6 Awesome Car Rallies For Every Budget

Gumball 3000 is currently smashing its way through Europe, but it's a ludicrously expensive event to enter. We decided to see what alternatives are on offer, for everyone from broke students to bored millionaires
6 Awesome Car Rallies For Every Budget

Peking to Paris - £40,000+ per team

6 Awesome Car Rallies For Every Budget

Back in 1907, a French newspaper asked if anyone dared prove that then-modern automobiles meant man could go anywhere by driving from Peking (Beijing) to Paris. About six months later five cars set off on the adventure with no assistance, across roads and countryside that had largely never been mapped. The winner arrived in Paris two months to the day after leaving, and received a bottle of champagne for their troubles.

Fast forward to 1997, and the event was resurrected, with the sixth classic car race now taking place this year. Entry is upwards of £40,000, and that’s not including the price of fuel, accommodation and supplies along the way. You’ll also have to buy a car if you don’t have one, but this is where the rally is really special. Cars have to be old - seriously old. The Vintageant category is for pre-1941 cars, while the Classics category accepts cars made between 1942 and 1975.

Gumball 3000 - £35,000 per team

Image courtesy of Supercar Driver.
Image courtesy of Supercar Driver.

It’s probably the most famous road rally in the world thanks to promoting outrageous behaviour from its star-studded entry list in its earlier days. As social media coverage increased, and after Gumball came under more scrutiny following a fatal crash involving a rally entrant, it’s worked to clean up its image - a bit.

You’ll still see huge crowds lining the route as expensive cars push the limits of legality, and the parties thrown at each checkpoint are an incredible insight into the lives of the rich and famous. Naturally, entry into this world doesn’t come cheap, but for your £35k you get a week like no other.

Modball Rally - £2500 per person

6 Awesome Car Rallies For Every Budget

The Modball Rally is essentially a less expensive version of Gumball for modified cars. Entries are taken on a first come, first served basis, with the only prerequisite for cars being that they have at least two modifications. Entries this year include everything from an ABT-tuned Audi R8 V10 Plus to a Renaultsport Clio.

Mongol Rally - £650 per car

Yeah, that's me traversing a river crossing in outer Mongolia!
Yeah, that's me traversing a river crossing in outer Mongolia!

I participated in the Mongol Rally in 2013, and it was the most incredible experience. Travelling across Europe, through Russia and into central Asia exposes you to wildly different cultures and introduces you to friends you’ll keep for life.

To make things interesting, the rules state you must take a car that’s wholly inappropriate for the journey, so you’re supposed to take cars that are more than 10 years old with an engine under 1.0-litres. On top of that, there’s only a stated beginning and end, so you find your own route between the two taking as long as you like.

Including the price of entry, buying a car, paying for visas, and living costs during the trip, you won’t spend much over £2000. There aren’t many ways to better see the world for such a low price.

Much like Modball, Pure Rally takes the idea of Gumball and dilutes it into a package normal people can afford. There are events across the UK, Europe and America, with entry fees depending where you’re going.

You’ll be staying in four-star hotels with parties at each location, and an even wider array of cars taking part. This year there’s a Nurburgring road trip in October if you fancy braving the Eifel region late in the year!

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Originally known as Scumball 3000, the Scumrun is near the very bottom of the budget rally ladder. Routes are kept secret until the actual event, and cars must have been purchased for less than £500. Participants also run with themes for their cars, often dressing up themselves to match it. There’s a great atmosphere at rallies like this, as all ego is taken out of the equation; everyone’s equal and there for a good laugh.

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Comments

Jambret Chinatown

Mongol rally…..!

Can I join that with my Terios?

05/05/2016 - 14:18 |
0 | 0
🎺🎺thank mr skeltal

Is any car allowed to enter Gumball 3000 or does it have to meet a specific value?

05/05/2016 - 14:21 |
26 | 0

Someone entered it with an MX-5, which is about as low budget as you can go, so I assume not

05/05/2016 - 14:54 |
26 | 0

I don’t think the car matters at all, it’s the entry price, so people who can afford it tend to have very expensive cars, but it’s not a requirement no.

05/05/2016 - 20:48 |
2 | 0

One applies to enter and then Maximillion chooses if one is worthy or not

05/06/2016 - 06:19 |
2 | 0

someone entered it in a 2CV so I guess not

05/07/2016 - 09:48 |
0 | 0
Harrison Joyce

Anyone got 35,00k + to do gumball? I’ll add that to the list of if I win the lottery lol

05/05/2016 - 14:22 |
10 | 2
John Paul Tapp

Even though its not a rally theirs the 24 Hours of LeMons for us here in the U.S.A.

05/05/2016 - 14:30 |
220 | 2

I want to do lemons so bad

05/05/2016 - 15:31 |
42 | 2
Brent Fabian [Tracker Guy] (#GMT190LivesMatter) (Natsuki)

In reply to by John Paul Tapp

i was right about to type that as i scrolled down to the comments, then you popped up. WHY U DO DIS

05/05/2016 - 17:08 |
0 | 0

Lemons is cheap and not cheap at the same time. Yes the car has to be less than $500… but that doesn’t include the professionally built roll cage with the $200 of material in it… or the $125 driver entry fee, the tires you go through, the $1000 dollars worth of safety equipment you need for fire protection, the fee’s for entering in pit members. First year start-up cost for our lemons racer was upwards of $2500.

05/05/2016 - 20:19 |
16 | 0

They’re doing a LeMons rally this year too!

05/05/2016 - 20:55 |
2 | 0

I would rather do Lemons than any of the other rallies listed here.

05/06/2016 - 21:57 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

I’m definitely doing the Mongol Rally ! Gotta find friends to do it then

05/05/2016 - 14:33 |
60 | 0
Lassë Lund

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Can i be your friend?

05/05/2016 - 21:51 |
10 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Are you really looking for friends to go with you, because thats exactly what I’m doing :) Let me know when you’re leaving, I’ll be ready in 5 :D

05/06/2016 - 05:09 |
0 | 0
EpicMurrr

I didn’t know Gumball could be that expensive hopefully any car is allowed to join…

05/05/2016 - 14:33 |
0 | 0

If you got the cash, any car can join. They’ve had some ridiculously slow cars in it before. Its actually pretty funny

05/06/2016 - 04:52 |
0 | 0

If the rally involves multiple continents, like in 2008, then the price goes up to well above £50k

05/06/2016 - 06:22 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

-

05/05/2016 - 15:01 |
24 | 2
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

-

05/05/2016 - 15:25 |
16 | 0
Daniel Busker

we have the carbage run and the tullip rally witch are polar opposites + a lot of small weekend roadtrips.

05/05/2016 - 15:19 |
0 | 0
panor86

Mongol Rally and Pekin to Paris are REAL rallies. I want do them sometime in my life…

05/05/2016 - 15:22 |
4 | 0
Kei Cars Are My Jam

Car throttle mongol rally team?

05/05/2016 - 15:46 |
0 | 0