Hoonigan and Subaru Motorsports USA have raised the bar once again with the debut of “Aussie Shred,” the newest installment in the world-renowned Gymkhana franchise. Premiering December 9, the film transports viewers to Australia, the birthplace of the term “hoon,” where Travis Pastrana delivers his third and most extreme Gymkhana performance to date. Massive jumps, razor-thin margins, and outrageous stunts push the limits of what the series has ever attempted.
Central to the film’s spectacle is the Subaru “Brataroo” 9500 Turbo, a wildly reimagined 1978 Subaru BRAT built expressly for Gymkhana warfare. Developed by Subaru of America and Vermont SportsCar, the Brataroo is engineered to corner, slide, and take flight far beyond any model that came before it. Advanced active aerodynamics, a turbocharged 2.0-liter boxer engine producing 670 horsepower and 680 lb-ft of torque, and a shrieking 9,500-RPM redline transform this rally-inspired machine into one of the most aggressive vehicles ever to star in the franchise.
Pastrana describes the Brataroo as the most outrageous Gymkhana car he has ever driven, built to survive everything the production team threw at it. From hanging two wheels off a pier to clearing a 160-foot canyon gap over a road train and skimming across a lake at terrifying speed, the vehicle’s engineering and Pastrana’s precision combine to create a relentless sequence of spectacle.
True to Gymkhana form, “Aussie Shred” is infused with high-profile cameos from across the motorsports world. Two-time Dakar Rally champion Toby Price, Subaru WRC veteran Chris “Atko” Atkinson, Nitro Circus BMX standouts Ryan Williams, Jaie Toohey and Will Brown, and a lineup of V8 Supercars drivers all join the action. Moog and Marty of Mighty Car Mods also make an appearance, alongside the last of the V8 Interceptors and the Mad Hueys performing a classic Australian shoey.
For Hoonigan Co-Founder and 321 Action Director Brian Scotto, the Australian backdrop represents a long-awaited opportunity. Early attempts to film a Gymkhana installment there were halted by strict anti-hooning regulations, but a decade later, the country embraced the idea. Scotto notes that the combination of long unfinished business and Pastrana’s final film in the series added both meaning and pressure, driving the team to push creative and technical boundaries further than ever before.
“Aussie Shred” showcases Australia’s diverse landscapes with striking contrast, from Sydney’s bustling harbor to the stark red deserts of the Outback. It also pays homage to the late Ken Block, whose foundational vision turned Gymkhana into a global cultural force. The production was made possible thanks to support from partners including Subaru, KMC Wheels, Mercury Marine, Heat Wave Visual, Dixxon Flannel and Yokohama Tire.
Gymkhana Aussie Shred premiered December 9 at 6 a.m. PT on the Hoonigan YouTube channel
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Leave a Reply