Gumball 3000 - The Wildest Rally on Four Wheels

Let's start with the name: Maximillion Cooper, a spelling that suggests wealth—and the kind of inspired identity changes that come with youth. But the 35-year-old Londoner and founder of the Gumball 3000, an annual intercontinental Cannonball Run-style car rally that starts in San Francisco next month, says it came not from him but his parents.

"My parents don't have any money themselves," Cooper says. "My dad [an artist and professional drummer] has never driven a car in his life. They live in the countryside, and he uses a bicycle. My mum [a former model] drives a 1960 Morris Minor whose top speed is 50 miles an hour, which I always hated."

That may partly explain why Cooper started racing cars at age 17. He also earned a degree in fashion design from Central Saint Martins, the genius factory that has turned out designers John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and Zac Posen as well as musicians such as Sade, PJ Harvey and M.I.A. His university contacts must have done him right; by age 26, he had the idea to gather "50 of his most eccentric friends"—including actors Billy Zane and Jason Priestley—to take part in a 3,000-mile car rally throughout Europe, circling from London to Rimini and back and kicking off with a party attended by the likes of Guy Ritchie and Kate Moss. Thus was born the Gumball 3000.

Fast-forward a decade: Gumball has grown from 50 drivers to 240, which have, over the years, included Adrien Brody, Donna Karan, Matthew McConaughey, Daryl Hannah and supermodel Jodie Kidd driving everything from the rarest and fastest of cars to lowriders, Winnebagos and Citroëns. Driving all day and overnighting in the party capitals of Europe and beyond, Gumballers have been guests of the king of Morocco and Hugh Hefner; and stars such as Snoop Dogg and John Mayer show up to perform at the racers' private VIP gatherings. The $120,000 entrance fee pays for the parties, the five-star hotels, the security and, of course, air transportation for driver and car between continents on chartered Antonov jets—some of the world's largest transport planes.

Though it's not a race—the top prize is the "Spirit of the Gumball" trophy, which is often an actual gumball machine—speed is certainly an element for several of the high-performance cars, which have been clocked at upwards of 150 mph. In 2003, the last time Gumball started here in SF, several drivers were arrested and motorists made 13 emergency calls to report Gumball vehicles in Solano County alone. Days later, en route to Miami through Texas, a Koenigsegg supercar—the fastest in the world—was allegedly ticketed for going 242 miles per hour; by the end of the US leg, Gumballers had racked up more than 500 citations. On a Gumball video, Jackass alum Ryan Dunn is shown being stopped for driving 167 mph. Still more seriously, during last year's rally a competing Porsche collided with a non-participating car in Macedonia, killing the elderly couple inside; Cooper cut short the rally.

Afterward, Gumball was criticized for turning public roads into the playground of the reckless rich, and Adidas withdrew from its three-year sponsorship contract. Cooper expressed regret both publicly and in his blog, where he admitted "perhaps a fatal accident was inevitably going to happen." On the topic of safety, he offers this perspective: "Half the cars in Gumball couldn't break the speed limit if they tried. Out of the half that could drive fast, about 10 percent do. Those are the ones we really try to control."

He says his team sits down beforehand with the police and highway authorities in every stop on the route, deciding which roads to close, and that the number of road closures have dramatically increased since the rally's inception and growth. And although the drinking element of Gumball has been well documented, Cooper notes that all drivers—there are two per car—are given daily Breathalyzer tests, so one per team must refrain from overimbibing the previous night. "This isn't some kind of crazy illegal road race ... it's the opposite of that," he insists. "Last year, we closed down two square kilometers of London for 24 hours. You can't do that unless you're working closely with the police."

You also can't do it without a lot of money—imagine the tourism dollars that pour into a city hosting Gumball. Estimated to be worth more than $300 million, the Gumball brand encompasses six separate companies, which produce everything from an official clothing line to race-themed sneakers, toys, video games and documentaries. Now it's moving into feature films as well. Last year, director Mike Figgis (Leaving Las Vegas) went to Gumball and spent seven days in Istanbul filming his dark experimental drama Love Live Long, which premiered this year at Tribeca. More recently, Cooper has secured $30 million to begin producing Gumball's first feature film, which he describes as "An Ocean's 11/Thomas Crowne Affair plot that incorporates the rally as a background." Crews will film crowd shots this year, and casting is in progress—Cooper's wish list includes "A-listers like Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis."

That might sound absurdly confident coming from the mouth of most first-time feature producers, but if history is any indication, he may just pull it off. Cooper will again participate in this year's rally, as he has since 1999, driving a Jaguar XJ220S—one of only five in the world.

Gumball dream participant: "Steve McQueen. Or Paul Newman—he'd love this event. He still races, and I've spoken to him about it, but he doesn't like flying."

Best hotel in the world: "George V in Paris. They handled us the best—the most impeccable service and style."

Advice on how to work a room: "If you have a good knowledge of music and politics, then you can work a room. Failing that, pick fashion and you can always humiliate someone or give them praise."

If Maximillion Cooper ran the planet, the first thing he'd do is ... "Bring a bit of friendship to countries that don't really talk politically."

Favorite Gumball memory: "Driving into St. Petersburg in 2001 with the British SAS as our security and the Russian special-forces helicopters protecting us from above ... we all looked at each other like, 'Was that real?' When we first announced we were going there, friends called and said, 'You can't. You'll get kidnapped; the cars will disappear.' You definitely need security there."

According to Cooper, the country that defines the word ... Fun: Serbia. Relaxed: Thailand. Sexy: Russia. Smart: Denmark. Efficient: United States.

FAST CARS AND FAMOUS FACES

Xzibit; Thousands of spectators line the streets of London in 2007; Supermodel Jodie Kidd flies the start flag in 2007; Antonovs unload cars; Adrien Brody with his 2004 "Spirit of the Gumball" trophy.


A Ferrari zooms through St. James's Square; Max Cooper at the 2007 start party in London; A lone Porsche; Gumballer Tim Roth; The 2007 starting line in London.


Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker will drive in this year's rally; A Porsche Carrera is loaded onto an Antonov; Skateboarder Bam Margera arrives in London for Gumball; Mercedes SLR McLarens in the 2006 rally; Skateboarding star Tony Hawk with some friends.

When Gumball takes off on August 9, our video-grapher will be there. Check it out on 7x7.com

Photo credits: (Brody): Fiona McLeod; (Ferrari): Rich Van Every; (Roth): James MacNaught; Others courtesy of Gumball 3000