The 26th annual Goodwood FoS will be the summer’s premier automotive event. Here’s the new models we know will be there so far
Next month the Duke of Richmond will once again open up his substantial grounds to Britain’s car enthusiasts, as the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed gets under way.
The ever-popular celebration of all things automotive celebrated its silver jubilee last year, and organisers will use 2019 to debut some exciting changes to the event layout when it opens on 4 July.
For those familiar with the setting, the Supercar Paddock will be relocated to where the Moving Motor Show was previously held, near the start of the famous hillclimb course. In its place will be a new area called ‘The arena’, which will showcase the extreme end of motorsport – stunt driving, drift cars and daring motorcycle displays with some of the biggest stars of each discipline set to appear.
Goodwood has also now announced the first batch of star names driving up the hillclimb. They include Tom Kristensen, the Le Mans driver who’s won the 24 Hours a record nine times. WRC and World Rallycross champion Petter Solberg will also be there, while Ken Block will put on a typically epic display. A number of Moto GP and Isle of Man TT legends will also attend.
The Goodwood Central Feature, an always impressive monument, will be dedicated this year to Aston Martin, in honour of the 70th anniversary of the brand winning its first race at Goodwood. Expect some of the world’s rarest, most valuable and most exciting Astons to be on display, too.
The event will also celebrate the career of Michael Schumacher, with team-mates, former rivals and a collection of his most iconic Formula 1 cars all set to come together. It’s likely there will also be a memorable tribute to Niki Lauda, who died in May, though what that will be remains a mystery. A homage to the Monaco Grand Prix will be another theme.
Goodwood isn’t just about the past, however: A number of brands use the show to give debuts to new models in front of enthusiastic crowds.
Here’s a list of the new models that we know will be there, either on static display or being driven flat-out up the hillclimb. Plenty more will be added as we find out about them:
Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019: what new cars will be there?
Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio AR Racing editions
Alfa Romeo is celebrating its return to Formula 1 with two special edition variants of the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio.
The limited-run ‘Alfa Romeo Racing’ versions of the performance saloon and SUV gain a red and white livery and unique interior trim upgrades, such as Sparco carbonfibre-shell bucket seats. The 503bhp 2.9-litre V6 remains the same, however.
Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante
Aston’s fastest convertible in its history, the 211mph DBS Superleggera Volante, will almost certainly make its first public debut at the show given the brand’s presence will be bigger than ever. 
Revealed last month, the £250,000 model features a 715bhp 5.2-litre V12, with Aston claiming a “sensory overload” thanks to the electric folding soft-top.
It’s been eight years since Cheshire-based Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) first launched the Mono single-seater. Now, at long last, the company is turning up the wick with a new version heading to Goodwood.
Set to be unveiled on the Thursday, preview images show it doesn’t look dramatically different but sports a newly modified engine to make it faster. We’ll learn more about it at the show.
Bentley revealed the new Flying Spur late last month, and it’ll be shown in static and dynamic form at Goodwood. The luxury four-door is taking aim at the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class and Rolls-Royce Ghost.
Based on the platform of the Continental GT, it is the first Bentley to feature all-wheel steering – while it promises to offer the firm’s most tech-laden cabin yet.
Citroen is celebrating its centenary at the 2019 Festival of Speed. Alongside what’s expected to be a huge variety of iconic classics spanning its history, we will be seeing the UK debut of two concepts.
The first is the Ami One, a quirky, budget two-seater that meets Europe’s quadricycle regulations and could be driven without a licence in some countries. The second (above) is even more radical: the 19_19 is a comfort-focused electric car designed to envision autonomous long-distance travel.
De Tomaso, the Italian performance brand that’s been dormant since its founder died in 2003, is making a dramatic return.
Backed by a Hong Kong-based venture, It will celebrate the brand’s 60th anniversary with an all-new, V8-powered mid-engined sports car at the Festival of Speed. A preview image suggests it will bear a striking resemblance to the iconic Pantera, too.
Ford Focus ST/Puma/ GT/ Mustang
Ford will have a number of important cars making debuts at this year’s event. The return of the Focus ST hot hatch will be a notable one, alongside the new Puma which will also make its UK premiere, reborn as a sporty small crossover.
At the other end of the scale, we’re expecting to see some big news with the GT supercar. Teased but not officially confirmed, it looks like a more hardcore, race-inspired variant will make its debut.
Though not an official Ford product, London-based Charge Automotive will debut an electric-powered version of the iconic 1960s Mustang, going on sale in limited numbers.
Honda’s hotly-awaiting electric city car, the Honda e, will make its first UK appearance at the Festival of Speed in near-production form.
One will be on display for the public to get up close to, while another will take to the hillclimb course. The 2019 NSX, featuring a number of enhancements, will be on static display on Honda’s stand.
Lexus is understood to be bringing along a convertible version of its LC coupe at the Festival of Speed, according to reports.
It’ll follow on from last year’s Detroit motor show concept and be much more production ready, it seems. The BMW 8 Series Cabriolet rival isn’t expected to enter production until next year, however.
McLaren’s so-called ‘rule-breaking’ GT – it’s most practical, comfortable and refined model yet – will be making its UK public debut at Goodwood.
The Woking brand makes plenty of bold claims about the model: as well as offering more luggage space than anything in this class, the 612bhp, 200mph-plus model is also said to be the fastest and most engaging GT car around.
Mercedes-AMG will up the ante in the decades-old German horsepower war with an all-new version of the smallest AMG model: the A45.
It’ll aim to usurp rivals such as the Audi RS3 with a new 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, capable of 382bhp in standard form but with a whopping 415bhp in S guise. The A45 will be unveiled for the first time at Goodwood, and may also be seen attempting the hill course.
Only revealed last week, the new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and 718 Boxster Spyder will both make their public debuts at the show.
Ditching the turbocharged four-cylinder engine of lesser 718s, the more hardcore new models adopt the enthusiast’s choice: a naturally-aspirated 4.0-litre flat six mated to a manual gearbox only. The Spyder takes much of the GT4’s mechanical make-up but adds the appeal of a removable roof.
Radical Rapture
British firm Radical claims to be the world’s most successful race car manufacturer, and it’ll celebrate that fact with an all-new model heading to the Festival of Speed.
Called the Rapture, little is known about it so far, but a preview video released reveals it’s powered by a new turbocharged engine (a first in any current Radical). Expect to see it take to the Goodwood hill, and appear in the moving motor show.
We’ve seen plenty of Toyota’s new Supra so far, and those who haven’t will undoubtedly be able to see it both on display and tackling the hillclimb at speed.
Alongside that, rumour has it there will be some sort of motorsport announcement involving the Supra at Goodwood this year. It could be that the racing concept of 2018 will morph into a GT4 category customer racing car…
Volkswagen will have the two bookends of its electric vehicle programme at the 2019 Festival of Speed. Taking to the hill fresh from setting a new EV record at the Nurburgring, the VW ID R racer will make a return and try to beat its own EV record at the Goodwood hillclimb.
At the other end of the scale we will see the ID 3 electric hatchback in a lightly disguised production body at the event, ready for people to get their first glimpse ahead of production at the end of this year.
Read more
Goodwood Festival of Speed news
Goodwood Festival to feature new ‘amphitheatre of action’ arena
Ford to unveil new race-spec GT at Goodwood 2019
Source: Autocar
