Say hello to the wildest Gymkhana monster yet. The Subaru Brataroo 9500 Turbo is a 1978 Brat with a rally-spec engine, incredible active aero, and a widebody kit that stretches to Down Under and back.
This wild pickup is fresh from a trip to the home of the hoon, Australia, where the latest Gymkhana rally film was made.
Brat Almost Unrecognizable in Rally Mode
There’s barely any original Brat left in this Gymkhana beast. This take on the Bi-Drive Recreational All-Terrain Transporter (yes, that’s what it stands for) trades its steel body for carbon fiber. The wide fenders hold KMC wheels designed to look like the originals, but this time they can stand up to serious jumps.
Speaking of jumps, the Subaru Brataroo 9500 Turbo has even more active aero than the Family Huckster. The front fender flaps and even the rear wing can both adjust on the move, changing the attitude of the truck even while it’s in flight.
That’s right, the aero devices can be tweaked by current driver Travis Pastrana to make sure the car lands right off even the longest jumps. There are two different wings, one for high and one for low downforce. The high-downforce wing can unfurl as it extends, for even more of an effect on the balance.
Brataroo 9500 Name Comes From Wild Engine
The Subaru Brataroo 9500 Turbo’s name comes from its new engine. The original 1.6L flat-four is gone, replaced by a 2.0L turbocharged engine from rally team and Subaru experts Vermont SportsCar.
VSC’s engine makes 670 horsepower, exactly 10 times what the original made. It also makes 680 pound-feet of torque.
The name comes from the engine’s sky-high redline. It can spin past 9,500 rpm, a massive figure for any turbo-four, let alone a Subaru Boxer.
“This BRAT’s completely unhinged — in the best way possible,” Pastrana said. “It’s got the soul of a vintage Subaru with the tech to do things no Gymkhana car has ever done. Every part of it is designed to take abuse, fly big, and come back for more. It’s hands down the craziest Gymkhana car we’ve ever built.”
70s Livery Gets Two Roo Thumbs Up
Brataroo’s livery is wonderfully late ’70s. The tones are also meant to remind you of an Australian sunset. To really hammer that home, there are kangaroos in the livery, giving you a Pastrana-style thumbs up.
In the Family Huckster, Hoonigan worked to capture some details from the interior of the original wagon. Brataroo does that too, except it’s made from carbon fiber and has flax composite for the woodgrain.
The HVAC controls have been redone to control the active aero. There’s a restored factory radio and a period-correct Uniden CB. Everything to make the feeling inside match the look of the outside.
See Subaru Brataroo 9500 Turbo in Aussie Shred Next Month
At this point, we’re not even sure how many Gymkhana films Hoonigan has done. It’s been a lot, though. First with Hoonigan founder Ken Block, who passed away in 2023, and since then with motocross, rally, and X Games legend Travis Pastrana.
Each time, the Hoonigan team tries to outdo itself. With the vehicle and with the stunts. The Subaru Brataroo 9500 Turbo made its debut today at SEMA. The new movie, Aussie Shred, debuts on the company’s social channels in December.
