Cannonball run europe rally 2003 : Cars stuff

Cannonball run europe rally 2003

07.15.2007 | 8:45 pm | Motoring DVD reviews

Inspired by the classic film of the same title, the Cannonball Run Europe is an annual race across Europe attended by some of the fastest cars on the road.The 2003 rally was filmed by a crew following the cars from start to finish in a NOS powered Range Rover.

The film starts with a quick introduction to the race and the drivers taking part, before the film crew and follow the Cannonballers hit the road on the

way to their first waypoint. Bumps, scratches and write-offs are acceptable risks on rallies, and it isn’t long before an unfortunate SLK 230 meets a ditch after taking a wet
corner too fast.

Luckily nobody was hurt, but this part of the film interestingly highlighted how concerned the racers were about the police spotting any dangerous

driving on the rally. To avoid any unwanted attention, the crashed team’s fellow Cannonballers waste no time in removing all stickers, badges, maps from the Merc before the police arrive. By day two even more cars have been knocked out of the rally due to accidents and breakdowns. To make matters worse, the camera crew are in the custody of Spanish police after a tip-off from a man on a donkey who spotted them speeding.

The footage becomes a little broken up at this point, as the camera crew explain how the police erased their tapes and wouldn’t allow the crew to film while they were around. Luckily breaking the law in Spain is paid for in cash, not jail time, and the camera crew were back on the road later that day.

Up until now there hasn’t been much footage of the actual cars involved, as the camera crew have been a bit busy with the locals, but this changes once they reach the port. There are some great shots of the various sports cars taking part in the Cannonball Rally as they board and leave the ferry, and we get to meet a few more of the Cannonballers on the trip.

By day four the rally is tackling the winding roads of the Andorran Mountains, the highlight of which is undoubtedly the mini-race involving a Porsche,

BMW and the camera crew’s Range Rover. We get to see the cars cross some beautiful scenery throughout the run, ending at the Hotel Leon where we hear from more Cannonball drivers as they recap on the day’s events. A track day is planned for day five, but heavy rain forces the drivers to wait. The boredom leads to a comical, almost ballet-like chase between one of the Porsches and a police 4×4 in a car park after being warned about doing donuts. Luckily the track day isn’t called off and a few of the braver Cannonballers take to the tarmac. This is the first part of the film where we see the drivers really show off their cars and driving skills, and the footage of the cars racing round the waterlogged track is a real treat to watch.

As the end of the rally nears, the drivers begin their journey home. As well as the usual on-road footage, we see trucks carrying the less fortunate

cars, or what’s left of them at least. Writing-off cars is just part of the experience! As with any good DVD, Cannonball Run 2003 comes with special features. Just in case you’re wondering what could possibly happen on top of a £200,000 Aston Martin at the final night party, this is where you’ll find out. Also notable in the special features is an introduction to rally organiser Tim Porter’s Japanese imports business, a photo gallery, an RIP gallery of cars that didn’t make it home and a music video from Mantaray.

If you’re thinking of being a part of next year’s Cannonball Run but you’re not quite sure, watch this DVD and you’ll wonder how you ever questioned it.