The Gumball 3000->ke4396 is an exciting thing to be a part of, but when you get hundreds of nice cars together to go on a 3,000-mile road trip, there is bound to be some carnage and general mayhem. Sadly that often means that one of the cool and valuable cars entered in the rally will not be going home in one piece. That story rings true for this modified Shelby Cobra->ke2263.

The car is said to be good for 800 horsepower, and it looked downright menacing with its matte-black vinyl wrap. At some point during what looks like the UK leg of the trip, the Cobra was involved in an accident that ripped most of the car's front end clean off. Most of the suspension, wheels and body work are completely missing in the photos gathered by GT Spirit. There is no information on the cause of the crash, but thankfully it appears that all those involved are safe.

The car itself was a 1966 model and as entry number 113, it was the official car from Battery Energy Drink, one of the main sponsors of this year's rally.

Epic road trips are lots of fun, I love them, but it is important to remember to keep it safe out there. Especially when piloting an 800-horsepower hot rod->ke1663 with no roof.

Click past the jump to read more about the Shelby Cobra.

Why It Matters

Without more details on the accident it is very important to not jump to conclusions. Just because this car was in Gumball does not mean the owners were speeding, racing, or otherwise operating outside the bounds of the law.

Being a driver in Gumball can be considered more dangerous, but not because of driver's doing dangerous things. When these cars are out on the road, other motorists get distracted trying to stare, take pictures and more. Then there are the collection of motorists who take this opportunity to try and show off or race against these cars.

We are fans of cars, just like you, but we do what we can to stay safe on the road, and we would all appreciate it if you guys did too. If you want to see the car or talk to the driver, just follow it until it stops. Most of these things drink lots of fuel, so it likely wont be long.

Shelby Cobra

This particular car is a 1966 Shleby Cobra CSX400 427 S/C. Even before any modifications this car was good for 550 horsepower. Turning up the boost pressure on the supercharger combined with some internal upgrades increases that power rating all the way up to an estimated 800 rampant ponies.

The car is finished in a really nice matte-black with gold stripes that is supposed to pay homage to the famous Hertz Mustangs of the 1960's

We hope the car is still salvageable, as it would be a tragedy to loose such an iconic car to an accident on the Gumball.