Goodwood’s six sexiest steeds

THIS year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed (FoS) celebrates some key automotive milestones like the centenary year of the Le Mans 24 Hours, 75 years of Porsche and of course three decades of the bourgeoisie hill-climb event.

Hosted by Charles Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond, at Goodwood House in England, the iconic event transforms the property into a motorsport Mecca for just four days – the centrepiece being a treacherous hill-climb.

Vehicle manufacturers release hotly anticipated performance models at the event, while the raft of rare-as-hens-teeth racers also rolled out, many of them one-off examples, offer sensory overload for motor-heads old and young.

In celebrating 100 years of the Le Mans 24 Hours, many of the most revered endurance racers assembled for the occasion. From the game-changing Ford GT40 to Mazda’s screaming 787B, a crowd-favourite Maclaren F1 GTR and even Audi’s sooty R10 TDI, there was no shortage of Le Mans cult cars on offer.

We’d need a separate book to even begin to touch on just how many incredible cars were at FoS this year, so here are six of the vehicle releases and sneak peeks that caught our attention, in no particular order.

Celebrating Stuttgart

Porsche celebrated 75 years since the release of its first sports car, the 356, using Goodwood FoS to celebrate the milestone.

The German marque brought out the big guns to mark the occasion, premiering a stunning electric Vision 357 Speedster based on the petrol-powered Vision 357 released earlier this year, which pays homage to the 356 with retro-modern styling and familiar lines.

No manufacturer does a better job of carrying a design theme across model generations, with the open-top 357 honouring the 356 Speedster that represented the pinnacle of motoring freedom back in the ‘50s.

The 357 Speedster may honour Porsche’s history, but it looks firmly to the future with its 718 GT4 e-Performance drivetrain and 718 GT4 Clubsport chassis, offering blistering performance potential.

While Porsche hasn’t offered official power output details, the 718 GT4 e-Performance it shares its electron-powered heart with, offers peak power of almost 800kW.

The Speedster features a shortened windscreen and one-sided tonneau cover, like its distant relatives, highlighting its sleek, monolithic body.

“The Porsche Vision 357 is a nod to the first Porsche model line, Ferry Porsche’s dream sports car,” said Style Porsche vice president, Michael Mauer.

“And since the 356 has burned itself into the collective brand memory as both a convertible and a coupé, the same logic applies to the concept car: there can only be two.

“The Porsche Vision 357 Speedster embodies the essence of the brand.”

Not only is Porsche celebrating 75 years building cars out of Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, this year also marks 60 years of the legendary 911, a model that spawned countless automotive enthusiasts across generations.

Bentley Speed Six return

Bentley has breathed new life into the Speed Six after 93 years, with Speed Six Car Zero, debuting the artisan-built race machine at FoS.

This isn’t a replica, though, because Bentley pieced together an entirely new car based off the original and built it using the same processes through the Mulliner Continuation Series.

The Continuation Series by Mulliner referenced original drawings and mechanic notes from company archives to piece the new Speed Six together, studying the 1930 Speed Six in Bentley’s Heritage Collection as well as an original 1930 Le Mans racer known as ‘Old Number 3’.

More than 600 parts were created from scratch for Car Zero, built ‘the old way’ across the past ten months, creating a Speed Six that produces nearly identical power to the original racers.

Bentley says initial dyno testing of the 6.5-litre six-cylinder race-spec engines showed them to produce 205bhp, within 5bhp of the 1930s race engines.

Car Zero, used for real-world durability and track testing, will be retained by Bentley but the firm will build 12 customer cars – all of which are already sold.

The new Speed Six was built and trimmed at Mulliner’s workshop within the Bentley Dream Factory at Crewe in the United Kingdom and while this model was finished in Parsons Napier Green with tan leather interior, customers will have the chance to discuss tailored specifications for their Speed Six Factory Works vehicles.

Deep pockets were undoubtedly reached into, for the 12 lucky owners-to-be.

Polestar takes EV pole position

Polestar showcased its forthcoming 3 and 5 model prototypes at this year’s FoS, debuting the electric vehicles with joy rides up the hill.

On-show in the First Glance Paddock, the Polestar 3 and 5 were joined by the 2 BST edition 230, ahead of their hill climb efforts with a few lucky passengers taken for the ride of their life.

“We love showing our latest prototypes to the public at Goodwood,” said Polestar CEO, Thomas Ingenlath.

“With production now starting in the first quarter of 2024, it’s time for Polestar 3 to take its first-ever run up the famous Hill.

“The latest Polestar 5 verification prototype is here, too. Developed in the UK, Goodwood is like home turf for our electric four-door GT.”

Both have been confirmed for Australia with the Polestar 3 already available for order online, with deliveries expected from Q2 next year, while the 5 is expected to launch in 2024.

Electrifying Caterham

Specialist British manufacturer Caterham is best known for lightweight, (almost) open-wheel driving machines designed primarily to be used on the racetrack, like the Seven, but it has turned its attention to road-going EVs.

The firm’s latest offering, Project V, is an electric coupe that honours the minimalistic Caterham design ethos with a low kerb weight and serious track potential.

Project V features a 200kW single motor, driving the rear wheels, paired with a 55kWh lithium-ion battery offering a targeted WLTP range of around 400km.

A low kerb weight of 1190kg in two-seater configuration allows a 0-100km/h time of less than 4.5 seconds and estimated top speed of 230km/h, with weight savings achieved through the use of a carbon-fibre and aluminium composite chassis.

The Project V will be available in 2+1 and optional 2+2 seating layouts, with double wishbone suspension all round and fully adjustable geometry – hinting at its track day potential.

“Project V is not just a concept or design study, we’ve conducted engineering and production feasibility throughout the development process,” said Caterham Cars CEO, Bob Laishley.

"An electric Caterham of any shape and size has to stay true to what sets us apart from everyone else: being lightweight, simple and offering an unparalleled driving experience; that’s our DNA.

“Project V fulfils our ambition to sustainably grow the company and explore electrification simultaneously.”

The Caterham’s Project V is expected to launch in late 2025 or early 2026, with a target price “starting from less than £80,000”.

Retro-inspired Valour

Aston Martin is celebrating its 110th anniversary with a special-edition reimagination of both its older flagship Vantage and legendary ‘Muncher’ Le Mans racer, with the new true-to-form front-engined, rear-driven Valour - and it has a V12 with a manual gearbox behind it!

The Valour is limited to just 110 units globally, offering a deliberately engaging driving experience aimed at purists and, well, unhinged Aston aficionados.

Opting to send all 525kW from the 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 through a six-speed manual ‘box, onto a mechanical limited-slip differential, is a bold move the firm says offers “a truly absorbing experience” for owners.

Huge 275mm front and 325mm rear tyres are tasked with providing grip, fitted to 21-inch lightweight forged alloy ‘honeycomb’ wheels, while stopping power comes courtesy of 410mm front rotors gripped by six-piston calipers with four-piston units up back.

The brutish grunt is complemented by the Valour’s chiseled lines and dramatic go-fast features, like front splitter and fender vents, futuristic LED head- and taillights and a huge rear diffuser that houses triple tailpipes.

But beyond the modern exterior and aerodynamic design focus lies a timeless two-seat cockpit that focuses on achieving “uncommon simplicity and seductive tactility,” with traditional woolen tweed seat coverings and even the choice of a walnut gear knob.

Aston Martin went as far as to leave the shift mechanism exposed for dramatic effect and to pay homage to the Velour’s motorsport bloodline.

“Inspired by the iconic, muscle cars from our past, we have endowed Velour with an abundance of power and torque, while using modern technology and engineering to make that performance more exploitable and enjoyable,” said Aston Martin director of vehicle performance, Simon Newton.

“A big part of honouring that driver-pleasing character was mating our fabulous V12 engine to a manual transmission.

“It was a unique part of the brief, and the end result is something truly unforgettable; a state-of-the-art driver’s car that thrives on being pushed to its limits and has the true heart and soul of a timeless analogue classic’.”

Maserati duo celebrate outgoing eight-banger

Purveyors of the mighty V8, Maserati, paid their respects to the engine type most associated with performance and aural excitement with two new models.

The House of Trident bids farewell to eight-cylinder models, of which they’ve sold 100,000 across 64 years, with the Ghibli 334 Ultima and Levante V8 Ultima - both powered by, you guessed it, a 420kW twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8.

Going out with a bang the Ghibli 334 Ultima – the ‘334’ denoting its top speed - will become the fastest internal combustion engine sedan in the world, a mere 1km/h faster than Bentley’s Flying Spur.

While the Levante V8 Ultima doesn’t set any records, it features a carbon exterior kit as standard, two unique paint colours, and unique details in this special-edition trim.

Just 103 of each vehicle will be produced by Maserati much like the original V8 hero car, the 5000GT, before buyers will have to opt for a V6 powertrain.

And then…

Other noteworthy appearances were MG’s Cyberster performance electric convertible, and McMurtry Automotive’s track-only record-setting Speirling, among countless other performance icons.

As manufacturers make a return to motor shows and automotive events like FoS, waiting patiently to showcase their latest developments at popular public events, the hype around the car show calendar grows.

From ear-piercing racers like Mazda’s 787B, to the stunning resurrection of Bentley’s Speed Six, this year’s FoS had something for everyone.

There’s a clear reason the world’s automotive community converges at this event - which is is arguably the greatest motoring spectacle of all time.