From the electric Alpine A110 to Toyota’s new V8 supercar, the West Sussex extravaganza will host huge debuts
The Goodwood Festival of Speed will return this Thursday (9-12 July), and it’s shaping up to be one of the highlights in the motoring calendar.
A variety of the world’s most anticipated new cars will descend on West Sussex, offering a first chance to see them up close – and some of them in action too.
Among the highlights are the Toyota GR GT, the Alpine A110 Future – a test mule giving an initial glimpse at the sports car’s electric reinvention – and Gordon Murray’s dramatic S1 LM, among plenty of others.
Read on for our guide to all the highlights and new cars at this year’s Festival of Speed.
Alpine A110 Future
This is your first glimpse at the next-generation Alpine A110, which is making the landmark switch to electric power. Although it wears similar bodywork to the outgoing petrol A110, it’s underpinned by the new EV’s platform, hinting at big changes. Just check out those wide wheel arches.
Everything you need to know about the Alpine A110 Future
Aston Martin ‘S’ cars
Aston Martin’s ‘S’ badge denotes more power, pace and angrier styling. Such versions of the DB12, DBX and Vantage will be running up the Goodwood hillclimb, demonstrating their dynamic overhauls.
Read our full road test of the Aston Martin Vantage S
Aston Martin Valhalla
The Valhalla is Aston Martin’s first crack at a series-production mid-engined car. It’s a plug-in hybrid with a 4.0-litre V8 at its heart and three electric motors for combined outputs of 1064bhp and 811lb ft. It will crack 62mph from rest in 2.5sec and go on to 217mph. Get one on your driveway for a whopping £850,000.
Read our Aston Martin Valhalla review
Auto Union Lucca
We’ll forgive you any confusion over this car’s inclusion among all the new metal here, but it is technically brand new. This is Audi Tradition’s faithful recreation of a racer built by Auto Union, its precursor. Back in 1935, it was the world’s fastest road car, managing 203mph on a section of the Italian Autostrada near the city of Lucca. Sure, it’s not quite the 301mph done by the Campbell-Railton Blue Bird in September 1935, but that was on the Bonneville salt flats, not a road. This is your chance to witness a slice of V16-powered history.
Bentley Flying Spur facelift
Bentley’s luxury limousine has a fresh face, moving away from the long-established quad-headlight design in favour of two lamps. The high-performance S variant returns, powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 and a single electric motor for 671bhp.
Everything you need to know about the new Bentley Flying Spur
Bentley Supersports
The manifestation of Bentley’s push to create what CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser calls “more extreme” cars, the Supersports is a dramatically modified version of the Continental GT. It’s the first rear-driven Continental of the modern era and ditches the hybrid hardware found in other GTs in favour of an unassisted twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8. It puts out 657bhp and, at just under 2000kg, is the lightest Bentley since 1940.
Everything you need to know about the Bentley Supersports
BYD Dolphin G
BYD’s first car made in Europe, for Europe, is a plug-in hybrid hatchback to rival the Renault Clio. It packs up to 209bhp and an official electric-only range of up to 65 miles, and prices are expected to start in the low-to-mid-£20,000 range.
Cupra Raval
The Volkswagen Group is taking the fight to the Renault 5, with the new Cupra Raval spearheading a wave of small and more affordable electric cars. It will be priced from £23,785 and offer ranges of between 185 and 280 miles. The VZ variant will take on the Alpine A290 and the forthcoming Peugeot e-208 GTi, trading a hint of range for a 222bhp motor and electronic limited-slip differential.
Denza Z
BYD’s first crack at a supercar – for its Denza premium brand – packs a huge 1582bhp. It’s claimed to be capable of hitting 62mph in less than 2.0sec and brings new technologies such as steer-by-wire.
Everything you need to know about the Denza Z
Gordon Murray Automotive
Gordon Murray’s eponymous supercar firm will host several debuts at the Festival of Speed. Headlining the group are the S1 LM and Le Mans GTR, a pair of dramatic limited-run models inspired by the McLaren F1 GTR. It will also be showing a road-ready prototype of the T33 Spider and the track-focused T50.S Niki Lauda.
Hennessey Venom F5-M
Texas-based Hennessey will showcase the F5-M, claimed to be the world’s most powerful car with a manual gearbox. That bragging right is thanks to a 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged V8 kicking out a huge 2031bhp.
Honda Prelude HRC Concept
Honda’s new coupé has already snatched many headlines, but the question of whether it will be getting a more hardcore Type R variant looms large. The HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) Concept could be a first hint at such a development, with an aggressive aerodynamic package aimed at track use.
Lepas L8
Chinese giant Chery has already made a big impact in the UK, with its Jaecoo brand making a huge success of its 7 crossover. But now there’s another brand to join Omoda, Jaecoo and the eponymous Chery brand, and it’s called Lepas. Its first model, the L8 SUV, will be making its debut at the Festival of Speed.
Everything you need to know about the Lepas L8
Lexus LFA Concept
Lexus has reprised the name of its legendary supercar for this hint at a new halo car – and this time it will be electric. It’s possible that a production version could be Toyota’s first car powered by a solid-state battery, given the firm has previously claimed the technology will be ready in around two years.
Everything you need to know about the Lexus LFA Concept
McLaren M6GT
The original McLaren road car will return at the Festival of Speed, having been given a painstaking restoration by the company’s Special Operations division.
McMurtry Spéirling Pure
Described by its maker as the “craziest go-kart ever made”, this £1.2 million track toy is the production-ready version of the car that famously took the record at the Goodwood hillclimb back in 2022. It has a ground-sucking fan that can generate up to two tonnes of downforce from rest, and it can corner at 3g – if you’re hard enough.
Everything you need to know about the McMurtry Speirling Pure
MG ‘2’ and ‘aspirational’ concept
MG is joining the electric supermini fray, and a new concept will be unveiled at the Festival of Speed to showcase its design. It will be joined by another “aspirational” concept car.
Everything we know about the MG concept cars
Renault 5 Turbo 3E
A legend returns, this time as one of the maddest EVs yet produced. The 5 Turbo 3E is inspired by the rally-bred 5 Turbo of the 1980s but has two in-wheel motors mounted on its rear axle for a combined 533bhp. Should that prove insufficient to light the tyres, there’s also a hydraulic handbrake. It will be running up the Goodwood hillclimb, presumably trailed by a plume of smoke.
Read our first ride report about the Renault 5 Turbo 3E
Toyota GR GT
Toyota is chasing the likes of the Aston Martin Vantage and Mercedes-AMG GT with its own V8-powered, rear-driven supercar. The Festival of Speed will be your first chance to see it in action on UK soil ahead of its market launch next year.
