About the team

Several years ago the “Gumball 3000” rally was inspired by the Cannonball Run movie by British entrepreneur Maximillion Cooper, who conceived of a multi-day, 3000+ mile rally across Europe. The rally has taken place annually ever since, and this year the 7th annual Gumball 3000 leaves from Trafalgar Square, London, meandering its’ way around Europe to finish in Monaco for the Formula 1 Grand Prix!

At the beginning of this year my co-driver from the 2004 Gumball 3000, Robert Andrew, decided that it would be a good idea to enter the 7th annual Gumball 3000, our second. Preparations were started on the car as after the previous year’s gumball we had a fantastic finish but on the finish line one of our wheel bearings gave away, not good, but at least the car finished.

Whilst the preparations were made for yet another bonnet to be modified my brother Paul decided it would be an excellent idea if he was to join us, so applications were made to Gumball HQ and they said that the idea of having another co driver going along dressed as Elvis seemed a little crazy but would add some interest to the Gumball.

Whilst ordering costumes and wigs for Paul, I was also chasing around for running boards and full wrap around nudge bars, as this vehicle was going to go look a lot better than the previous years car we needed the car to go faster so we have had the engine tuned, now it sounds like a 6.3 litre and goes like Chevrolet small block should sound. We have just had new brake pads fitted all-round the car, just to make sure that it stops as well as it goes.

We have had our already modified suspension lowered even more and with the added colour coded running boards, now the car looks low and aggressive. We have also added this year, to the interior of the car, a Karputer PC from www.karputer.co.uk this will give us the added support on our own live on board tracking and GPRS so we have full access to the internet and email we also have satellite navigation for the country’s that are not covered by our Alpine satellite navigation system. For added luxury we also have fitted in the car 4 monitors 2 of which are mounted in the headrests so as we can watch TV, DVD’s, Video and Playstation and check on the navigation.

Preparing the 2005 car	The Karputer PC in position	Last minute tweaks!

This year we are adding to the car a complete video recording system, this is so as we can record all of the driving, we have fitted a mini DV camcorder to the front bumper of the car, this is connected to a 500gb hard drive giving us about 70 hours of DVD quality footage, this way we wont miss any of the driving, with have also connected another mini DV camcorder to the back of the car to capture all the action behind us, There is also a mini DV camcorder complete with a very good wide angle lens on the dashboard of the car, to capture all of the in-car happenings, whatever they may be.

As well you know by now there’s nothing normal about this Range Rover as it comes with a Chevrolet 6.3 litre engine giving 400bhp with a 0 – 60 in 6.6 seconds this car is also equipped with active ride suspension which means it corners like a sports car. Alcon braking system and a new custom bonnet complete with grills and scoop to let excess heat out from the engine bay so we can cope with longer driving at higher speeds, there is also the possibilities of blue neon’s for the under body of the car (I would just like to say that I had nothing to do with this, but somebody must have suggested it) We will be carrying the number 21 (lucky) on the car this time around.

As Saturday 14th May 2005 is now only a few days’ away last minutes preparations are being completed on the car and we are still wondering where we will be able to fit our luggage, as with all the technology jammed inside the vehicle, what was a large and comfortable car now looks like the cockpit of an aircraft. It looks like it will be just the bare essentials, a tooth-brush and credit-card, will be all that can be carried. As well as the high-tech kit, we will also be carrying a small selection of spare parts (some of the parts are one-offs made for the car, and are unlikely to be found anywhere) two spare tyres, fuel, water and loads of high sugar, easy to open junk food and soft drinks.

We are sure that you are all as excited about this marathon trip around Europe as we are, and can’t wait for the chequered flag to drop. It seems that no matter how long we allow ourselves to prepare for this event, it is never enough, and if we had a year, we would still be rushing around at the last minute, maybe just a day trip to Bournemouth next year.

Below is a brief summery of what’s in store for us in this year’s event, we can do no more than prep the car and make certain that we all have clean undies, if nothing else.

So this is the BIG month, the seventh annual 'Gumball 3000' Rally sets off from Waterloo Place (between Piccadilly Circus and Pall Mall) in London on Saturday 14th.

Stars include: Jackass and Dukes of Hazard film star Johnny Knoxville, Jamiroquai's Jay Kay, Supermodels Caprice and Jodie Kidd, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill's legendary director Quentin Tarantino with film star Daryl Hannah, Bez from 'The Happy Mondays' and DC Shoes skateboard legend Rob Dyrdek all driving everything from Ferrari Enzo's, Pagani Zonda's, Lamborghini's, Porsche GT's, to old Aston Martin's, Rolls Royce's, Bio-Diesel Hybrid's and even the General Lee!

On Friday 13th May the Global Film Premiere of the Gumball film '6 Days in May' will take place in Central London, followed by a private party with exclusive performances by Jamiroquai, the Cuban Brothers, Kym Mazelle, Tyler James, Sammy Jo (Scissor Sisters Tour DJ) and Aphletik - The film is of last years Gumball and has all the action from the streets of Paris to the desert of Morocco!

The following day all 120 of the worlds most amazing cars, notorious celebrities and eccentric characters will set off from Waterloo Place in Central London, where British F1 driver Jenson Button will waive the start flag before they're off on an amazing 3000 mile route through Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Dubrovnik, Sicily, and Rome, crossing the finishing line on the evening of Friday 20th in Monte Carlo's Casino Square!
If you want to come along to cheer the cars in along the way, and get autographs and photos of your favourite Gumballer’s here are the main check-points.

Friday 13th
19:00 - 21:00 - The Gumball 3000 Film Premiere of '6 Days in May' - come along to see the stars arrive on the red carpet and see some amazing cars on display! Location: Bloomsbury Square, London WC1

Paul with the 2005 car	'It's almost time!'	On the grid...
The competition lines up...	We're in position!	The Ferrari Enzo pulls in a crowd

Saturday 14th
11:00 - 18:00 - Cars will be on display all day on Waterloo Place (between Piccadilly Circus and Pall Mall) and on Trafalgar Square!
18:00 - Jenson Button will waive the start flag at 6PM!!!!!!!! (Waterloo Place)
23:00 - 02:00 - Cars arrive to a checkpoint in Belgium at the Chateau D'Acoz, located near Acoz not far from Brussels

Sunday 15th
09:00 - All day - Cars will be arriving at the Hotel Carlo IV in the Centre of Prague

Monday 16th
10:00 - 13:00 - Cars arrive into Vienna (Austria) - Checkpoint
Location: Hofburg Imperial Palace, Josefplatz
14:00 - 18:00 - Cars arrive at the Hungaroring F1 Circuit Checkpoint,
Budapest (Hungary) - come and see everyone racing around the F1 circuit!
18:00 - 20:00 - Cars will arrive at the Kempinski Corvinus Hotel in the centre of Budapest!

Tuesday 17th
14:00 - 16:00 - Cars arrive at a Checkpoint at the National Park KRKA (near Sibenik), Croatia
17:00 - 21:00 - Cars will arrive into Dubrovnik's Old Town centre (Croatia)

Wednesday 18th
13:00 - All Day - Cars arrive into Taormina. (Sicily) - Cars go on display all day in the Town Centre!

Thursday 19th
18:00 - 22:00 - Cars arrive into Rome (Italy) - and park at the Hotel Boscolo Exedra in Piazza Della Republica

Friday 20th
14:00 - 17:00 - Cars arrive at a Checkpoint in Firenze (Italy) Piazza Michelangelo, La Loggia
18:00 - 22:00 - Cars will cross the finish line in Monaco's Casino Square!

During the course of the weekend we will be relaxing in Monaco and soaking up the atmosphere of the Formula 1 Grand prix than late Sunday night we will make our exit from the 2005 Gumball 3000 and onwards home. Check for updates during the course of the next 2 weeks and follow us on the 2005 Gumball 3000 Rally website.

We would like to say a big thank you to the following people who have worked very long hours to make certain that we are ready for May 14th 2005:

Nene Overland for preparing the car;
Mumford Adaptive Suspension, Groundbreaking suspension system that enables our Range Rover to perform like a sports car ;
Classic Coachworks for giving us the new look of the car;
V-Sol for supplying the hardware for tracking our car during the Gumball 3000;
Orbit Internet for providing the web site so as everybody can follow us during the Gumball;
Karputer for supplying us with an in car PC, with this we can supply updates and pictures to Orbit Internet during each stage;
Phonestore Ltd for supplying and fitting the Nokia telecommunication equipment in the vehicle;

Without these people this year’s event would not be possible, from Paul, Bob & myself.

Thank you!

Mark Shaw

Car specification

• 0 - 60 mph 6.6 seconds0 - 100 mph 18.17 seconds
• 100 - 0 mph 4.7 seconds
• Max Speed 138 mph
• 630 R High Performance Engine

4th generation Overfinch/GM (small block) V8 engine, now displacing 6.3 litres produces 400 bhp and 457 lb ft of torque. The torque output is exceptionally linear over a wide rev range, peaking at 3200 rpm, which means that surging acceleration is always on tap, usually without recourse to kick-down.

630 R Exhaust System
Specially designed for the new 6.3 litre engine is a special stainless steel free flow Sports system that is engineered for a refined and pleasing note and features new design polished oval recessed tailpipes exiting on each side of the bumper. Subtle but serious appearance

Enhanced Steering
The Overfinch enhanced suspension layout greatly improves vehicle stability and handling in corners and on all demanding/undulating roads covered at speed. Agility and control are increased; body roll reduced leaving the car to cover the ground with reassuring ease and confidence. Incorporates more direct steering that makes the car more responsive, alert and accurate in all driving conditions whilst still allowing unimpaired performance off-road.

Suspension Conversion
Fully active ride all round suspension, this is the only Range Rover on the road today to have this very unique system in place. The old air system has been removed to allow for the active ride hydraulic fluid system to be installed meaning the car is more stable to allow faster cornering

High Performance Braking System
Experience a level of braking confidence not previously available on a Range Rover with this race car specification package. Huge 366mm ventilated and cross drilled front discs give a 57% increase in swept area and together with special 4 piston aluminium callipers (as opposed to the O.E. 2 piston 'fist' type) means extraordinarily reassuring, fade free braking. The system was developed with and is manufactured by Alcon Components Ltd exclusively for Overfinch. Alcon are internationally renowned for their braking systems used in the World Rally Championship, Le Mans 24 Hours and British and International Touring Car Championships.

Multi Media System
This car has been fitted with state of the art Multi Media, this consists of :

• DVD
• Video
• TV
• Playstation 2
• Complete with twin monitors in the headrests and a monitor inbuilt in the dash
• DVD Satellite navigation, we have coverage for 95% of Europe
• PC with full touch screen in built dash monitor for Satellite navigation and satellite tracking, complete with GPRS so as we can keep email contact whilst on the road
• We also have a Satellite phone for those areas not covered by GSM/GPRS

Video System

• This year we a running a complete video system around the car, this consists of 3 CCD camera with wide angle lens attached on the front bumper
• Single CCD video camera attached to the back of the car
• 3 CCD camera attached to the front screen to capture video from the driver’s seat and to capture video footage inside the car we have a 3 CCD camera
• The two external video cameras will be attached to a 500Ggb hard drive recorder this way we can capture the entire event start to finish.

Modifications to the outside of the car
After last year Gumball we realised that our 2004 modified bonnet still wasn’t up to the job of keeping the engine cool so we have had a new bonnet redesigned complete with large scoop and vents, we have also added colour coded full wraparound nudge bars and running boards, this will give the car a much larger presence on the road.