US freestyle motocross performer, rally and Nascar driver, and stunt performer Travis Pastrana will replace the late Ken Block in a new episode of the popular Gymkhana series titled Aussie Shred.
Block began the YouTube-based Gymkhana series in 2008, performing daredevil stunts at various landmark locations, and culminating in a total of 16 Gymkhana videos, including spin-offs. He died in January 2023 in a snowmobile accident.
Friend and professional rival Travis Pastrana is set to continue the Gymkhana legacy with a new episode filmed in Australia and in a new car. The vehicles used in the series include a number of rally Subaru STIs, Ford Fiestas, an electric Audi and a Ford F-150 bakkie. The fire-breathing 1964 Ford Mustang Hoonicorn was perhaps the most memorable.
Pastrana will tear up Aussie streets in the new Subaru Brataroo 9500 Turbo that’s based on the 1978 all-wheel drive Subaru BRAT small bakkie. It’s equipped with a turbocharged 2.0l boxer engine modified to rev up to 9,500rpm, developing 492kW and 922Nm. It’s managed through a six-speed sequential gearbox.
Further customisation includes motorsport-grade differentials, carbon-fibre bodywork and the most advanced active aerodynamics on a Gymkhana car to date. The front fender louvres have real-time adjustability for the car’s front-end balance while in flight or on the ground.
Two interchangeable rear wings include a larger wing for high downforce and maximum aerodynamic stability that extends upward, and a smaller one for more general tyre-shredding antics.
The radical widebody car’s livery sports a 1970s look inspired by Australia’s outback sunsets and featuring kangaroos flashing Pastrana’s signature thumbs up.
The cockpit is finished with a carbon-fibre dashboard and composite wood-grain accents. There’s also a restored OEM specification radio and repurposed HVAC controls used to adjust the active aero.
“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 done. It’s hands down the craziest Gymkhana car we’ve built,” said Pastrana. “
The car made its debut at the 2025 Sema Show in Las Vegas. The next Gymkhana film, Aussie Shred, premieres early in December on the Hoonigan YouTube channel.
