The Lamborghini Gallardo from the men himself, mister Xzibit, is for sale on Ebay. It is the car #1 in the 2007 Gumball 3000 rally driven by Xzibit. It is a sign of respect to the the terrible accident we posted a few weeks ago.

Xzibit donates 10% to the two victems of the crash, Vladimir & Margarita Chepunjoska. Let’s wait to see what the final bidding will be.

About the car: 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo e-gear
- 500hp, european editon,
- 0-60 in 4,2 sec., max. speed (as tested) 320 km/h
- color: silver - now the car has a black film with the Adidas/Gumball design in gold and chrom-gold- original made before Gumball3000 this year by an english company,
- black painted wheels (made new after gumball - they are now deepblack and shiny),
- new PIRELLI P-Zero for Gumball (used for about 2500km),
- car has black and red bi-color leather seats,
- air conditon,
- sound system with CD-changer,
- alcantara roof
- Xenon… and mostly the spirit of the GUMBALL3000 in it!Car is in a good condition, technical and optical. It’s getting a fully check before leaving our company, so you can be sure that you are getting an 100% ready-to-go Lamborghini Gallardo.

Buy it on Ebay! 

After posting a couple of topics about the terrible accident, it’s sensible to wait for more facts about crash. The Gumball rally is often the subject of wild rumours. We’ll see what the future will bring for the Gumball 3000.

We will give you one of the latest updates from the Gumball 2007 rally. The Gumballers drove from Dubrovnik to Bratislava. There are many videos uploaded the last couple of days and we haven’t post anything about these two checkpoints yet. So therefore we have sorted out the latest videos for you.

Video’s from Bratislava: 

Pictures and videos from Dubrobnik / Croatia:

Although the Gumball 2007 is over, we have founded some shocking news again about the terrible crash, we reported a couple days ago. On the Sunday Telegraph news site we founded more news about the crash.

“The British Gumball Rally 3000 driver arrested in Macedonia over a fatal car crash was caught trying to flee the country in a private jet, police have revealed.

Nick Morley, 30, who is facing possible criminal action after a high-speed collision that killed a local couple, was detained at Skopje Airport on Friday just hours after a judge had granted him bail. He is said to have called the jet in from London on a mobile.

Morley has been transferred back to the remand prison where he was held after being arrested and interviewed following the accident on Wednesday.

Interior Ministry spokesman Ivo Kotevski told the The Sunday Telegraph yesterday: “The court revoked its original decision and granted Mr Nick Morley bail late yesterday. He was even given his passport back as a sign of good will. But within hours, Mr Morley ordered a private jet to pick him up from Skopje.

“While trying to board at 10pm on Friday, Mr Morley was recognised by the border officer. It is astonishing that Mr Morley attempted to leave the country. He has got competent legal representation and the authorities have made sure his rights were guaranteed.”

The brother of a wealthy property developer, Morley was behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 when it collided with a Volkswagen Golf near Struga close to the Macedonian border with Albania, killing the driver Vladimir Chepunjoski, 67, and his wife Margarita.

Morley, from Bowden, Cheshire, and co-driver Matthew McConville, 36, from Prestwich, Greater Manchester, are alleged to have left the scene, although their lawyers say they waited for ambulance crews and reported the crash to police.

Border guards stopped them shortly afterwards, however, as they tried to cross into Albania in another contestant’s car.

Mr Chepunjoski died on the way to hospital from severe head injuries, while his wife died on Friday night in Skopje. The rally was called off after the incident.”

Source: The Sunday Telegraph.

The international rally Gumball 3000 claimed the second victim today - Margarita Chepunjoska, the wife of Vladimir, who died two days ago, has passed away today in the Skopje Clinic Center.

Margarita was severely injured in the accident that took place on Wednesday, when a participant of the rally crashed his Porsche into the car driven by her husband.

British citizen Nicholas Morley was speeding in his Porsche at the Struga-Qafasan road, when it collided head-on with Chepunjoski’s Golf.

Yesterday, an investigative judge of Struga Court ordered 30 days of temporary detention to Nicholas Morley. The Police filed a formal accusation against him for “heavy violation of traffic safety” and “failure to provide help to an injured person”.

Macedonian police told today that no charges will be raised against his co-driver, the British citizen Matthew McConville.

View the video of the accident here.

Our thoughts go out to the family and friends!

Update: Another two cars have been crashed, this time in Montenegro. The red Ford GT, because of high speeds and bad weather and another Porsche GT was also wrecked. 

24 hours after the Porsche accident, the Gumball 3000 Organisation has decided to cancell the rally for the remaining part. Therefore the rally will end in Bratislava instead of London. Read the official press email below: 

Issued by Maximillion Cooper on behalf of The Gumball 3000 Rally - 21.30 / 03 May 2007

Following our earlier release reporting yesterday’s accident - As a sign of respect we have decided that this year’s Gumball 3000 Rally will not travel any further and will end in Bratislava this evening, May 3rd 2007.

As the organisers of the rally we feel that it should be stopped as a mark of respect to Vladimir Cepulyoski who died today after an accident involving one the participating drivers.

We are very saddened by what has happened and feel that it would be wrong to continue. On behalf of Gumball 3000, we once again extend our deepest sympathies to his family and we are doing everything we can for them.

This is the first time anything like this has happened in 9 years of travelling through over 40 countries with 1000’s of drivers and it is with deep regret that I make this announcement.

Maximillion Cooper
Founder & CEO
The Gumball 3000 Group

Another accident is a fact. This Ford GT was involved in an accident with the Porsche Carrera GT. No idea if there’re any injuries. Click on the picture for hi-res.  

Team Polizei drivers Alex Roy and Michael Ross has announched the following message on their website:

In view of events of the past day, Alex Roy and Michael Ross of Team Polizei have withdrawn from the 2007 Gumball Rally.  They are driving to Bratislava to thank the fans that have traveled from so far.  They will make a further statement at 10.00GMT.

This sad news has must something to do with the accident yesterday, we post earlier. We understand this statement from Ales and Michael. Have a save trip back to home guys.

The Gumball 3000 rally is receiving a lot of attention the past few hours, unfortunately though, for the wrong reasons. According to reports, Nicholas Morley, 30, and Matthew McConvile, 32, both British citizens, have been arrested in FYROM (Former Yugoslavian Republic Of Macedonia) for a hit & run incident when their Porsche 911 crashed into an elderly couple’s VW Golf, killing Vladimir Cepuljoski, 67 and seriously injuring his wife, Margarita who remains hospitalized in critical condition. Apparently, the two Brits tried to escape by getting into another car but they were caught by FYROM police.

Our thoughts go out to the family and friends!

Official Gumball3000 HQ Statement:

Gumball 3000 is very saddened to announce a road accident which occurred yesterday, May 2nd, involving a participating vehicle and a local vehicle in Macedonia. Exact details are still filtering through, but below are the facts as of midday May 3rd 2007 issued by the Macedonian authorities.

An adult Macedonian male aged 67 died in hospital from a heart attack following the incident where the two cars collided. The participants in the rally were held in custody last night with a preliminary court judgement expected today.

Organisers of the rally would like to express its deepest condolences to the family of the victim for this tragic accident.

Maximillion Cooper, founder of the Rally says: “It is with extreme sadness I have to make an announcement of this nature in the events nine year history. The event is organised with each local authorities support and permission, and drivers are under strict stipulation to abide by the laws and road regulations of the country they are driving through. It is extremely sad for this unfortunate accident to have occurred. I am informed that the incident was reported immediately by the drivers. Both drivers are extremely traumatised by this occurrence.”

From MaxFax.com:

…have been arrested in Macedonia after an alleged hit and run incident which left one man dead and his wife fighting for her life.        

The 67-year-old died on his way to hospital and his wife was in a critical condition after a Porsche taking part in the super car race crossed the road at speed and ploughed into their VW Golf…

…The drivers of the Porsche 911 Turbo Techart which Macedonian TV station A1 named as Nick Morley and Matthew McConville, allegedly got out of their crashed car and ran off.The station said they later climbed into another car, a BMW, and tried to leave the country.       

But eye witnesses alerted police and the pair were arrested at the border.

Via Jalopnik.com and GTspirit.com

Albania, a country not necessarily known for its gestures of largesse, has opened its borders, and Presidential Palace, to the Gumball Rally - a group of Western millionaires driving hugely expensive cars - after they were banned from Germany and Turkey.

Since its inception seven years ago the Rally, a seven day dash for the rich and famous, has shot across several continents without much incident.

There has been the odd speeding ticket but no diplomatic incident. Until now.

On route from London on Sunday on the 3,000 mile ‘cultural tour’, that costs £28,000 to enter, the Gumballers, made up of singers, models, actors and businessmen, including rapper Xzibit, model Caprice and Jamiroquai singer Jay Kay, along with their Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Rollers, were on their way to Frankfurt airport to be airlifted to Istanbul when they were pulled over by the German police at the border.

The officers took away the keys of the first 50 drivers and levied fines on each of them.

Despite months of negotiations with German authorities, who were more than happy to have the rally go through their country, one over-zealous officer seems to have taken it upon himself to send out a letter to all 17 countries involved, warning them that an “illegal race” was about to zoom through their streets.

The mix-up, it appears, occurred when the officer did not understand the word rally, so wrongly interpreted it as a race.

As a result Turkey refused to accept them and the 240 drivers in 120 cars, including ice-cream vans and London taxis, had to go straight to Greece after being held airside in Turkey for several hours and not being allowed into the country, disappointing a hundred thousand fans that were waiting along the official route.

In stark contrast Albania has bent over backwards to welcome them to their country, hoping the rally will boost tourism.

And the UN are also supporting the arrival of the petrol-heads, who were due to arrive in Albania this afternoon in an attempt to “highlight Albania’s potential as an eco and cultural tourism destination”.

In a letter sent to Gumball the UN Resident Coordinator said: “UN agencies in Albania are pleased to partner with the Gumball 3000 Rally…..This year, Albania has been included in the itinerary and we are pleased to work with you under the government of Albania’s hosting of this event to make the event a success for the country.”

The Albanian government have even upgraded and renovated a rickety wooden bridge as it was too steep for the low slung sports cars that were about to travel over it.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister refused to say how much the renovation cost.

The drivers have been invited to the President’s official residence for a sumptuous five course meal tonight.

Sali Berisha, the Albanian Prime Minister, said: “I was really impressed to know about Gumball 3000 Rally, and their initiative to include Albania in the tour of this year.

“I am delighted to confirm my Government support for such an interesting event that fits perfectly with our strategy to encourage international events and foreign visitors in Albania to explore its amazing cultural, natural and tourist potentials. “Therefore, I will be honoured to host the organization of such reputable event in Albania. I guarantee the organizers for our highest esteem and willingness to fully support Gumball 3000 in its endeavour in Albania”.

In its seven-year history, the rally, organised by Maximillion Cooper, has mushroomed into a high-octane money-spinner.

Mr Cooper told Times Online today that the rally was not a race but a “cultural international tour that is officially organised with permission and support from each participating countries municipalities and Governmental departments; and is working closely with the Minister of Tourism in each region.”

He added: “All participating vehicles are abiding by all laws and road regulations of each country they are travelling through. Furthermore, contrary to the letter issued by the German Ministry of the Interior the event is not a competition nor a race and it not illegal whatsoever”.

He said that he had been working with the authorities in Berlin for a year and had got permission to to park and display the cars on May 4th, on the return leg of the journey, at the Brandenberg Gate.

“It would appear that the German authorities who issued the statement were not accurately informed of what the Gumball 3000 event is.”

Source.

Jay from our friends from Gumball-Live.com has the oppertunity to ride with owner of this Ferrari Enzo all the way from the Trafalgar car park to the starting grid on Pall Mall street. What a nice ride that must be…