The Goodwood Festival of Speed is one of the biggest events on the motoring calendar.
A collection of all things four-wheeled (and sometimes two and three, too) it attracts huge crowds to a tiny area in West Sussex. This year, it has been home to some seriously big reveals as well as cars, bikes and other vehicles of all shapes and sizes. There has been a lot to take in, that’s for sure, so we’ve picked out some of the biggest highlights from this year’s show. Let’s dive in.
Mercedes-AMG Project One
The Mercedes-AMG Project One has been on the cards for a little while now. This ultra-sleek hypercar is underpinned by Formula One-based technology, with a hybrid powertrain delivering huge performance and a top speed of well over 200mph.
This year’s Festival of Speed marked one of the first times that we’ve seen the Project One driven in the metal and it definitely put on a show for the crowds.
BMW M3 Touring – celebrating 50 years of the M division
BMW went all-in with the Festival of Speed this year - mainly due to its M division celebrating its 50th anniversary at the show. In fact, M was the highlight of the famous ‘Central Feature’ display outside Goodwood House this year.
But there was a show-stopping reveal at the Festival this year - the M3 Touring. It’s a car that enthusiasts have been crying out for, so it’s no wonder why the BMW stand was swamped for the entire weekend.
Polestar 02 Roadster Concept
Polestar had a huge stand at this year’s Festival and one of the standout cars placed within it was the striking 02 Roadster Concept. It’s the brand’s first soft-top and has been created with a special focus on aerodynamics in mind.
It’s also been made with a range of sustainable materials, including an interior made mainly from recycled polyester which is easier to recycle once the car has reached the end of its life.
Renault 5 concept
There was a strong electric contingent at this year’s Festival of Speed, with a huge ‘Electric Avenue’ section containing some of the latest EVs to appear on the scene. The Renault 5 Concept drew in a big crowd, too, with this retro-inspired car’s striking looks turning a lot of heads.
It’s set to head into production in 2024, too, with the Concept’s boxy arches being more than reminiscent of the original Renault 5 Turbo.
Range Rover Sport
We’d already seen the Range Rover Sport revealed, but this year’s Festival marked its dynamic UK debut. The Sport has been a fearsomely popular car for Jaguar Land Rover, which is why this latest version backs some of the latest technology as well as a wide variety of engines.
It certainly put the miles in over the famous hill climb, with its test drivers definitely not lacking commitment when hustling this big SUV.
Pagani Huayra Codalunga
Pagani isn’t a company for under-the-radar design and nowhere is this more evident than with the Huayra Codalunga. Making its dynamic debut at Goodwood, the Codalunga has been designed to hark back to the race cars of the 1960s.
Limited to just five examples - with each one costing over £5.97m - the Codalunga is one of the most exclusive cars that Pagani has ever created.
Lanzante P1 Spider
Lanzante definitely had one of the surprises of the show with a convertible version of McLaren’s famous P1. Called the P1 Spider, it’s a car that McLaren chose not to build, but Lanzante has successfully completed the conversion - though just five will be completed.
Performance is said to be unaffected in the switch to a soft-top, while the whole car has been strengthened to ensure that there is no loss in stiffness with the roof removed.
New hill climb record set by Max Chilton in the McMurtry Automotive Speirling
But despite all of the uber-exotic hypercars and limited editions, the talk of the town was the record-breaking run by the tiny McMurtry Automotive Speirling. WIth ex-Formula One driver Max Chilton behind the wheel, it smashed the previous record - set by the Volkswagen ID R - with a time of 39.14 seconds.
Modified specifically for the hill climb, the McMurty uses a twin electric motor setup, while a powerful twin-fan setup generates up to 2,000kg of downforce even when standing still.