Nestled among all the exotic supercars and motorsport machines at the Goodwood Festival of Speed will be a humble 1983 Subaru GL.
However, this is quite clearly not your grandmother’s old wagon. Instead, it’s a potent rally weapon developed by Subaru Motorsports USA and Hoonigan.
The Subaru will be driven at Goodwood by professional racing driver and stuntman, Travis Pastrana. Last year saw Pastrana finish second in the Hillclimb Shootout, and he will be gunning for victory with the ‘Family Huckster’.
Classic name, modern tech
The name is a pastiche of the woodgrain-clad Wagon Queen Family Truckster, which starred in the National Lampoon’s Vacation movie.
Similarities end with the name, though, as this special Subaru uses a state-of-the-art tubular spaceframe chassis clad in lightweight carbon panels. There is not a hint of woodgrain anywhere.
Active aerodynamics include a gigantic rear wing, along with hydraulic aero flaps that can be deployed manually or automatically. A functional roof rack is designed to draw air into the rear-mounted radiator.
World Rally Championship-specification suspension has been installed, with lightweight KMC wheels fitted. These have been custom-made to resemble the eight-spoke design used by Subaru during the 1980s.
Powered-up for the hillclimb
The turbocharged flat-four engine powering the Family Huckster owes very little to classic Subarus either. Developed from the Airslayer STI, previously driven by Pastrana at Goodwood, it generates an incredible 862 hp.
A six-speed sequential transmission is fitted, along with Subaru’s trademark all-wheel-drive system. The differential is said to incorporate knowledge from Pastrana’s record-setting run at the 2021 Mt. Washington Hill Climb.
Attention to detail can be found in the scanned recreation of a 1983 Subaru GL dashboard. This exact replica has been formed from blue carbon fiber, and even incorporates a period-correct radio.
A 12-inch digital dashboard also resembles the instrument panel you would have found inside the classic Subaru.
The raddest of wagons
After its debut at the Festival of Speed, the Family Huckster will take a starring role in Hoonigan’s award-winning Gymkhana series. Pastrana will be in charge of driving the Subaru wagon for its film debut.
“The GL wagon is an iconic Subaru that I thought would be pretty rad to see flying through the air,” said Pastrana. “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 a 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 favorite vehicle to drive. I can’t wait to show the world at Goodwood, and later this year in the next Gymkhana.”
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