping 67 horsepower. Brataroo multiplies that by 10 thanks to its Vermont SportsCar-built 2.0-liter turbocharged flat four. Yes, that’s 670 horsepower and 680 pound-feet of torque, and despite all that boost, it can still rev through 9,500 rpm.
That sky-high redline is where the Brataroo 9500 Turbo gets its name. It turns more revs than any Gymkhana car built so far, even the NASCAR-derivied mill in the Hoonicorn Mustang.
Instead of the stock four-speed stick, this one has a six-speed sequential box. Naturally, it has all-wheel drive, and it uses motorsports-grade differentials.
The Brataroo’s new wide body and its graphics pack come from concept artist Khyzyl Saleem, aka The Kyza. Saleem’s sunset graphics are inspired by vintage Subaru designs and Outback sunsets. This time around, Gymkhana is filmed Down Unda’, where the Brat is known by an even worse name: The Subaru Brumby.
There are more Australia-oriented details on the graphics pack, like kangaroos giving a Travis Pastrana thumbs up. Yes, Pastrana is back in the driver’s seat after taking the ceremonial reigns of the Gymkhana series from Block after Gymkhana 10. Of course, Block would go on to do a couple more, but we can only imagine what Pastrana has in mind for this Australia-based run.
This Brat has more advanced active aero than even the Family Huckster. Adjustable front fender louvers that balance it while the car flies, and two interchangeable rear wings that can adjust their attack angle on the move to balance the car in the air.
“This BRAT’s completely unhinged — in the best way possible. It’s got the soul of a vintage Subaru with the tech to do things no Gymkhana car has ever done. 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.”
– Travis Pastrana
The KMC Wheel four-spokes are a modern interpretation of the original truck’s wheels. The retro charm on the outside goes beyond the graphics and wheels to even the ‘Roo bar on the front and the driving lights on the roof. The interior is a carbon fiber recreation of the original, with flax composite wood grain accents. There is a restored factory radio, the HVAC controls now operate the active aero, and there is a 1980s-spec Uniden CB radio. The seat flannel comes from longtime Pastrana partner Dixxon, and it matches the plaid from previous Gymkhana cars.
Hoonigan is bringing the Brataroo to SEMA 2025 for its in-person debut. But if you want to see the Subaru Brataroo 9500 Turbo doing its thing, you’ll have to wait another few weeks. Aussie Shred, the latest in the Gymkhana series, premieres in December on the Hoonigan YouTube channel.
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