Latest news with #DarrenLiggett
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Bumblebee 1000 is gearing up for its latest charity supercar roadtrip
BUMBLEBEE 1000 is now gearing up for its second charity event of 2025 — The Talladega Nights Roadtrip — which takes place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 13-15. This latest adventure will feature over 100 of Ireland's finest supercars. 6 RED DEVIL: This red SF90 features loads of carbon pieces, even the Ferrari badges and weheels are carbon Credit: Darren Liggett I can't list them all but here's a few to whet your appetite. In just over two weeks you will be able to see some of Italy's finest supercars like the stunning twin-turbo V8 Ferrari SF90 that produces 986bhp, or the twin-turbo V6, 819bhp Ferrari 296 GTB. Like your Lamborghinis? Well there will be a herd of raging bulls taking part including Huracáns and the track-inspired STOs, plus V12 Aventadors and the exclusive SVJ models. Other Lamborghinis taking part is a super rare Aventador SVJ 63, a limited edition model with only 63 of them in the world. And the last Gallardo Superleggera ever made, number 618 of 618, will be taking part, this incredible machine, once owned by Eric Clapton, has to be seen to be believed. 6 RARE BEAST: Limited edition Lamborghini Aventador 63 Credit: Bumblebee 1000 6 HEAVY METAL: Beautiful Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera was previously owned by Eric Clapton Credit: Darren Liggett There will be Bentley Continental GTs including Ireland's only 2025 Mulliner model and other luxury marques include Rolls Royce Cullinan. Other spectacular supercars will include many McLaren models including a 765LT that can blitz 0-100kph in just 2.8secs. Most read in Motors Plus German sportscars will be out in force and you can see plenty of Porsche models like the race-ready GT3 RS, and also add in a bevy of BMW M cars. And we cant forget Mercedes so make sure to check out the E53 and C63 AMG models and all the Audi V10 R8 supercars. There will also be Nissan R35 GT-Rs including a rare NISMO model. Ben Lambe will be bringing his Ford Ranger Raptor that's kitted out like an American SWAT Team truck. And I'll be joining the adventure as the Irish Sun's tamed motoring editor — The Ligg. ROUTE DETAILS: Talladega Nights Roadtrip June 13-15 DAY 1 - Friday June 13 STARTLINE : Barberstown Castle, Dublin, 9am PITSTOP : National School, Scoil Bhride, Sallins Rd, Naas, Kildare, 10am FUEL STOP : Barrack Obama Plaza, Junction 12, Moneygall, Tipperary, 12 noon LUNCH STOP : Woodlands Hotel, Adare, Limerick, 1.30pm FINISH LINE : Neil Armstrong Way, Tralee Town, Kerry, 4pm DAY 2 - Saturday June 14 FUEL STOP : Walsh's SuperValu Caherciveen, Kerry, 10.30am LUNCH STOP : Sneem Hotel, Sneem, Kerry, 12.30pm FINISH LINE : Lewis Road Car Park, Killarney Town, Kerry, 3pm DAY 3 - Sunday, June 15 START LINE : The Europe Hotel Killarney, Kerry, 9.30am FUEL STOP : Mallow N20 Plaza, Limerick Rd, Mallow, Cork, 11am LUNCH STOP : Charleville Park Hotel, Charleville, Cork, 12.30pm FINISH LINE : Portlaoise Plaza, Junction 17, Portloaise, Loais, 3pm 6 WINGING IT: Porsche GT3 RS Weissach edtion Credit: Jacob Liggett Day One of the big three-day adventure kicks off bright and early at 9am on Friday, June 13 starting from Barberstown Castle near Dublin. The first Pit Stop will take pace at the National School, Scoil Bhríde, Sallins Road, Naas, Kildare at 10am and then we'll make our way to our first Fuel Stop which will be at the Barrack Obama Plaza, Junction 12, Moneygall, Tipperary at noon. We will then journey to the Woodlands Hotel, Adare, Limerick for lunch at 1.30pm. And Day One will come to an end at the Neil Armstrong Way, Tralee, in Kerry as we cross the Finish Line at 4pm. Day Two , Saturday, June 14 , will see us meet up at 10.30am and fuel our machines at Walsh's SuperValu, Caherciveen, in Kerry. Then we will hit the road again and power our way to the Sneem Hotel, in Sneem in Kerry where we will stop for lunch at 12.30pm. It will be another dash to the Day Two Finish Line, arriving at 3pm at the Lewis Road Car Park, Killarney, in Kerry. Day Three , June 15, will be another early start as those having a lie-in at the Europe Hotel in Killarney will awaken to the sounds of over 100 supercars starting up and revving into life at 9.30am. The multi-million euro convoy will head south to Cork and make a much-needed Fuel Stop at the Mallow N20 Plaza, Limerick Road in Mallow, at 11am. Lunch will be held in the Charleville Park Hotel, Charleville, Cork, at 12.30pm. Then the roadtrip will be on its final stretch as it heads for the Finish Line at the Portlaoise Plaza, Junction 17, Portlaoise, Laois at 3pm. As always, all proceeds from this event will go to the fabulous Little Blue Heroes charity that's voluntarily led by Garda members and provides vital support to the families of sick kids. Read more on the Irish Sun To date, Bumblebee 1000 has raised over €608,649 for this incredible charity organisation. For more info head over to 6 HOW G-R8 THOU ART: Audi R8 V10+ are a popular Bumblebee choice Credit: Jerry McCarthy 6 FAST AND FURIOUS: Beautiful 820bhp Ferrari 296 GTB Credit: Jerry McCarthy
The Irish Sun
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
I rented a motorhome with massive bedroom and plenty of storage space for Irish holiday – it was like hotel on wheels
WITH the weather hotter here than Spain last week it was the perfect time to take a well earned break. And when the sun is shining and temperatures are peaking at 25°, Ireland is simply unbeatable for its stunning locations and incredible scenery. 6 STUNNING SCENERY: Irish Sun Motoring Editor, Darren Liggett stopping at the picturesque Gleniff Horseshoe in Sligo Credit: Darren Liggett 6 The Roller Team Zefiro 696 is like a hotel on wheels with everything you need from a full-sized fridge and freezer, 3-ring gas cooker, oven and grill, separate shower and toilet with sink, hot running water, a cool electrically operated bed that lowers from the roof, Wi-Fi, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay plus a handy bike rack Credit: Darren Liggett The perfect way to properly explore the Emerald Isle at short notice is to hire a motorhome and after a quick Google search we found They're conveniently located an hour from Belfast and Dublin airports, just 15 minutes from the M1 motorway situated on the Armagh/Monaghan border. And as I live in Northern Ireland it was the ideal starting point to start our journey to Donegal and begin our sunny adventure on the Wild Atlantic Way. This van-tastic machine is a four-berth variant and quite a big girl with a long rear overhang. But it's actually very easy to drive once you get used to its dimensions. Power comes from a trusty 2.0-litre turbo diesel that produces 130bhp and 385Nm of torque, so it performs well. But it's more of a cruiser as it is a mobile home on wheels after all, so making steady progress is advised to keep your pots and pans in place over bumpy surfaces. Most read in Motors The six-speed manual gearbox is situated high up in the dash and it's perfectly in reach, which is handy because if you are travelling through very hilly terrain like we were, then you'll need to make use of the gears. KEY FACTS: Roller Team Zefiro 696 Engine: 2.0-litre, turbo diesel, TDI, Euro 6D Power: 130bhp Torque: 385Nm Gearbox: 6-speed manual Drivetrain: Front-wheel drive Fuel economy: 30mpg Berth: Sleeps 4 people Fridge/freezer: Runs off 220v, 12v and gas Weight: 3,500kg It is actually quite economical returning 30mpg which is good considering it's a hotel on wheels for four people plus all your own possessions and food. The Roller Team Zefiro 696 layout consists of driver and passenger up front as you would have in a regular transit. Behind are two additional seats with seat belts for travelling with another seat off to the left. The two front seats are captain chairs that can be swivelled around so you can sit around a large adjustable table that could comfortably seat five people. Above the dining area is a double bed. The cool thing about it is it is electronically operated — during the day it's in the up position but to use the bed you press a button and it lowers down. You also have a massive skylight in front of you that you can use to gaze at the stars. If you have kids they will absolutely love sleeping up there and to keep them safe there are two nets that hook up to the roof to avoid any falls. Moving back through the cabin you have a full-size shower on the left and to the right a full size toilet and sink with plenty of room to move around unlike some campers that are very cramped in this area. 6 HOME FROM HOME: Ireland is full of stunning scenery, you just need to get out there and explore Credit: Darren Liggett At the rear is a massive bedroom with a queen size bed with storage for your bags underneath plus a cupboard on each side. Then above the bed there's more storage compartments plus handy LED downlighters that are perfect for reading at night. There is plenty of other storage throughout the motorhome for everything else and Camperhire4u provide all your plates, pots, pans, cutlery, mugs and bedding, plus gas for cooking and heating. The Roller Team Zefiro 696 comes equipped with a full-size fridge and freezer, similar to what you would have at home, and there is also a three-ring cooker with grill and oven that are all gas-operated. The fridge can either be operated by gas or 12v when you are driving and when you park up in a camp site, you can hook up to 220v and make use of the four three-pin sockets throughout the cabin. 6 ON YER BIKE: Irish Sun Motoring Editor, Darren Liggett tours the Wild Atlantic Way in a hired motorhome, Credit: Darren Liggett There is also a handy bike rack on the back which we put to good use as the weather was fantastic. Our first port of call was Donegal where we discovered a beautiful cliff-top lay-by over looking the stunning Rossnowlagh beach. It was the perfect spot to stop for the night as the sun set behind the mountains which seemed to have 100 different colours glistening on the waves below. Bringing some bikes with you is a great idea as you could find where you want to park for the night and then cycle into the town, village or nearest beach to further explore. Our plan was to see if we could do the full Atlantic Way drive over five days but the weather was too good to be on the road the whole time so we stayed in Donegal a further night before heading to the Gleniff Horseshoe in Sligo. This is another must-see location as the mountain range and surrounding areas are simply stunning, while up next was the equally impressive Mullaghmore Head with more picture-perfect beaches that are a haven for surfers. Maybe it was the good weather, but everyone was so nice and in a good mood, and I'm not just talking about the locals. 6 ULTIMATE MOTORHOME: This amazing Volvo FMX 4x4 expedition truck is owned by Tony and Petra from the Netherlands who have been travelling full time in it for two years Credit: Darren Liggett When we parked up in Mullaghmore for the night, we stopped beside one of the most incredible machines I've ever seen. This amazing Volvo FMX 4x4 expedition truck is owned by Tony and Petra from the Netherlands who have been travelling full-time in it across the whole of Europe for the last two years. And is their favourite place that they have visited since they began travelling? Scotland and Ireland, as they love the scenery and the people. The next morning we stopped at the harbour for a coffee and got chatting with a lovely woman called Collette from Anahilt in Northern Ireland who owns a holiday home there with her husband David. 6 Irish Sun Motoring Editor gets to drive a boat while holidaying on the Wild Atlantic Way Credit: Kelly Liggett David arrived a few minutes later and after a brief chat with him about his new boat he'd just parked up, we were out on the sea with him for a quick spin, and he even let me drive his new Suzuki powered RIB. Maybe on our next motorhome trip we'll see more of the Wild Atlantic Way. But after stopping at Achill Island in Mayo and parking up in the stunning Keel beach, it was hard to leave, so we enjoyed two more nights of sun, sea and sunsets. So what are you waiting for? Read more on the Irish Sun Contact Gerard via his website — I guarantee you'll have a great time, I just can't guarantee good weather.
