To put the film coverage to a new level, Gumball 3000 Films hired a Helicopter Team called Air Gumball. Team Air Gumball will follow the rally from Istanbul to Berlin. The Film crew will be teaming up with @-VISER, Pro7/Sat1 and MyVideo to bring you the amazing footage the record from of the event. Patrick Fischer, Head of Production at Gumball 3000 Films says ‘this is the first time that we have a helicopter following the rally. The chopper we’ve got is a $6 million Bell fitted with the latest in camera and mobile broadcasting technologies, so the footage we’re going to get this year will be mind-blowing!’ Watch out for exclusive helicopter footage on TV (at Pro7 and Sat1 in Germany) and you can also see the footage online at Myvideo.de and Metacafe.

Here is the trailer Team Air Gumball made for this years Gumball 3000 including a Maserati 3200 GT, two Porsche Turbo’s, a Porsche Carrera GT3 and a Porsche 997. If these cars are all Gumball participants is not sure. In the trailer all cars share the same Gumball Team number.

Getting my daily bit of Jalopnik this morning I came across this article about the support the United Nations have for this year Gumball 3000. We received a copy of a letter that the United Nations send to the Gumball 3000 office confirming this story. The support from the United Nations is based on the part of this years Gumball 3000 leading through the Balkans and especially Albania. On the 2nd of May 2007 the Gumball 3000 teams have an overnight checkpoint in Albania’s capital Tirana. With the UN’s current aim to bring stability, economic growth and tourism to the area the Gumballers are more then welcome in Albania.

Read the complete UN letter to Gumball.

GTspirit is proud to announce that this years Gumball is going to have 2 race-track checkpoints. Both are in Germany. The first race-track checkpoint is the EuroSpeedway Lausitz. It is part of the leg from Bratislava to Berlin. The EuroSpeedway Lausitz (in the federal state Brandenburg) is currently the only existing speedway on the European continent. It offers many different course variations. The 4.534 kilometre-long Grand Prix course, on which the DTM (a German car-racing-series) is staged, consists sections of the 3.2 kilometre-long Tri-Oval and a circuit embedded in the infield of the Tri-Oval. The Tri-Oval is also famous for its high-speed records. Maybe one of the seven Bugatti’s can show how fast a car can be and try to beat the Top-gear record of 407 kmh.

The most gigantic European race track of modern times was built in the former brown coal mining area between Berlin and Dresden. To spectators the EuroSpeedway personifies sheer motorsports acted out over 570 hectares. A massive main grandstand soars 34.65 metres into the sky and allows fans a view over the entire Trioval, including the infield.

Read the rest »

Today we can bring the world very exclusive Gumball 2007 news. We got the complete Gumball 2007 route including checkpoints, locations of car displays, hotels and of course the parties. This is what every Gumball 3000 fan has been waiting for! Big thanks to our dutch buddies for submitting this!

Gumball 2007 Route:

28th April 2007: Launch party at the Trocadero. The street in front is closed, red carpet, supercars on display etc. This is pretty close to Leicester square, so there should be a lot of people.

29th April 2007: 12 Midday all cars in position on Pall Mall for car display, 4pm rally start! Big Gantry on Pall Mall, similar position as last year but much bigger and better! Onto France via Eurotunnel, Belgium, and Amsterdam! Where the cars park up at the ‘Waterlooplein’ in the centre of Amsterdam, and as you may already know it is Queens day, so a lot of people partying in the streets! Amsterdam is a checkpoint, so the teams park up, pick up their next route card, drink and back on their way.

30th April 2007: From Amsterdam to Frankfurt to Istanbul (obviously no sleep yet), the teams drive to a secret airport in Frankfurt where a select few of the Gumball crew will drive all of the cars onto the 2 Antanov airplanes, it will be a very tight fit! About a 4 hour flight to Istanbul, where they land on the asian side, unload, Now the cars will be escorted through the city of Istanbul, thru the most famous street in the city! The teams will finally arrive at the Kempinski Ciragan Palace where they stay for the night, that night will have a James Bond Party probably at the Reina Club!

1st May 2007: From Istanbul to Thessaloniki to Athens. After leaving Istanbul and picking up their next route card the teams head to Thessaloniki where they will have a checkpoint. From Thessaloniki the final leg of the day will bring them to Athens where drivers stay at the Hilton. The Gumball cars will be on display at the Zappio, which is a crazy location a short journey from the hotel. At night there’s a White Party on the Top Floor of the Hilton hotel.

2nd May 2007: From Athens to Tirana. The Gumballers leave Athens first thing in the morning for Tirana in Albania!

3rd May 2007: From Tirana to Dubrovnik to Bratislava. This will be another exhausting day. Travelling through 7 countries: Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and Slovakia! Leaving Tirana as always first thing in the morning for Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik will be the lunch checkpoint for the day. So the drivers can have a bite to eat, inspect their new route cards and on to Bratislava! In Bratislava the Gumballers are staying in the Raddisson SAS hotel and for the fans there will be a display on Hviezdoslavovo square.

4th May 2007: From Bratislava to Prague to Berlin. The Gumballers will leave Bratislava for a checkpoint in Prague. From Prague the drivers can enjoy the German autobahn on their way to the final checkpoint of the day in Berlin. In Berlin the Gumball 3000 pack stays in the Regent Hotel. Berlin makes a good place for a party especially on a friday night.

5th May 2007: From Berlin to London. From Berlin the cars head for home! The final day’s journey takes them through Holland, Belgium, France and back to Great Britain. Crossing the channel with the Eurotunnel they will be back in London to finish at Whitehall Place and they get ready to celebrate the final party!

GTspirit – the ultimate rally resource wishes everyone a happy Gumball 2007!

For the latest on Gumball 3000 visit our Gumball 3000 forum (Registration necessary)!

Two weeks ago GTspirit had an exclusive interview with GT3000, brainchild of Nils & his buddies. The interview took place in the back of a Bentley Continental Flying Spur while we were driven around in a German city. Nils invited car photographer Dino Pannhorst over to take some exclusive photographs for GTspirit. But first the interview:

Can you tell us a bit about your car collection?

During Gumball 2004 we drove a white Porsche GT3. In 2005 we had the Gulf GT3. This one is still in my garage but since I got my new red Porsche 997 Turbo I don’t drive it that often anymore. I also have a Golf R32 which is great if I want to take my dog somewhere.

What is your biggest passion?

Porsche! I’m addicted to it! It’s the combination of style, speed and reliability that makes me love them.

What was your first car?

Golf 3 Color concept in lemon green. Sadly it only lived 4 weeks, in a tight corner the car lost traction because of some dirt on the road, the car spun and hit an oncoming car and flipped over a couple times. Luckily nobody had serious injuries but it was the end of my first car.

Read the rest »