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Gumball 3000 comes to a close in South Beach

Alex Nunez — Sat, 09 May 2009 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Supercars

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Gumballers' arrival at South Beach

Well folks, it's over. The wacky/insipid/annoying (all-of-the-above?) 2009 edition of the Gumball 3000 wrapped things up with the drivers' arrival in Miami Beach. Freelance journo and friend of Autoblog Myles Kornblatt was there, and he ends his coverage with one final photo gallery and this report:

There's something special about seeing ultra-rare cars at the end of an eight-day, 3000-mile road trip. By the time the 2009 Gumball 3000 ended in Miami on Friday evening not only were the drivers visibly road weary, but so were their vehicles. Supercars were built to be driven, and these machines had the dead bugs, brake dust and road scars to prove it.

One hundred and twenty-three teams participated in the 11th running of the Gumball, and according to rally VP Julie Brangstrup, everyone finished. "Every Gumballer has the spirit to do whatever it takes to cross the finish line." Unfortunately not all the vehicles shared their driver's determination, and so some rental cars finished as stand-ins for injured road warriors. One Gumballer was even on his third vehicle by the time he reached Miami.

Some enthusiasts see the Gumball as a rip-off of the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash (which has evolved into today's One Lap of America.) That's not completely true. The term "Gumball Rally" was first used on a 1976 road race film that Cannonball founder Brock Yates considers to be sort of a bastard child of his rally. The Gumball Rally was Hollywood's excuse to use some minor celebrates for an over-the-top take on the road race (it even features a pre-crazy Gary Busey.) Today, the Gumball 3000 uses a mix of famous, rich and half-crazed participants, who are more about the party than the time clock. Any enthusiast who has seen the film (anyone who is a car guy/girl should,) knows these good-timing Gumballers have as much character as a movie script.

Gallery: 2009 Gumball 3000 conclusion in Miami

Photos Copyright (C)2009 Myles Kornblatt / Weblogs, Inc.

Gumball 3000 comes to a close in South Beach originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 09 May 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes approves four-door convertible Ocean Drive Concept for production

John Neff — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 16:27:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Audi, Mercedes-Benz

click above image for a full gallery of the Mercedes-Benz Ocean Drive Concept

Motor Trend is reporting that Mercedes-Benz has approved the four-door convertible Ocean Drive Concept that was introduced at this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit for production. The car will reportedly be based on the S600 and arrive as a 2011 model. Being a platform-mate of the S600 means that the Ocean Drive production model will likely sport a 510-horsepower 5.5L V12 and a price tag well into the six-figure range. Of course, Mercedes could slip a myriad of possible engines into the car, from its 5.5L V8 to the 600+ horsepower biturbo V12 from AMG. With structural enhancements necessary to keep the car stiff, a high curb weight is likely that will require a big motor to move the car around.

MT also reports that the A7-based four-door convertible in Audi's product pipeline will arrive around the same time, not earlier in 2009 as some outlets have reported. Though the two will not be direct competitors (the A7 itself will be aimed downmarket at the Merceds CLS and arrive a couple years earlier), they will be the first four-door convertibles in production since the mid-60s Lincoln Continental. Hmmm... which would Drama choose?

[Source: Motor Trend]

Gallery: MB Ocean Drive Concept

Mercedes approves four-door convertible Ocean Drive Concept for production originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Jun 2007 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz reveals Ocean Drive concept for Detroit

Alex Nunez — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 06:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Convertible, Mercedes-Benz

Click to enlarge

Look past the Mercedes-Benz Ocean Drive concept's LED head and taillamps and fancy flush doorhandles and you're looking at what a likely S-Class production convertible will look like. Names for the famous strip of road on South beach, the Ocean Drive would fit right in with the beautiful people and the high-end cars known to prowl the area.

Based on the V12-powered, long-wheelbase S 600 sedan, the Ocean Drive concept gets an oversized grille (we like) and retains its source car's four-door style. the side glass is frameless, and there are no pillars to interrupt the lines when the car is open to the sky. A traditional, large soft-top protects occupants in sub-optimal weather conditions, and the car features Mercedes' neck-warming technology called AIRSCARF. Nifty indeed. Build it.

(Press release after the jump)

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz reveals Ocean Drive concept for Detroit

Mercedes-Benz reveals Ocean Drive concept for Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Dec 2006 06:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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