Manufacturers now know that showcasing their latest wares to a bunch of iPhone-wielding enthusiasts at the Goodwood Festival of Speed is a smart idea.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is the ultimate destination for those with 97-octane running through their veins. However, over the years, it has become a hotbed for new car launches and concept car showcases. This year, the show had a few cool sets of wheels parked near Lord March’s driveway, and here are our picks of the lot:
ICE:
Red Bull RB17
The last time an F1 designer went and developed a road car, said road car broke the top speed world record for production cars and then casually went on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The most prolific F1 designer of our time, Adrian Newey, has created this—the RB17, Red Bull’s first-ever car. As of now, it is a track-only monster, but a road-legal conversion has been announced by Lanzante. The RB17 made its public debut at this year’s Goodwood. It is powered by a 4.5-litre, naturally aspirated V10 that redlines at 15,000 rpm and pumps out 1,200 hp. A bespoke carbon-fibre gearbox with a built-in electric motor sends power to the rear wheels of this 900-kg machine, which can hit 350 km/h. Only 50 of these will ever be made.
Aston Martin Valiant
From an F1 designer, we move on to an F1 Driver, specifically Fernando Alonso, who was presumably not happy with the Aston Martin Valour so he decided to get one built to his specifications. The 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 gains 30 hp for a total of 745 horsepower, while torque remains the same at 753 Nm. This is sent to the rear wheels only via a proper six-speed manual transmission. Various weight reduction measures have been implemented, such as a 3D-printed rear subframe (3 kg), a magnesium torque tube (8.6 kg), a lithium-ion battery (11.5 kg) and lightweight 21” magnesium wheels (14 kg, unsprung). The biggest change is in the suspension, as the Valiant comes with Multimatic Adaptive Spool Valve (ASV) dampers capable of simultaneously adjusting each damper to one of thirty-two damper curves in six milliseconds.
Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
The last time Alfa Romeo borrowed Maserati underpinnings for a limited-run sports car, it was the beautiful Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. History has a tendency to repeat itself, so we now have the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, itself an homage to the eponymous 33 Stradale from the 1960s, but based on the Maserati MC20. Knowledgeable readers may remember that Maserati themselves are not immune to this, as the Maserati MC12 was based on the Ferrari Enzo. The “Nettuno” 3.0-litre, twin-turbo V6 pumps out 620 hp, reaches 100 km/h in less than 3 seconds, and hits a top speed that is very appropriate for the name of the car—333 km/h. There’s an electric version as well with more power for the people who are missing the point of this car.
Land Rover Defender OCTA
Even before the Series III became the 90/110, it gained a V8 option in the form of the venerable 3.5-litre Rover V8, and when, in 1990, it was renamed “Defender”, it continued with a V8 engine. The ageing 3.9-litre Rover V8 was replaced with a Jaguar-developed AJ-V8, which carried on until production ended in 2016. When the new-gen Defender debuted, it did so without a V8 option, but then the entire range gained the 5.0-litre Jaguar V8. However, hardcore customers wanted more! Enter the Octa with the V8. And that’s the 4.4-litre, twin-turbo V8 sourced from the Germans (and also starring in the Range Rover Sport SV). This BMW mild‑hybrid power plant makes 635 hp and up to 800 Nm, making this the most potent Land Rover Defender ever made.
Honda Prelude Concept
Honda’s sporty front-wheel-drive coupé, the Prelude name may make a comeback, as the Prelude concept looks production-ready. Historically, all Prelude models have been based on the contemporary Civic platform which is, most likely, going to be the case with this one as well. The problem is that Honda will almost certainly give it a hybrid powertrain, which is okay so long as there’s a pure ICE variant, too. Honda have tried to reignite the magic of their yesteryear’s breakaway hits with hybrid powertrains before, like the CR-Z and the NSX, and both were heavily criticised for their weight, as the originals were lightweight, nimble cars. We just hope the 200-hp L15CA found on the Honda Civic Si makes its way under that slinky hood.
EV:
Alpine A290
Alpine have gotten their hands on the new EV Renault 5, and have given it a hot-hatch makeover. This might just be a proper EV hot hatch, and while it doesn’t pack headline-grabbing numbers like the Audi RS 3 Sportback, the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S, and the BMW M135i xDrive, it does have 160 kW (218 horsepower) and a 0-100 km/h time of 6.4 seconds. It also weighs less than 1,500 kg; no small feat for an EV.
BYD Yangwang U9
The first global outing for the BYD Yangwang U9, whose main claim to fame is its ability to jump off the ground while stationary, as well as being able to drive with one wheel missing; like the Citroën DS. It is also capable of hitting a 309.19 km/h top speed and can reach 100 km/h from a standstill in just 2.36 seconds. In its home market, it cost 1.68 million RMB (roughly Rs 1.99 crore).
Callum Skye
Headed by famous designer Ian Callum, the Callum Skye is the first prototype from the engineering and design consultancy firm, and as one would expect from a design company, is completely wild—it is an off-road sports car. Power is 250 hp, torque is 300 Nm, 0-100 km/h is in less than four seconds, battery is 42 kWh, and range is 273.5 km.
MG Cyber GTS Concept
MG’s 100-year history (they were the celebrated marque at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed) is littered with sports cars, and while these were mostly roadsters, there were a few coupés here and there, usually derived from the roadster. The same thing has happened here, with the MG Cyberster getting a new fixed-roof version in concept form—the MG Cyber GTS. The roadster has 503 hp and 725 Nm and takes 3.2 seconds for 0-100 km/h.
Mini John Cooper Works E PROtotype
Once it reaches production, it will be the first-ever electric JCW model. BMW seem to have no regard for legacy, which is why their entire model line-up is now peppered with M-like models, and the same thing is happening here, where JCW had the same standards as a proper M car. Nevertheless, the electric JCW is happening, and we expect it to pack a lot more punch than the regular Cooper E and SE.
Hydrogen:
Toyota GR Yaris H2
Toyota are famously cautious when it comes to betting their future on EVs, and while they have almost perfected the hybrid powertrain, they are still exploring alternative means of propulsion via combustion, and the the GR Yaris H2 is an example of that. This is not a fuel-cell vehicle either, as hydrogen replaces fossil fuel in the combustion chambers, with the engine management having been tweaked to account for it. Rowan Atkinson drove it at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Alpine Alpenglow Hy4
Another non-fuel-cell hydrogen combustion car, the Alpenglow Hy4 was unveiled in 2022, but this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed marked the first time the car was accessible to the general public. If the earlier electric hot hatch from Alpine had you disheartened, this one has a 2.0-litre, turbocharged, in-line four mounted behind the driver.
