René and Otilia van Zel have been part of what René now calls 'the old guard' since 2016. Their first truly fast car was a new Lamborghini Huracán Spyder. While visiting the importer, Peter from Topauto's told them about StreetGasm. It was the beginning of years filled with drives, journeys and new relationships.
XXL Nutrition started with a crashed BMW
René founded XXL Nutrition in 2004. He was 32 and worked at Essent as Head of Maintenance and Fault Response. A crashed BMW prompted him to start his own business — an origin story that many people now know. From that beginning, XXL Nutrition grew into an established name.
René mainly joins the drives for the driving and does not consciously seek out business contacts. Even so, some great opportunities have come from them, including the partnership with TrainMore and the first steps towards supermarkets through a StreetGasm member who runs a JUMBO supermarket.
Networking with other entrepreneurs, but in a natural way and through a shared passion.
René van Zel
The best journeys
Romania, with the Transalpina and Transfăgărășan, ranks high on the list, as do the drives through the Pyrenees. René loves long days when you truly cover some distance. Those are the drives where the car, the route and the group naturally become one story.
Honeymoon at Alp Attack
One of their most cherished memories is their honeymoon during Alp Attack 2019. A surprise was waiting in their room at every hotel, and of course the usual rally antics were part of the journey. It was also the only time René and Otilia shared one car during a drive like this.
Why become a member? Because otherwise the cars are not driven enough. After a great international drive with StreetGasm, driving in the Netherlands soon feels ordinary. Everything is well organised, the group is great and you visit places you would not otherwise discover easily. The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ remains the car that holds his fondest memories: raw, wide, low, loud and fire-breathing. What more could you want?
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