Do you remember Travis Pastrana’s wild, 862-horsepower Subaru WRX STI that pushed physics to the limit alongside Ken Block in Gymkhana 11? Well, that car has practically been rendered obsolete, thanks to Pastrana’s new, 865-horsepower AWD Subaru GL Wagon known as “The Family Huckster.” Purpose-built to be beaten on brazenly, we finally see what it (and Travis Pastrana) is truly capable of in Gymkhana 2022 – the most extreme installation to the series yet, set in multiple venues from the Florida Keys to Fort Lauderdale and even parts of the Everglades.
The Gymkhana Subaru GL Wagon
This one-off Subaru GL Wagon is part of the second generation and development work started shortly after the WRX STI from Gymkhana 11 was revealed to the world. Based on the second-generation Subaru GL, there’s almost nothing about this particular wagon that is stock outside of its inspiration. The basis of the car is an all-new, bespoke tube frame – obviously, a necessity when you see what this car is put through. There’s also a few touches of carbon fiber here and there, a WRX-spec roll cage, and almost a foot of extra width compared to the model it is based on.
While Ken Block has switched over to the electric Audi S1 Hoonitron and left traditional go-juice behind, Travis Pastrana is sticking to the tried-and-true recipe that we’ve all loved for years – raw fuel-derived performance. You won’t find an original flat-four from the second-gen GL wagon here, though, as this monster of a wagon is powered by a custom 2.3-liter boxer engine a crankshaft borrowed from Subaru’s RallyCross program, a billet engine block, billet heads from Vermont SportsCar, and a massive Garrett turbocharger. Add in the twin timing belt system and the unique exhaust, and you’ve got an impressive engine that’s good for 862 horsepower. Power is sent to all four wheels via sequential transmission.
If the engine setup sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same setup found under the hood of his custom Subaru WRX. If the GL Wagon itself looks familiar, that’s because you saw it make a run at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where the world paid special attention to the car’s active aerodynamics. These fins, by the way, were quite a surprise as they are practically hidden until the brakes have been applied, at which point they elevate and act like an air brake. Cool, right?
Gymkhana 12 (2022) – The Craziest Hoonigan Adventure Yet
The easiest way to sum up Gymkhana 12 comes directly from Director and Hoonigan Co-Founder Brian Scotto, who said, “Travis Pastrana is a madman, and that makes him the perfect wheelman to take these films to a different level. Travis stepped up big time for this film, really improving his driving style and proximity control. But what makes Gymkhana 2022 stand apart is Travis’ flat-out, just-ain’t-care approach that created some truly unforgettable and downright sketchy moments for this film.”
So, what exactly should you expect? Well, there’s Ryan Anderson’s monster truck, a 3,000-horsepower Chevy El Camino named “Mullet,” and an MD 500 helicopter that does something so outrageous that you literally have to see it for yourself. There’s also a fighter jet and some biblical-level water play going on, and if you ask Travis himself, he’ll tell you that it’s literally the wildest film he’s ever done on four wheels. Believe it or not, we’d argue that he may have just beaten Ken Block at his own game.
