Autoblog

Gumball 3000 team planning to run Batman Tumbler and bespoke supercar

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Specialty

The 2013 Gumball 3000 rally - this year is the 15th anniversary of the supercar cavalcade - will begin on March 18 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Among the 120 go-faster-mobiles at the starting line will be two rides that just might pierce the ennui of the loaded leisure class: a replica of Batman's Tumbler and a one-off supercar.

The two gents of Team Galag, from Saudi Arabia, have put the ideas and money behind it. This will be their third year running the Gumball, and from the humble beginnings of a Porsche 911 Turbo in 2011 they went on to a Lamborghini Aventador and Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster last year. The Tumbler is being built by Parker Brothers Concepts, the company that constructs vehicles for the SyFy Channel's Dream Machines show.

As for that one-off supercar, it's called the TG1 for the time being and building it has been "a decision that we have regretted ever since." Not that there won't be a TG2, mind you. They've promised updates on the build, so we can safely say that it's not the diamond-trimmed LykanHypersport. Which is a good thing.

If you want to look out for them, the Gumball route runs through Stockholm, Turku (Finland), Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Riga, Warsaw and Vienna on its way to the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix the weekend of May 23.

Gumball 3000 team planning to run Batman Tumbler and bespoke supercar originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When is a Lamborghini a Ford? On the Gumball rally

Jeff Glucker — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Lamborghini

Lamborghini Murciélago SV fords Greek border crossing - Click above to watch video after the jump

Jon Olsson is a Swedish skier with a passion for X-Games medals, double flips and exotic automobiles. He's owned BMW racers, an Ultima GTR, a Nissan GT-R, a Lamborghini Gallardo and a Lamborghini Murciélago Super Veloce, among other bits of precious metal.

Olsson and his Murci SV recently took part in the latest Gumball 3000 Rally, where the Italian supercar was made to do things other Lamborghini owners would never do to their prized possessions.

As part of the Gumball, Olsson and other competitors needed to go from Turkey into Greece, and the border crossing was a bit flooded with no way around it. Apparently, the front end of the Murciélago SV is perfect for fording shallow bodies of water, because Olsson entered the water and the nose of the big bull pushed a safe path back to dry land. Don't try this at home.

Click past the jump to watch the wince-worthy quick clip of the fording Lambo, and be sure to click through the gallery below for more shots of the mighty Murci.

Continue reading When is a Lamborghini a Ford? On the Gumball rally

When is a Lamborghini a Ford? On the Gumball rally originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nixon rolls out special editions for the Gumball 3000

Noah Joseph — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 07:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Design/Style

If the usual array of premium automotive branded timepieces presented here on Autoblog isn't exactly your taste, you may want to check out the latest from Nixon. The fresh skater-culture brand has teamed up with the organizers of the Gumball 3000 to roll out a special set of watches and headphones geared towards participants and fans alike.

The Nixon x Gumball watch starts off with the company's iconic Rubber Player wristwatch, decked out in low-key black silicon (on both the case and strap), accented by gold touches on the caseback, crown and hands. A limited number will be made available to the public at $200, while a more exclusive edition of Nixon's 51-30 - encased in matte black steel with similar gold touches - will be furnished to rally participants, which this year include Nixon spokespersons Tony Hawk and Mike Escamilla.

To go with the watches, Nixon has also created special editions of its "e Whip" and "e Wire" headphones, selling for $60 and $75 respectively. The items will be available at Nixon retailers around the world, including those along the rally's route through London, Amsterdam, Boston, Montreal, Toronto and New York. The perfect thing to go with those special Puma kicks you got last year. Details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Nixon and Gumball 3000]

Nixon rolls out special editions for the Gumball 3000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Several cars impounded, Gumballers arrested for speeding at 170 mph

Drew Phillips — Wed, 06 May 2009 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Lifestyle

Click above to view the video after the jump

We definitely saw this coming. We've been receiving some unconfirmed reports that several of the participants on this year's Gumball 3000 rally had their cars impounded, and the video after the jump is the first visual evidence we've seen. Apparently several of the Gumballers were driving well in excess of the posted speed limit, as high as 170 mph, resulting in three impounded cars, including a Bugatti Veyron, and the drivers going to jail. Follow the jump to hear the MonsterArmy team talk (NSFW) about the impounded cars and to see footage of the Bugatti Veyron getting loaded up onto the flatbed. Thanks for the tip, Brandon!

Gallery: 2009 Gumball 3000 Start

Continue reading VIDEO: Several cars impounded, Gumballers arrested for speeding at 170 mph

VIDEO: Several cars impounded, Gumballers arrested for speeding at 170 mph originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 May 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And they're off! Gumballers head out of Los Angeles on first leg of rally

Drew Phillips — Sun, 03 May 2009 19:10:00 EST

Filed under: Supercars, Lifestyle

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Gumball 3000 start in Santa Monica, CA

Entrants of the 11th running of the Gumball 3000 started their cross-country rally Friday afternoon, cheered on by hundreds of fans as the cars began their journey at the Santa Monica pier in Los Angeles. The rally will also stop in Las Vegas, Sante Fe, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, and Orlando before finishing in Miami. Judging from the selection of vehicles, supercars were most definitely the rides of choice this year. There were a pair of Bugatti Veyrons, a handful of Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLRs, a Jaguar XJ220, SSC Ultimate Aero, Audi R8, and dozens of your standard Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Aston Martins. Of course, there were also a few non-standard rides, like this bio-diesel Land Rover, a metallic-green lowrider, and this bad boy. We were on hand to see the cars off as well, and brought back plenty of high-res photos that can be seen in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2009 Gumball 3000 Start

And they're off! Gumballers head out of Los Angeles on first leg of rally originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 May 2009 19:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gumball 3000 set for 11th running with Los Angeles to Miami rally

Drew Phillips — Fri, 01 May 2009 22:06:00 EST

Filed under: Supercars, Lifestyle

2009 Gumball 3000 - Click above for a high-res image gallery

The infamous Gumball Rally is scheduled to start this weekend, and participants have started to gather in the Los Angeles area for the start of the race tomorrow. We caught up with several of the cars in Santa Monica this afternoon, already prepped with their unique liveries and vinyl wraps. The rally will officially start at 1:00pm on Saturday at the Santa Monica pier, so if you are in the Southern California area you can head down to check out all the cars and celebrities. They eight day rally will also be stopping by Las Vegas, Sante Fe, Dallas, New Orleans, and Miami, so check the Gumball web site to see when they will be coming through your city. We've put together a small preview gallery from today, but check back for plenty more photos from the start of the rally tomorrow. You can read additional details in the Gumball 3000 press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2009 Gumball 3000 Preview

Continue reading Gumball 3000 set for 11th running with Los Angeles to Miami rally

Gumball 3000 set for 11th running with Los Angeles to Miami rally originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 May 2009 22:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Gumball 3000 comes through sunny Southern California

Drew Phillips — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Supercars, Lifestyle

Click above to view a high resolution image

The Gumball 3000 started its 2008 tour this weekend, and we caught up with the rally in Huntington Beach, CA where the drivers stopped for a brunch and fashion show hosted by Lux5 Events at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort. The group of 120 cars started out in San Francisco on Saturday and will also makes stops in San Diego and Las Vegas. From there the tour jumps continents and heads to North Korea, eventually ending in Beijing to catch a live view of the Olympic games. Enjoy our gallery of high resolution photos below.

Gallery: 2008 Gumball 3000

The Gumball 3000 comes through sunny Southern California originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Rallye de Paris, an event for the true automotive enthusiast

Michael Harley — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, First Drives

Do not consider the Rallye de Paris simply another Gumball-type event. While the celebrity-laden Gumball 3000 was entangled in lawlessness, and eventually tragedy, the Rallye de Paris is designed for the devoted car lover and track junkie.

Starting in Paris, participants make a round-trip trek through France visiting the tracks at Magny-Cours (the French F1 track) and Val-de-Vienne before heading back to the capital again. It's a whirlwind tour, over in just two days. Automotive participants include the expected Ferrari 430, Audi R8, and Lamborghini Murcielago, but also in attendance are such enthusiast classics as the Ferrari F40, Porsche 911 RS 2.7L, and the Jaguar XK120.

The 2008 Rallye de Paris took place last week with more than 200 cars in participation. Mark your calendars for next year's event and brush up on your French before you check out the additional pics and video on this site. Thanks for the tip, Pierre!

Gallery: 2008 Rallye de Paris

[Source: Caradisiac, photos by Caradisiac]

The Rallye de Paris, an event for the true automotive enthusiast originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The saga continues: Gumballer Nick Morley guilty, but may be released

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Earlier today, we got word from Team Polizei founder Alex Roy that a court in Macedonia found Nick Morely responsible for the deaths of the Cepuljoskis, which resulted after his Porsche Turbo struck the couple during the 2007 Gumball Rally. At this point, however, the court has decided to release Morely on a suspended sentence.

The Team Polizei site has compiled a number of sources, including a timeline of the events, and Mr. Roy has taken the time to voice his own opinions and conjecture. Roy is justifiably skeptical about whether or not the Macedonian court will actually let Morely walk, considering how convoluted the process has been thus far.

Time will tell whether or not the tragic events of the past month will dampen the enthusiasm of rally participants, but we already know that rally organizers are in the process of planning their next event for 2008.

[Source: gumball144.com]

The saga continues: Gumballer Nick Morley guilty, but may be released originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Jun 2007 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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British Gumballers forgiven by victims' family

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

You didn't think the Gumball saga was finished, did you? The latest turn: Nick Morley has been completely absolved of responsibility by the family of the Macedonian couple that was killed in a car accident in this year's rally. Morley was the one was was driving the Techart 911 at the time of the 2-car, twin-fatality crash in Macedonia.

We're not conspiracy theorists, but Macedonians are either the most forgiving people on the planet, or the fix is in. The family not only forgave Morley, but retracted their plans to seek compensation of £100,000, asked that Morley be released from custody and allowed to return to Britain, and tacitly blamed Vladimir, the driver of the Golf, for the accident by saying "It was just fate that forced Vladimir to drive wrongly." Morley, for his part, took no responsibility, saying: he was only going 60 kph, he obeyed all laws, it was the other driver's fault, he tried to help the couple, he only got in the other car and left because people started shouting at him, and he planned on stopping at the border to report the accident. Oh, and the Porsche wasn't even his. And he's not rich. And he doesn't know why the media is saying that, because he's "just a simple property developer." And he doesn't feel guilty, but he does "feel regret for the victims."

It turns out, however, that Morley's brother Oliver actually is rich, and has spoken with the family, but there's been no comment on what transpired. Hmmm...

[Source: Daily Mail]

British Gumballers forgiven by victims' family originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A matter of time: One killed, one injured, Gumball cancelled

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 04 May 2007 08:27:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

UPDATE: This tragic accident has claimed its second civilian life. The wife of the man killed yesterday died from her injuries today in the Skopje Clinic Center. Read the update here.

This year's edition of The Gumball 3000 is no more, after a hit-and-run accident in Macedonia left a man dead and his wife in the hospital in critical condition. Nick Morley (who was driving) and Matthew McConville, in a Techart 911 Turbo, crossed the center line and crashed into a Macedonian couple in a VW Golf. The 67-year-old man died of a supposed heart attack according to a Gumball press release. His wife remains there with serious injuries.

There's an expression that goes "It's not the crime, it's the cover up" that gets you. In this case it was both. As if the "hit" weren't bad enough, it was followed by "and run" when Nick and Matthew tried to flee on foot. They were picked up by a Gumballer in a BMW with Russian plates and made it as far as the Macedonia-Albania border, where they were arrested. The driver of the BMW was held briefly then released. Nick has been arrested and placed under 30-day temporary detention in Macedonia, charged with "heavy violation of traffic safety" and "failure to help an injured person." Then Gumball HQ flubbed the crisis management. Apparently they didn't put out a release for at least 24 hours and wouldn't answer questions about the accident in the Gumball forum. When they finally did issue a statement, it said the driver died of a heart attack on the way to the hospital (brought on by. . .?) and that the drivers immediately reported the accident.

Perhaps Germany and Turkey are now glad they prevented this year's Gumball from passing through. As far as Europe goes, next year's Gumball will probably be lucky if it's allowed to do laps in a parking lot. However, it probably will go on; when that much much money is involved, a way will be found -- but don't look for it on the Continent. Follow the 'Read' link for more details, the press releases, and a video clip of the accident aftermath.

[Source: Jalopnik]

A matter of time: One killed, one injured, Gumball cancelled originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 May 2007 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cannonball heads for Holden territory

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 08:39:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Supercars

We're pretty sure that the last thing this great big spinning orb of ours needs is another 'rally.' But that isn't stopping Cannonball World Events from allowing those of you with too much disposal time and income from blasting across the great expanses of Australia.

The Cannonball Down Under will begin on May 7th, 2007, with 75 cars driving an estimated 4,000 kilometers over the course of several days. The organizers maintain that the chances of impending doom for both participants and bystanders are limited, as driver's average speed should be set at 100 KPH (62 MPH), hence the designation of a 'rally' rather than a 'race.' Sure.

The buy-in is set at 10-large in Australian green backs (are they even green?) and applications are readily available if you're over the age of 21.

[Source: The Auto Channel]

Cannonball heads for Holden territory originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Aug 2006 08:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2006 Gumball rally officially underway as German police impound four cars

Chris Paukert — Tue, 02 May 2006 13:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Government/Legal, Supercars

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]

2006 Gumball rally officially underway as German police impound four cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 May 2006 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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