This weekend, more than 200,000 car fans and families are enjoying the sold-out Goodwood Festival of Speed – which has become the nation’s unofficial motor show set in a stately home garden party.
The four-day automotive extravaganza (goodwood.com) takes place in the parkland grounds of Goodwood House, near Chichester, and is hosted by the Duke of Richmond – under whose stewardship it has grown massively in scale and ambition since its launch in 1993.
As well as attracting a record number of champion drivers and cars from Formula One – this year enjoying its 75th anniversary – the Festival of Speed provides a launchpad for debuts from sporting, luxury, supercar and mainstream car firms including Aston Martin, with its new Vantage S and Vanquish Volante, BMW, Chevrolet and Ferrari.
Goodwood marks the UK debut of Renault’s new R4 E-Tech electric crossover, which is also tackling the challenging 1.16-mile hill-climb course.
Priced in three trim levels from £26,995 to £30,995, the new R4 is the more practical sibling of the award-winning Renault 5 E-Tech, costing from £22,995, which landed in UK driveways from April. Order books for the R4 open from July 15 ahead of the first deliveries in October.
On static display is a design model of the head-banging £140,000 555hp Renault 5 Turbo 3e mini supercar, which accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in under 3.5 seconds, up to a top speed of 167 mph. Expect first deliveries from 2027.
Pole position: Sculpture honouring Gordon Murray’s designs
Legendary American marque Chevrolet is unveiling its first hybrid Corvette ‘muscle-car’ with my name on it: the 643 horsepower (473 kW) E-Ray.
Combining a 6.2 litre V8 petrol engine with an electric motor, it accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in a sizzling 2.9 seconds and is available to order in right-hand drive from £153,440 for the coupe and £159,230 for the convertible. First deliveries in September.
Chinese car-giant BYD presents its new premium brand Denza, ahead of its UK launch in early 2026. It is showing three fully electric and plug-in hybrid cars: a Z9 GT shooting brake, upmarket MPV called D9 and a rugged Land Rover Discovery rival called B5.
Chinese car-giant BYD presents its new premium brand Denza, ahead of its UK launch in early 2026
The four-day automotive extravaganza takes place in the parkland grounds of Goodwood House
Goodwood Festival of Speed has become the nation’s unofficial motor show
BYD itself recently launched its new Dolphin Surf electric city car with a range of 200 miles and priced from £18,650.
Ferrari is featuring four new models, including debuts of the new Amalfi sports car, which I road tested this month, the 296 Speciale, F80 and 12Cilindri.=
The giant central display in front of Goodwood House honours 60 years of car design by the legendary Gordon Murray, whose highlights include the McLaren F1 supercar and lightweight T.50 hypercar.
Bentley
For decades it has been the iconic ‘Front of House’ gateway for VIP guests, prospective owners and even journalists like me as they entered British luxury car-maker Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe.
But following Tuesday’s reveal of its futuristic grand tourer, the doors to Bentley’s mission control centre will be shut to outsiders.
Top secret: Following Tuesday’s reveal of its futuristic grand tourer (pictured), the doors to Bentley’s mission control centre will be shut to outsiders
The historic building is taking on a new role as a top secret Design Centre – twice the size of the old one and housing 50 designers – where models will be created on its road to electrification.
Bentley CEO, Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, said: ‘We are steering the biggest design revolution in our history.’
