Travis Pastrana is a top-tier showman. He wants to entertain you, be it on two wheels or four. Pastrana does just that in the latest installment in Hoonigan’s Gymkahana series, entitled Aussie Shred.
Subaru and Vermont SportsCar delivered an amazing machine. The 'Brataroo' is just as much a star of this film as Travis is. A 1978 Brat never dreamed it would make this much power, rip across ponds, or sail over road trains. But this is the magic of a good Gymkahana film.
Aussie Shred unfolds over various settings in Australia. The footage kicks off in the outback before heading to Sydney Harbour. There’s a fantastic pitstop at the iconic Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst along the way. Clearly, the Hoonigan production team knew all the right bits of Australian culture to include in the video.
Visually, this Gymkhana looks more cinematic than past films. The expanse and color palette of the Australian Outback set a unique tone for Aussie Shred. And we quickly move into the cabin of the howling Brataroo, complete with a gauge cluster that would work equally as well in a Doc Brown-built Delorean. Pastrana immediately lets you know this film isn’t messing around by pushing his Subaru into low-Earth orbit as he sails above a ten-story canyon and the roof of a proper Aussie road train.
One of the best parts of the video is that you can clearly see how insane and difficult all of this is simply by watching Pastrana’s eyes. They go wide when your eyes go wide. His pupils are spinning while the Brataroo is ripping off donuts. He genuinely looks afraid during some stunts, while equally relieved during others. You can also tell that Travis is having tons of fun, and that is part of what makes this a great film.
There’s no doubt that a large part of the fun arrives courtesy of the truly bonkers Brataroo. Vermont SportsCar may have started with a '78 Brat, but the finished product is obviously much more. The turbocharged 2.0-liter Boxer spits out 670 horsepower and 680 pound-feet of torque, and it can rev to north of 9,500 rpm.
When you pair that power with the active aero and all-wheel-drive system, you wind up with a machine ready for Gymkhana duty. Travis puts it to the test on land, in the air, and over water. His Bathurst cameo is excellent, but it’s also nice to see appearances from other Australian legends, including the Last of the V8 Interceptors and Marty and Moog from Mighty Car Mods.
Why did it take Hoonigan so long to deliver on an Australian Gymkhana, though? Hoonigan co-founder Brian Scotto says that "Australia had long been at the top of the list of potential Gymkhana film locations. 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."
'The Brataroo is hands down the craziest Gymkhana car we’ve ever built. Every part of this car was designed to take the abuse we threw at it while making this film.'
Interestingly, Aussie Shred also serves as Pastrana’s final Gymkhana film. “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.”
What’s next for Travis or the Gymkahana series remains to be seen. But with Scott and his team at the helm, you can be sure it will be done correctly.
