It has been more than a year since Travis Pastrana took over the Hoonigan’s Gymkhana duties. Since jumping over the river in Annapolis, Maryland, for the Gymkhana 11 with his fully customized Subaru Impreza WRX STI, Travis has yet to come out for the next installation of the series. The 12th edition might be coming soon, though, after Travis and Subaru recently unveiled the newest Gymkhana drive. It's not a sports car but a heavily modified 1983 Subaru GL wagon.
Successor To Gymkhana 2020’s Airslayer STI
The Gymkhana series started in 2008 with Ken Block driving out from a hangar in a 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. It was a huge hit, prompting to follow it up with Gymkhana 2 in with a 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. Gymkhana Three featured a 2011 Ford Fiesta GYM3, while the Four and Five had a 2012 Ford Fiesta HFHV.
The Gymkhana Six and Eight both featured a 2015 Ford Fiesta ST RX43, while Gymkhana Seven marked the debut of Ken’s 1965 Mustang Hoonicorn RTR V1. Gymkhana Nine and Ten saw Ken the 2016 Ford Focus RS RX #43 and the 1977 Ford F-150 Hoonitruck, respectively.
Ken has since retired and passed the baton to long-time rival and friend Travis. In the 11th Gymkhana, Travis used his hometown as the backdrop to the drifts and jumps of his 862-hp Impreza WRX STI dubbed as Airslayer STI.
Around 900 HP For New Drifts And Jumps
The latest Gymkhana car is an offshoot of a 1983 Subaru GL Wagon, which originally had a 1.8-liter boxer engine delivering 73 hp of max output. According to Travis, the Subaru GL Wagon offers around 900 hp, which makes it more or less at par with his Subaru WRX STI. Other details about the engine and other elements of the Gymkhana car remain scant.
Travis mentioned that the GL Wagon is faster and easier to control while sending it sideways than his Airslayer STI. He noted that the wagon’s shorter wheelbase makes it more agile, while its boxy body renders it easier for proximity driving. He added that the newest Gymkhana car should enable him to do higher-speed proximity drifts while leveling up his slower-speed technical driving.
An Exterior Typical Of Hoonigan’s Gymkhana Cars
As for the exterior, the modded GL Wagon is easily recognizable as a Gymkhana drive thanks to its #199 white-black-red livery complete with the names of Subaru, Hoonigan, Yokohama Tires and other sponsor. Now wearing a carbon body, the car obviously dons massive arches, large wheels and a roof rack.
Source: Subaru, Travis Pastrana, Hoonigan