The Wild Pickup That Turned Gymkhana Into Rolling Chaos

The legendary Gymkhana universe has unleashed a new mechanical beast with the arrival of the Subaru Brataroo 9500 Turbo, an outrageous creation developed by Subaru Motorsports USA in partnership with Hoonigan and Vermont SportsCar. Inspired by the iconic 1978 Subaru BRAT pickup, the project blends nostalgia with extreme engineering to create a machine built to defy the laws of physics. The retro-inspired bodywork was completely reimagined by designer Khyzyl Saleem, better known as “The Kyza,” giving the Brataroo an aggressive widebody stance, muscular proportions, and a presence that looks straight out of a futuristic cyberpunk racing game.

Beneath its carbon-fiber body lies one of the most insane boxer engines Subaru has ever produced. The Brataroo 9500 Turbo is powered by a heavily modified 2.0-liter turbocharged boxer engine derived from rallycross competition, capable of producing an astonishing 670 horsepower and approximately 922 Nm of torque. The craziest detail is its screaming redline, with the engine revving beyond 9,500 rpm, making it the highest-revving Gymkhana car ever created. All of that power is sent to all four wheels through a six-speed SADEV sequential gearbox and competition-grade differentials engineered to survive massive jumps, violent drifts, and relentless acceleration.

The design of the Brataroo is just as extreme as its performance. The entire body was constructed almost entirely from carbon fiber to reduce weight while maximizing structural rigidity. The vehicle uses a chassis inspired by World Rally Championship standards, ensuring it can withstand brutal impacts during Gymkhana filming sessions. One of its most innovative features is the active aerodynamic system. The front fender air vents include movable flaps capable of adjusting airflow in real time, improving stability even while airborne. At the rear, interchangeable wings allow different downforce setups depending on the type of course or stunt being performed.

Inside the cabin, Subaru combined modern motorsport technology with classic heritage-inspired details. Despite its brutal mechanical nature, the cockpit preserves vintage references from the original Subaru BRAT, including retro styling elements blended with contemporary race-focused finishes. The dashboard features exposed carbon fiber, subtle wood accents, and design cues inspired by Subaru models from the 1970s, while racing bucket seats, a reinforced roll cage, and advanced electronic controls transform the interior into a pure motorsport command center. Everything was engineered to help Travis Pastrana endure extreme drifting sessions, massive jumps, and high-speed action sequences during the filming of the latest Gymkhana production.

More than just a modified vehicle, the Subaru Brataroo 9500 Turbo represents the ultimate evolution of hoonigan culture. It was not built simply to be fast, but to deliver visual spectacle, outrageous performance, and extreme durability under the harshest conditions imaginable. Its engineering package combines Subaru’s rebellious DNA with futuristic aerodynamic solutions, creating a machine capable of flying, drifting, and accelerating unlike almost anything else in modern motorsports. The Brataroo stands as both a tribute to the golden era of Gymkhana and a bold demonstration of how far automotive engineering can go when creativity and insanity work together.