Gumball 3000 Supercar Road Trip Takes Off From Toronto

Photography by Thomas Hundal.

While Toronto doesn’t exactly have a shy supercar scene, it’s always a bit special when the Gumball 3000 comes to town. Founded by Maximillion Cooper as a sort of grand tour, the Gumball 3000 has whisked participants away to locations like Monte Carlo and North Korea. The Gumball 3000 last rolled through Toronto in 2010 and some 12 years later, Gumball is actually starting in Toronto for a massive road trip to Miami. Partaking in this trip are celebrities such as Deadmau5, David Hasselhoff and Bun B, YouTubers such as Shmee150 and Pog, and various members of the supercar community.

Now, Yorkville has always been a fantastic neighbourhood for spotting supercars, but Gumball took things to the next level by closing off Bay St. Ferraris, McLarens, Aston Martins and the odd American muscle car lined up and down the block to form the Gumball Grid. It’s a bit of ceremony, for the Gumball isn’t a race, but there’s never much wrong with a touch of pomp and circumstance. Clearly, it was a hit with supercar fans as the sidewalks lining the barricades were absolutely jam-packed.

Of course, the Gumball 3000 is as much about the cars as it is the parties, and the launch party was something for the ages. Ontario-based DJ and Gumball 3000 participant Deadmau5 threw a free concert at Yonge-Dundas Square, properly packed from the back to the rail. Of course, fast cars and parties aren’t the only things the Gumball 3000 has going on. Massive charity donations are the real name of the game. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are routinely raised for charities from Tony Hawk’s The Skatepark Project to Project Wreckless, a foundation that engages with underprivileged youth and teaches them to restore classic cars as skilled trade training. This year, participants raised more than $800,000 before even setting off from Toronto. Fast cars, road trips and charity.
That’s the way Gumball rolls.