It is, at last, time for this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Join us on the ground and on this page from Thursday 13 July to Sunday 16 July as we cover all the latest car unveilings and public debuts, as well as some of the best classic machinery the world has to offer.
This year’s theme, Goodwood 75, celebrates the 75 years of motorsport history since the Goodwood Motor Circuit opened in 1948, as well as 30 years of the Festival of Speed.
The famed Goodwood hillclimb features a series of cars that celebrate the various eras of motorsport at the site: a group for the racing years (1948-1966); the testing years (post-1966); the Festival of Speed’s 30th anniversary (1993-2023); the return of racing (1998-2023) and the next 75 years. They will be joined by a roster of brand-new metal and special exhibits, including air displays by the Red Arrows on Thursday and Friday.
Porsche, which this year marks 75 years since it produced its first sports car, will be celebrated by the Festival of Speed’s central feature, this year designed by Gerry Judah. The firm will also show several new cars at the event.
So, what should you look out for at this year’s Festival of Speed? We’ve compiled a list of the biggest arrivals…
Cars to see at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed
AIM EV Sport 01
The designer of the Nissan GT-R has returned to the drawing board to create this shapely 483bhp electric sports car that weighs just 1425kg. It uses two liquid-cooled, high-performance electric motors (one on each of the rear wheels) with a maximum speed of 10,000rpm. They draw their reserves from an 81kWh battery split into four packs for a total torque figure of 582lb ft, helping it to achieve a sub-6.0sec 0-62mph time.
Nissan GT-R designer creates lightweight, 483bhp EV sports car
Alpine A290
With its sights set on the mainstream market, Alpine is launching this Renault 5-based hot hatchback, which will make its public debut at Goodwood. With an FIA-approved racing chassis and two motors mounted on the front axle, the production car promises to be a more usable accompaniment to the widely acclaimed A110, while retaining the marque’s sporting character.
Alpine A290 on sale in 2024 as feisty electric hot hatch
Ariel Atom 4R
In a surprise unveiling, Ariel has taken the covers off the latest development of the Atom. Dubbed the 4R, it’s the most powerful four-cylinder version of the track toy to date, boosting the Honda-sourced powerplant to a whopping 400bhp. That’s not all, because it also gets a new Quaife six-speed sequential gearbox, Öhlins dampers, and carbon-ceramic disc brakes.