Do you like the sound of horsepower? And a view of $150 million+ worth of cars? Well, if the Gumball Rally ever stops in your town, take my advice and go!
Initially, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to attend the Gumball 3000 x Houston Coffee & Cars event, held earlier this month. Daily Driven Exotics’ McLaren 720 GTR broke down before it even arrived in Texas, and that was the main car I wanted to see. But the night before, my little brother asked if I was free, and I knew exactly what he was going to ask. I said “yes” without hesitation, and I’m glad I did.
I woke up early to wash my car and get it looking presentable before heading out to POST Houston. We grabbed coffee and arrived an hour early, and the place was already packed. Not regular Coffee & Cars packed – completely overflowing. We ended up parking far from the main lot, but got to check out some sick builds – including a Nissan S15 and a clean, bagged Subaru WRX on the way.
As we approached the main lot, the atmosphere was unreal. House music, vendors, exotics, JDM, Euro, domestic, bikes – everything was there.
Since the Gumball cars hadn’t arrived yet, I spent the morning shooting anything that caught my eye. While everyone else crowded around the Lamborghini Revueltos and SVJs, McLaren 765LTs, and Porsche GT3 RSs, I found myself photographing an R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II. I love JDM cars.
One of my highlights was seeing RAFA Racing’s 720S GT3X on display. As a huge McLaren fan and sim racer who always picks the 720, getting to see it up close was absolutely surreal.
Later, I moved towards the Red Bull arch entrance, and that’s when the real show started. Ford Mustang GTDs, Lexus LFAs, and even a couple of Horacio Pagani’s creations rolled in. Being so near to these cars gave me a whole new appreciation for the craftsmanship behind them.
About two and a half hours later, the DJ announced that the Gumball cars were approaching. I’ll admit, I didn’t pick the best spot, but I made the most of it and worked with my surroundings, as any photographer should. As the cars rolled in and parked, I couldn’t help but think how crazy it would be to have Gumball Rally money at 22. But what really caught my attention wasn’t the cars; it was the people in them.
Deadmau5 – a true EDM legend whose music I grew up listening to – arrived in a Cadillac Escalade. Then Kamaru Usman and Chito Vera – two UFC stars you definitely wouldn’t want to mess with – pulled up in a red Lamborghini Urus. The next car left me in disbelief: a red 2012 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, driven by none other than Ed Bolian, better known as VINwiki. (Thanks for letting me grab a selfie with you, Ed!)
But the car I never expected to see was Dave and Damon’s wide-bodied Lamborghini Murciélago GT1. Absolutely insane. To this day, I still can’t believe I saw it in person after watching DDE videos almost every day. I also can’t forget some of the other legends who showed up, including Michelle Rodriguez, Afrojack, Bun B, Jimmy Graham, and Patrice Evra. It was a truly unforgettable day.
If I can go from spectator to trackside media at Final Bout and, in the near future, a driver… Let’s see if I can go from spectator to Gumball 3000 media, and then behind the wheel of a supercar too.
