Buena Park, California: Hoonigan and Subaru Motorsports USA have premiered the latest entry in the internet-breaking Gymkhana film franchise, "Aussie Shred."
Set Down Under in the land that coined the term "hoon," Travis Pastrana's third Gymkhana film is the wildest in franchise history, featuring the biggest jumps, closest calls and craziest tricks in a Gymkhana film to date.
Pastrana takes on the Outback, Sydney's Harbour and Bathurst's Mount Panorama, among other locales, from behind the wheel of the Subaru "Brataroo" 9500 Turbo, a re-imagining of a 1978 Subaru Brat engineered as a purpose-built Gymkhana weapon.
Subaru of America and technical partner Vermont SportsCar (VSC) crafted the Brataroo to corner, slide and fly well beyond the capabilities of its predecessors, utilising no shortage of innovative engineering to create the most advanced active aerodynamics on a Gymkhana car to date.
The rallycross-derived machine features a fire-spitting turbocharged 2.0-litre boxer engine delivering 670hp and 922Nm of torque revving to more than 9,500rpm.
"The Brataroo is hands down the craziest Gymkhana car we've ever built," said Pastrana.
"Every part of this car was designed to take the abuse we threw at it while making this film. From hanging two tyres off a pier to flying 160 feet across a 10-story deep canyon gap over a road train to skimming across a deep lake and scaring myself every step of the way."
In true Gymkhana fashion, the film features a host of cameos from local motorsport icons, including two-time Dakar Rally champion Toby Price, Subaru WRC driver Chris "Atko" Atkinson, Nitro Circus BMX riders Ryan Williams, Jaie Toohey and Will Brown, alongside a field of V8 Supercars drivers who challenged the Brataroo to a rolling drag race down Mount Panorama's Conrod Straight.
The star-studded lineup also includes Moog and Marty of Mighty Car Mods, the last of the V8 Interceptors and the Mad Hueys performing the noblest of Aussie traditions, the shoey.
"Australia had long been at the top of the list of potential Gymkhana film locations," said 321 Action action director and Hoonigan co-founder Brian Scotto.
"Ken Block and I attempted to shoot Gymkhana Nine there, but were met with a resounding no, because of the climate of anti-hoon laws at the time. A decade later, when we reproached the Australian government, we were met with open arms. This combination of the unfinished business we had down under and this being Pastrana's last film in the series not only makes it very special to me, but also puts the pressure on to push the limits of what we could do both in the car and behind the camera."
Aussie Shred explores Australia like no other film before; the juxtaposition of the bustling harbor and the red sands of the Outback created the perfect setting, with due homage to the previous films of Ken Block, whose vision transformed a passion for driving into a global cultural phenomenon with the original "Gymkhana Practice" film.
Hoonigan thanks its partners, including Subaru, KMC Wheels, Mercury Marine, Heat Wave Visual, Dixxon Flannel and Yokohama Tire.
