Box Autos

It’s the kind of road trip that performance car enthusiasts dream of — a week-long, 3,000-mile (5,000km) driving adventure through 13 countries in one of the most hotly-anticipated new cars of 2013.

Nissan is teaming up with French publishing house L’Ecurie and INTERSECTION Magazine to participate in the 2013 Gumball 3000 Rally – a non-competitive, pan-European parade of the world’s most exciting and desirable cars – starting in Copenhagen on May 18, 2013.

The entry will be giving the millions of spectators expected to line the route a first glimpse of the exciting new Nissan 370Z NISMO in action. Gumball has a great heritage, providing a great platform to bring NISMO’s digital age performance to the streets of Europe.

The team has been entered as car 56, a number that has great significance for Nissan, which occupied ‘Garage 56′ at the Le Mans 24hr race in 2012 with the Nissan DeltaWing. The company will be returning to Garage 56, the spot reserved for innovative experimental cars in 2014 with an all-new race car incorporating electric technology.

Previewed in Barcelona in January 2013, the Nissan 370Z NISMO made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March and is set to hit showrooms later this year. Powered by a modified 350-hp six-cylinder engine, the Nissan 370Z NISMO features a bespoke chassis tuned to deliver a sharper and even more engaging driving experience. Capable of accelerating from 0-100kp/h in just 5.2 seconds, the new Z follows in the tracks of the first NISMO model to arrive in Europe, the Juke NISMO.

Set to be driven by Gumball 3000 regulars Patrice Meignan and Jeremy ‘Jey’ Taltaud, the Nissan 370Z NISMO features a special camouflage livery designed specifically for the event. Both are contributors to INTERSECTION Magazine and will be reporting on the rally via all major social media channels. In addition, fans can follow the action on NISMO.tv where a daily video post containing highlights of the previous day’s action will be available.

The Gumball 3000 has become a major draw for performance car enthusiasts from all over the world since the first event was held in 1999. Named after the 1976 cult film starring Michael Sarrazin, the Gumball 3000 Rally has attracted a host of celebrity entrants over the years, including musician Jay Kay, Former F1 champion Damon Hill and fashion designer Donna Karan.

Gareth Dunsmore, Nissan in Europe General Manager explains: “Gumball is a great fit for the 370Z NISMO: it’s a road rally which allows thousands of fans to get up close to their dream cars. Making exciting cars accessible is at the heart of the Nissan brand, and with our innovative NISMO.tv platform on YouTube our customers will be able to keep up to date with its progress, so we can’t wait to take part in this historic parade.”

Kicking off in Copenhagen on May 18 the rally will run until May 25, concluding in Monaco at the Formula 1 Grand Prix De Monaco 2013.