The Goodwood Festival of Speed has gotten bigger every year, evolving from a ‘mere’ festival for classic cars into a showcase for old and new products alike. It’s like a car show with an exceptional setting and the opportunity to make engines of all kinds roar—without limits.
The 2024 Festival of Speed (scheduled from July 11 to 14) will be packed with more than a dozen new products—supercars, sports cars, and SUVs included. This year’s event will also pay tribute to MG—the once-British, now-Chinese automaker—with a massive central sculpture featuring the MG Cyberster. The first EV ever on the iconic Goodwood sculpture.
With all that in mind, let’s take a look at all the cars making their debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2024.
It’s unclear whether it will take on the legendary hillclimb or just sit there and look pretty. Either way, the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is no ordinary sports car. Only 33 will be produced with either an electric motor or a V-6 engine, and Goodwood will be its first time on British soil.
On July 11, the all-electric Alfa Romeo Junior will make its first public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Alfa is bringing the high-powered Veloce version to the UK, with 240 horsepower going straight to the front wheels.
A 735-horsepower V-12 engine, a manual gearbox, and a design inspired by the world of motorsport. This is the Aston Martin Valiant, the British manufacturer’s extreme coupe designed for just 38 customers. Sculpted with help from F1 driver Fernando Alonso, the Valiant will be make its way up the hill climb with Alonse behind the wheel.
The 2024 1 Series is one of the most talked-about BMW redesigns of the past decade. The car has a new face, an updated interior, and new mild-hybrid engines—but it’s still only for Europe. The M135i xDrive is the top dog of the range—we expect this trim to be front and center at Goodwood.
BMW has a deeply rooted relationship with art. This i5—an electric version of the new 5 Series—was used as a canvas for the work of South African artist Esther Mahlangu. The bodywork incorporates segments of E-Ink, which can change color to create constantly changing patterns.
What better stage than the legendary Goodwood hill to present the 2024 BMW M2. It has a mechanical update with an extra 20 horsepower, for a total of 473. Available with a manual or automatic gearbox, the German coupe also gets a facelift with new exterior details and an even more high-tech interior.
The first M3 Touring was recently redesigned and, like the smaller M, it was given an extra 20 horses to boost its output to 523 horsepower. Under the hood is BMW’s ubiquitous turbocharged 3.0 inline six-cylinder engine. It takes just 3.6 seconds to reach 62 miles per hour.
BMW has unveiled the new M5, now equipped with a plug-in hybrid power making 727 horsepower combined with an xDrive all-wheel-drive system. Its official debut will be at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It won’t go on sale globally until November, alongside the yet-to-be-revealed M5 Touring.
The BMW Skytop concept was a welcome surprise. This concept car is an undercover 8 Series with a completely redesigned body and removable leather roof. This marvel debuted at the Concorso d’eleganza di Villa d’Este and might be produced in very limited numbers.
The brand’s latest SUV, the new BMW X3, has a bunch of updates to show off at Goodwood. From aesthetics and technology to power delivery; The new X3 has a variety of engines including a mild-hybrid powertrain. For those who need an EV, the production version of the Neue Klasse X concept will eventually take its place.
Practically a GT3 car for the road, the Ford Mustang GTD will show up at Goodwood with its supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 engine making over 800 horsepower. It’s a true beast of the asphalt, born with one goal in mind: A lap of the legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife in under 7 minutes.
The Honda Prelude concept first debuted at the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon. Now Honda is bringing an updated version of the Prelude to Goodwood, complete with a fiery red paint job, production side mirrors, and a few other visual updates. We know a production version is coming to Europe, so it makes sense to see it here.
The Maserati MC20 Icona and Legend editions will be shown live for the first time at Goodwood. Celebrating 20 years since the debut of the legendary MC12—also present at the English event two decades ago—the two MC20s borrow the MC12’s most iconic liveries. One car has the classic white paint with blue stripes, while the other is inspired by the MC12 GT1 Vitaphone, which competed in the FIA GT championship.
The star of Goodwood for McLaren is the Senna with the Sempre livery, which pays homage to Ayrton Senna. Ayrton’s nephew, Bruno—former Formula 1 driver and McLaren Automotive brand ambassador—will be behind the wheel of his uncle’s 1991 McLaren MP4/6, the only title-winning McLaren Formula 1 car powered by a V-12 and the last championship-winning chassis with a manual gearbox.
The car was driven by Ayrton Senna to seven Grand Prix victories and his third and final Formula 1 title. Also: Two-time McLaren Formula 1 world champion Mika Hakkinen will drive a stunning Solus GT uphill in a demonstration race on Saturday.
The new MG HS will be completely different from the current generation of MG. But it will still be offered with electrified gas engines and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Consider it a birthday present for the British marque’s 100th anniversary.
The Land Rover Defender Octa is the most extreme and toughest version of the British off-roader to date. Making its public debut at Goodwood 2024, it packs a 4.4-liter mild-hybrid V-8 engine making 626 horsepower and up to 590 pound-feet of torque.
The Mini John Cooper Works E PROtotype is the first electric model from Mini John Cooper Works. It will tackle the challenging Goodwood climb while paying homage to the Mini Cooper S’s historic victory at the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally 60 years ago. The Mini racer features distinctive camouflage designed by the Mini Design Team and the “37” logo, commemorating this historic success.
The Red Bull RB17 will make its world debut at Goodwood 2024. The car will be powered by an unprecedented 1,000-horsepower V-10 capable of reaching engine speeds of up to 15,000 rpm, paired to a 200-hp electric motor. Expect the RB17 to be one of the most extreme track cars on the planet.
Believe it or not, Rimac is 15 years old this year. The company was founded in 2009 when founder and current CEO Mate Rimac was still shoving batteries into old BMWs. To celebrate the occasion, Rimac is bringing a special 15th-anniversary Nevera to Goodwood. Finished in a lovely copper-and-black exterior, Rimac will only offer nine units of this special supercar worldwide.
Toyota loves hydrogen-powered engines, and the company will show off its latest prototype next week. At Goodwood 2024, Toyota will showcase its progress with the GR Yaris H2, the sportiest version of Japan’s zero-emission small car, powered by a hydrogen engine.
Rounding off the list is the Yangwang U9, an electric hypercar produced by the Chinese BYD brand and developing 1,264 horsepower. Characterized by a huge rear spoiler, it aims to leave behind its most iconic battery-powered rivals, and more.
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