2006 Gumball rally officially underway as German police impound four cars
It isn't an official Gumball 3000 until the authorities start impounding cars. The annual event for car-loving millionaire scofflaws kicked off on Sunday in London, and various police forces around Europe have wasted little time in catching up with the cash-happy racers.
Wuerzburg, Germany authorities reportedly bagged 44 of the 120 Gumballers en route to Belgrade for various infractions, holding on to four of the racer's prized vehicles. No word on if any of the race's celebrity entrants have been ensnared, but somehow we figure that Snoop Dogg, Jodie Kidd, Hugh Hefner and their ilk can talk/photograph/autograph/buy their way out of any such issues.
This year's 3,000 mile high-speed, debauchery-laden Gumball will see stages in Europe, Thailand and the Western U.S.
More details can be found by checking out the Gumball's official website here, and CarDomain.com just launched its event coverage here (tip nod: Greg).
[Sources: MonstersandCritics; Gumball144.com; Gumball3000.com; CarDomain.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
PJ 4:37PM (5/02/2006)
You know, these high-profile road races irritate the hell out of me. If you're rich enough to 1) buy a Ferrari 575M, 2) race-modify it, and 3)pimp it out in full Dukes of Hazzard regalia, pay your damn 200 bucks for track time like everyone else.
It's also the double-standard that bothers me. Street racing is dangerous and idiotic when it involves high-schoolers in Honda Civics, but becomes glorified when it's a bunch of rich snots in exotics that they paid someone else to modify.
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jon from vancouver 4:58PM (5/02/2006)
Poor Ferrari, now I've seen everything! This sounds similar to the Cannonball Run in the US.
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Matt 7:37PM (5/02/2006)
ohh yee of little knowledge.
the gumball is not a race, its a rally!
and the gumball started back in 98 i believe, all the other's are just 1/2 assed attepmpts to cash in on the gumball $$.
most of the cars are tuned by the likes of gembella, M-Sport, MTM, AMG, Ruf, etc all factor tuners. and honestly where else would you see two or three Enzo's in a day?
i fear the day someone dies on the gumball (participant or otherwise), so far only accidents but it gets worse each year.
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Fooman 8:23PM (5/02/2006)
As for accidents that Viper accident last was crazy...
Looking at the pics, 2 SLR's right next to each other never going to see that again. Also last year you had to give props to the couple in the lotus 7.. had to be ruff in an open car. This year someone has a killer e-type in the mix...
Still a waste of cars inmho.. then again.. you can get in at a bargin this year with a zo6
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PJ 11:52PM (5/02/2006)
Racing, rallying... it's all the same to the English family in a minivan that gets killed by a speeding SLR (hopefully not, but seeems inevitable).
The prestige of the tuners involved is irrelevant to the principle.
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Avinash Machado 6:51AM (5/03/2006)
Last year a team from India participated in a Lamborghini Gallardo.They were industrialist Gautam Singhania and Hormazd Sorabjee the editor of Autocar India magazine.For Further information check out autocarindia.com
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connie 4:14PM (5/10/2006)
it's not an actual race per say, but i think it's awesome. I joined the gumballers at the hard rock on saturday for the snoop event and it was awesome. We partied with travis barker, carey hart, snoop and his entourage, joe francis of girls gone wild....it was the bomb! stop hating!
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