The Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place next weekend.
Britain’s biggest summer motoring event is the perfect antithesis to the heavily-scripted traditional motor show. For starters, it doesn’t take place in a exhibition centre on the outskirts of a large city. Instead all the action happens in the beautiful grounds of Goodwood House in the Sussex countryside.
It began as a celebration of the sport of hill-climbing, where a track of just over a mile is despatched with a blend of ferocious performance and focussed driving skill. Now every year some of the most famous and rarest two- and four-wheeled vehicles strut their stuff, with some popular drivers doing their bit.
This year, BMW is the featured marque and will be bringing a host of incredible machines for public display and action up the hill. It’s also the anniversary of several landmark motorsport moments in 2016, in particular 40 years since James Hunt’s F1 World Championship and 50 years since Sir Jack Brabham achieved the same feat.
As well as the ultra-rare stuff, keen spotters will have plenty to do as the world’s manufacturers set up camp and bring with them their latest offerings. Honda’s main debut will be its latest NSX hybrid supercar, appearing for the first time in the UK, but the firm’s stand may steal the show; a sneak preview shows it is based on the iconic Fisher Price toy garage from the 1970s, complete with turning handle on the side!
Audi will be bringing a host of machines making their moving debut in the UK, including the S5 Coupe, TT RS and R8 Spyder, while Jaguar’s F-Type SVR and McLaren’s 570S Sprint also debut at the show.
There’s also an impressive list of drivers who have confirmed their attendance, including Gymkhana star Ken Block, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg, plus legends such as Sir Stirling Moss, John Surtees and Jackie Stewart.
For more information, visit www.goodwood.com.