By VDC staff
Vermont is making headlines this summer with two radically different machines built for extreme conditions.

One is headed to the Army Mountain Warfare School to prepare soldiers for the harshest winter environments on Earth. The other is a 670-horsepower Gymkhana monster built in Vermont that is about to take on one of the world’s most famous motorsports events.

At Camp Ethan Allen in Jericho, the Vermont Army National Guard has received its first Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicles from BAE Systems. The Vermont Army Mountain Warfare School is among the first U.S. military units to operate the new tracked vehicles, which are designed to move troops and equipment across deep snow, ice, swamps and rugged terrain where conventional vehicles cannot operate.

The Army received 19 of the vehicles as part of its modernization program, with several assigned to Vermont. Military personnel also will receive training in operating and maintaining the vehicles as they become part of the school’s internationally recognized cold-weather training mission.

The articulated tracked carriers can climb steep grades, cross frozen landscapes and continue operating in temperatures that would sideline most military vehicles. Vermont’s mountain terrain and long winters make Camp Ethan Allen an ideal proving ground.

About 140 miles away in Milton, another Vermont-built extreme machine is preparing for an international debut.

Subaru Motorsports USA and Vermont SportsCar have built the Brataroo 9500 Turbo, a one-of-a-kind Gymkhana car that combines the look of the classic 1978 Subaru BRAT with cutting-edge racing technology.

Driven by Vermont native Travis Pastrana, the Brataroo produces 670 horsepower from a turbocharged Subaru BOXER engine and features an advanced active aerodynamic system that helps stabilize the car during enormous jumps and high-speed maneuvers.

The vehicle first gained worldwide attention in “Gymkhana: Aussie Shred,” where Pastrana launched it over jumps, drifted at high speed and even crossed open water. The video has been viewed more than 12 million times on YouTube.
Now the Brataroo is headed to England’s prestigious Goodwood Festival of Speed, where Pastrana will compete in the famous Hillclimb Shootout against some of the world’s fastest racing machines.

While one vehicle is designed to carry soldiers through Arctic conditions and the other to thrill racing fans on an international stage, both showcase Vermont’s growing reputation for engineering vehicles capable of performing in the world’s most demanding environments.

One is built for the battlefield. The other is built for the racetrack. Both prove that when it comes to conquering extreme conditions, Vermont knows how to build machines that can handle the challenge.