The Goodwood Festival of Speed might be over for another year, but with exhaust fumes still lingering over the Sussex Downs, we look back at the best of this year’s hi-octane romp through the ages of motor sport.
Lewis Hamilton presses the flesh at Goodwood FoS
Once again, the must-go event for petrolheads and fashionistas, alike, proved to be the unmissable spectacle of white-knuckle driving we’ve learned to expect. Forget the elitist attitude of Formula One, the Goodwood Festival of Speed (FoS) is about as close as most of us will ever get to such a snarling, spitting collection of racing machines – and the speed-hungry pilots that risk life and limb to propel them up the terrifying hay-bale and flint wall-lined hill climb. Here’s our guide to the best of this year’s action.
Start your engines
Let’s fire up this blog with a couple of sound bites to put you in the mood for action. Recorded live at the FoS, we captured a 1970s Chevron Chevrolet B24 racer and a Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 car. Click the sound clips below and let the adrenaline surge through your veins…
Goodwood FoS – our pick of the cars
So many cars, so many tales to tell, but we’ve picked just a few cars that caught our eye at this year’s FoS.
Maserati 250F: The 220bhp 2.5-litre Maserati 250F that the legendary Juan Manual Fangio drove to a brace of F1 wins in 1954.
Bentley Number One: This old fella won Le Mans in 1920 and 1930. The car finally retired from racing after crashing out in horrific style going over the banking at Brooklands in 1932 – killing its driver ‘Bentley Boy’ Clive Dunfee.
Maserati Alfieri concept car: Maserati celebrated its centenary at Goodwood, while also showing an eye for the future with this 520bhp Aliferi concept car that will bothering the likes of Jaguar’s F-Type and the Porsche 911 come 2016.
Michael Schumacher’s Benettons: With slightly more encouraging news about the seven-time F1 champ coming out of his camp, his old Benetton rides were drawing plenty of attention.
Formula E car: If electric cars make you think Nissan Leaf, then prepare for a shock… meet this all-electric racer that fires from 0-62mph in just 3.0 seconds and powers on to a top speed of 142mph. The new Formula E race series kicks off later this year in Beijing.
Jaguar Project 7: This 567bhp monster is inspired by the D-type that’s celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. It’s also set to become Jag’s fastest road-going car with its 5.0-litre supercharged V8 blasting it from 0-62mph in just 3.9 seconds before topping out at 186mph. The Project 7 will be limited to just 250 examples and will be built by the manufacturer’s new SVO division.
Mercedes AMG Petronas F1: It’s the current F1 table-topper and looking unlikely to be pushed from its lofty perch any time soon. The only real question is whether Brit racer Lewis Hamilton can get a bit of luck to go his way and pip German team mate Rosberg for the title. Have a listen to it, above.
VW Golf GTI Roadster: Who said that Golfs were dull? Just check out this concept car that was designed for the Gran Turismo franchise. The GTI Roadster is powered by a 500bhp, 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6. Just don’t expect to see it in your local dealership any time soon.
Shelby Mustang GT 350: A must-have Mustang for the serious collector, this 302bhp, 4.7-litre GT-350 was looking resplendent on Goodwood’s Cartier Concours Lawn.
Napier Railton: Built in 1933 and powered by an engine taken from a plane, this racer came from an age where drivers would consider losing a leg as no more than a minor inconvenience. Getting up close to this beast really is an awe-inspiring experience. It is also famous for setting the lap record at Brooklands racing circuit with an average speed of 143mph.
There’s always one…
Some people should stick to two wheels when it comes to transport… and Olympic cycling champ Chris Hoy is one such person. Swapping the velodrome for the Goodwood Hill and his bike for a Nissan GT-R Nismo turned out to be a poor choice. Watch the video to see what happened when Chris went driving.
Our photos
Sit back and enjoy some more of the photos from our day at the FoS.
