Heya fellow Aussies! :)

I am looking at going to Gumball 3000 next year, the route look stunning, with many Eastern European countries in the programme, which means of course, police bribes instead of fines and loss of licence! :evillol:

Is anyone else thinking about it and wants to team up perhaps? My gf will come along, but as a passanger, and I was thinking either buying a R34 in UK and selling it on teh way back or an M5 or something with 4 seats but fast.

Another option I am going to explore (even though I am not a Holden fan at all!!!!!) is getting sponsorship from HSV (as they are now exporting to UK) to get a freebie from them ... a top of the range HSV for the week for the publicity!

Anyway, open to suggestions, if anyone is interested.

Iggy, not a bad idea. The organisers have a preference for flash metal I'm told, so your car needs to be pretty good to make the cut. If you can put up with the hassle of buying, holding while you nominate, and selling again (either after the event, or worse, after being rejected) then it would be an awesome experience. You must use the car you nominate in your application.

The HSV idea could be a winner.

I'd love to do it but it all looks a bit hard...

Iggy, not a bad idea. The organisers have a preference for flash metal I'm told, so your car needs to be pretty good to make the cut. If you can put up with the hassle of buying, holding while you nominate, and selling again (either after the event, or worse, after being rejected) then it would be an awesome experience. You must use the car you nominate in your application.

The HSV idea could be a winner.

I'd love to do it but it all looks a bit hard...

On this years there were two companies that might be able to help you guys out.

1. Joe macari http://www.joemacari.com (deals in exotic machines) was offering a guaranteed buy back scheme for people after the gumball. He had a lot of cars on the event this year


2. A european car rental company was offering cars for the event, but cant remember their name. If you email Gumball HQ they should be able to help you out. Try the info@gumball3000.com address.

Would be great to meet you guys on next years run. The route is going to be amazing!

James, thanks for this information. My wife is concerned it might be a full-on high speed thrash which she isn't keen on. Can one take it easier and not get left behind? 100mph is OK but she would bail out at 150.

It is just a bit of a dream at this stage, but then so was buying a Lambo once!

As Max the organiser said in his talk before the start of this years event, "everyone here is going to have their own Gumball adventure"

Once the event is under way it quickly splits into packs.

There are the guys at the front, who run very very fast the whole time.

There are the posers with their super model like girlfriends. Who trundle along at 80-100 most of the time with the occasional spurts over 100 so they can talk about it over dinner.

There are the eccentrics, who are just doing the rally because its an adventure. Take for example this years winner of the spirit of the Gumball, who drive the whole way in a Citroen 2cV top speed he managed was around 75mph. Another completed the whole rally in a London taxi with the meter running!

Then you have the publicity seekers, such as this years huge crash victim torquenstein. Who completed many of the stages dressed in a mad max style outfit followed by his support vehicle a giant yellow hummer.

The list goes on and on..... All i can say is there isn't really a stereotype gumballer. There were several married couples on the rally this year and they all seemed to have a ball. Its a real life adventure i can tell you.

How does the whole entry to the Gumball 3000 rally really work?...I mean there must be a whole load of people trying to participate isnt there? I heard a rumor that people only invited by the organizer can race.. true? :confused:

oh man, if i had the money, i'd so do that, if i could get a sponsor ship from HSV (I'm a huge holden fan, i have a 96 VS my self) I'd SOOO get an Avalanche XUV or a Clubsport, ha, even the maloo! AUSTRALIA, FUCK YEAH! Comin' again to kick your muthafuckin' ass yeah!

havent HSV stopped sending the cars over to the UK, just somehting i saw on Top Gear. Would also love to do the Gumball, but then again, why not have our own thing in Australia, Aussie Style. Through the Northern Territory, where speeding is allowed (No Speed Limits on SOME highways), could see the best of the best aussie cars strutting there stuff, plus all the exotics that are hard to comeby in Australia, just a thought i have been having for like 4 years. I would definately be interested in organising something like this if we have people interested. any takers???