While it might be disappointing that Ken Block will not personally be adding onto his Gymkhana legacy with an eleventh entry in the viral video series, he's proudly passing the baton to his good friend Travis Pastrana and a wild Subaru WRX STI. Today, the team over at Hoonigan released a first glimpse at Gymkhana 11. Recorded back in September, Travis and the team find their way onto an abandoned airfield, not unlike Block in his first-ever Gymkhana practice video we featured yesterday; and they get to testing. What's shocking about this video is just what they're testing.
Pastrana Taking Over Marks A Shift In Future Gymkhana Videos
This is the first time since Gymkhana Two that we've seen a non-Ford product as the focus of the film. Back then, it was in fact another Subaru WRX STI that featured as the hero car. Of course, at that same time, the pilot was different too. Ken Block and Travis Pastrana are good friends and surely, that's played some role in the transfer of tire-shredding duties. Pastrana is 14 years Block's junior and has been associated with Subaru since the very beginning of his rally racing career. This particular STI is about as wild as any in history as it features a complete carbon fiber body, exhaust sticking out of the hood, and more aero than an F-35 fighter jet. It's not been left entirely up to that aero to keep the car moving in the right direction, though.
This Video Demonstrates The Value Of Good Tires
Fitted with Yokohama tires, one of the most surprising things about the car is that throughout this testing session, every tire used is some form of DOT street-legal rubber. While many manufacturers claim to create ultra-performance rubber, it's rare to see the results of testing as it's happening. The engineers over at Yokohama clearly have put a great deal of time and energy into each level of their development as all three are praised for one facet of their design or another by the Hoonigan team. What's also surprising is just how much thought goes into the production.
The Right Tires For Gymkhana Might Be Counterintuitive
One of the producers mentions that while car control is obviously important, where it's similar between compounds, they'll always elect to go with the smokiest rubber for the best effects. They're also quick to point out that many times when a tire is especially capable of dealing with high loads, it's far less likely to produce smoke. Contrary to popular belief, having tires that will slip more easily and predictably is of high value on a Gymkhana course. Regardless of which rubber is used for which shots, we're all excited to see the resulting video in the near future.
Sources: Hoonigan