The next chapter in Hoonigan’s Gymkhana video franchise is out. This time, we see rallycross star Travis Pastrana take over the series from creator and rival Ken Block with his one-off 862-horsepower Subaru WRX STI built exclusively for the film.
Along with the big slides and tire destruction that are typical of the Gymkhana franchise, Pastrana’s signature style and action sports background mean this installment features bigger jumps—and more raw speed—than any before it.
It’s a going back to its roots sort-of-thing for both Gymkhana and Pastrana. For the video series, it’s the first time they’ve used a Subaru since Gymkhana 2. For Pastrana, he decided to bring his signature mayhem to its hometown.
“Making my first Gymkhana video has been an incredible experience!” said Pastrana. “I’m so thrilled to finally have the chance to do it, especially in my hometown, so I could bring these ideas I’ve had for years to life. Plus, Subaru built me the perfect STI for it. It’s unbelievable how much power and grip this thing has, and it took all the punishment I could throw at it!”
With a mission to execute stunts unlike any seen in Gymkhana before, Pastrana’s STI was purpose-built by Subaru Motorsports USA and technical partner Vermont SportsCar drawing on the brand’s experience in rally, rallycross, hill climbs, and long-distance jumps. Starting from a production Subaru shell, the car was fully caged and lightened to just 1,119 kilograms—over 362 kilograms lighter than a stock WRX STI.
The wild-looking carbon fiber body panels were validated in the wind tunnel—a first for a Gymkhana build—to ensure stability in the air and generate maximum downforce on the ground, especially for the video’s high-speed road sequence. A DRS-style active rear wing allowed Pastrana to adjust the car’s attitude in midair for the video’s groundbreaking jump stunts.
Power comes from a motorsport-spec Subaru Boxer engine displacing 2.3 liters and using a custom billet block and heads derived from the team’s rallycross program. The long-travel suspension, built with a huge range of adjustability to execute high-speed jump takeoffs and landings as well as super-precise proximity drifts, draws on decades of Subaru success in rally.
Check out the video below, and make sure to check out the next series of videos which drop in February 2021. An extended cut of Gymkhana 2020 will also be released next year.
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