Travis Pastrana to go for Shootout victory in crazy 862PS Subaru

At 2022 Festival of Speed (23^rd-26^th June), reigning Nitro Rallycross Champion Pastrana will be heading up the famous Hill in this 862PS (634kW) Subaru GL Wagon restomod nicknamed ‘The Family Huckster’. It’s a car we first saw back in January, and we can’t wait to see what Travis can do with it at Goodwood.

The car itself was built as a dual project between the Hoonigan team and Subaru Motorsports USA which has seen the turbocharged flat-four boxer engine given what we imagine was a pretty intense rebuild for it to produce such an insane amount of power from a car that originally produced 53PS (39kW). It’s been matched up to a six-speed sequential gearbox with power being sent to all four corners. Sounds like a potent mix.

But perhaps even more striking is the work that’s gone into the car’s looks, specifically that enormous electro-pneumatic rear wing that can be raised or lowered as required. It looks fantastic, but can it possibly match the equally outrageous Subaru WRX STI that Travis and his team brought to the 2021 Festival of Speed?

Speaking on his impending return to Goodwood, Pastrana said: “The GL wagon is an iconic Subaru that I thought would be pretty rad to see flying through the air. Surprisingly, the Family Huckster is a lot smaller than the Airslayer. Combine that with the boxy shape and you have a perfect recipe for next-level precision driving. An active rear wing is helpful to an extent, but the ‘83 wagon flies about as well as you would imagine… kind of like a brick. This makes the jumps way more sketchy but also more entertaining and less predictable. The Family Huckster is without a doubt my all-time favourite vehicle to drive. Can’t wait to show the world at Goodwood and later this year in the next Gymkhana.”

We’ll be keeping a close eye on this when it heads up the Hill next week for the Timed Shootout.