SUBARU’S BRATAROO 9500 TURBO: THE FLYING, FIRE-SPITTING UTE MARKS THE RETURN OF GYMKHANA
When Subaru and Hoonigan get together, the laws of physics tend to pack up and leave. Case in point: the Subaru Brataroo 9500 Turbo - a high-flying, flame-belching, active-aero monster that revs to over 9,500 rpm and promises to make the next Gymkhana film the wildest one yet. Unveiled at the 2025 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, this Brat is a purpose-built stunt weapon engineered by Subaru Motorsports USA and Vermont SportsCar (VSC) to absolutely obliterate tarmac, dirt, and gravity itself. And where better to unleash it than Down Under, the birthplace of the word hoon? The upcoming film, set across iconic Australian locations, will see Travis Pastrana behind the wheel of his third bespoke Gymkhana Subaru - this time piloting a reimagined 1978 Subaru BRAT that’s gone completely feral.
They call it the Brataroo 9500 Turbo, and it’s every bit as chaotic as it sounds. Beneath the carbon-fibre skin sits a 2.0-litre turbocharged boxer engine built by VSC that spits flames and sings all the way to 9,500 rpm, pushing out 493 kW (670 hp) and 922 Nm of torque. It’s the highest-revving Gymkhana car ever built - a firecracker of an engine mated to a six-speed SADEV sequential gearbox and motorsport-spec differentials that feed Subaru’s legendary all-wheel-drive system. The chassis is a full VSC race-grade structure with a WRC-spec roll cage, wrapped in carbon-fibre bodywork shaped by none other than designer Khyzyl Saleem (The Kyza). It’s pure 1970s nostalgia injected with modern aggression - the BRAT’s boxy silhouette stretched and sculpted into a low, wide, winged silhouette that looks ready to bite.
And that paint? It’s pure Outback energy - sunset hues, retro Subaru logos, kangaroos throwing up Pastrana’s thumbs-up, and sponsor hits from KMC Wheels, Mercury Marine, Yokohama, Heat Wave, and Dixxon. This isn’t just a sideways slider either; this puppy is designed to fly on purpose. The active aerodynamics setup is the most advanced ever fitted to a Gymkhana car. Up front, active fender louvres can pivot in real time to tweak balance mid-air. Out back, two interchangeable wings give Pastrana the choice between high-downforce precision or maximum hooliganism. Both wings adjust angle and lift automatically, and the larger one even expands in width as it deploys - think of it as a mechanical kangaroo tail helping control flight. The result is a car that can launch, rotate, and land with the precision of a rallycross jump, only louder, wilder, and probably on fire.
The 18-inch forged monoblock KMC wheels channel classic rally design through a modern lens, wrapped in Yokohama ADVAN A052 or APEX rubber depending on stunt duty. Inside, the cockpit blends retro charm and race-ready function - carbon-fibre dash, flax-composite wood grain, and even a repurposed OEM radio alongside a period-correct CB radio. HVAC knobs now control the aero system, because of course they do. It’s a rolling tribute to Subaru heritage and Gymkhana mayhem, complete with the signature Dixxon plaid that’s become Pastrana’s trademark.
“This BRAT’s completely unhinged - in the best way possible,” said Pastrana. “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.”
Take a look at the YouTube shot that shows a quick glimpse of this mad Brat. We're sure proper vids will come out loser to the release of the new Gymkhana video that will drop in the near future: Hoonigans New Gymkhana Subaru Brat Driven by Travis Pastrana | @jalopy_jeff
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