2008 Gumball 3000 Rally kicks off in San Francisco
Aug 11, 2008 - Staff Reports
Driven by Gumball 3000 Rally organizer Maximillion Cooper, a Jaguar XJ220 - one of the fastest cars in the world - sits flanked by a Gumbert Apollo and Rolls Royce. Together, the cars are worth about $2 million.
The Gumball 3000 Rally brought a large, glossy, bright dose of glitz and glamor to a soggy morning in San Francisco on Saturday.
As always, thousands of fans turned out to cheer on the start of the Gumball 3000, an eight-day celebrity racing extravaganza that ends in Beijing this week.
The onlookers were not disappointed. On show was a parade of Ferraris, Porsches, Range Rovers, low-riders, raised SUVs - and even a 1960s-era Volkswagen bus, a San Francisco staple.
Actor and German pop sensation David Hasselhoff, who's driving his old friend K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider, was in attendance, as was the cast of MTV's Jackass, drummer Travis Barker and several other flamboyantly dressed celebrities.They hit the asphalt, driving some of the fastest and most expensive automobiles in the world.
Rally founder and millionaire model Maximillion Cooper posed for photos next to his ride of choice, a Jaguar XJ220.
The Gumballers made their way to Los Angeles and Las Vegas, where they and their cars will be airlifted to North Korea before driving into China.
The entry fee for the race was $122,000 and covered all expenses - except accidents.
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