Goodwood Festival of Speed is coming

Goodwood Festival of Speed isn’t far away and automotive manufacturers are announcing their plans for this event. The home-grown Mclaren Automotive will demonstrate the brand’s focus on pushing boundaries and drive for constant improvement. It will be home to examples of the recently launched 650S Coupe and Spider, as well as the McLaren P1™. With each of the 375 production models sold, every example of the McLaren P1 is special, but the featured model is arguably the most famous – and a winner in its own right. Alongside this, will be one of the earliest examples of McLaren’s successful racers, and one of only a handful of cars that can boast a more substantial rear wing than a McLaren P1™ – the M7C, driven by a man who truly embodied the phrase ‘addicted to winning’, Bruce McLaren, to three podium finishes during the 1969 Formula 1 season. The Woking-based auto and F1 team will be showcasing their vehicles at this year’s show.

Toyota:

Toyota’s great rally heritage will be celebrated with some of the most successful cars from its years of dominance in the World Rally Championship. Björn Waldegård will be reunited with his formidable Group B Celica TA65 on Goodwood’s rally stage and former Toyota world champion Didier Auriol will take the wheel of a Tarmac-spec’ Corolla WRC on the hill. In the festival’s “first glimpse” sessions on the hill, Toyota will be providing a sneak preview of the 2015 GT86, the latest development of its award-winning coupe. The rally stage will witness speed runs from two further competition Celica generations – the ST185, which in its lifetime netted three WRC manufacturer championship titles, and the ST205. John Reid will be seen in his 1997 Corolla WRC, marking the culmination of Toyota’s world rally involvement.

Skoda:

Skoda will have two concept cars – the Yeti Xtreme and VisionC. Powered by a 1.8 TSI 160PS engine, the Yeti Xtreme incorporates an Octavia vRS braking system, 17-inch alloy wheels and chunky off-road rally tyres. Inside, the Xtreme includes four individual Recaro sports seats, four-point safety harnesses and a sports steering wheel with integrated paddles.

The VisionC takes the form of dynamically elegant five-door coupé, combining pure lines with perfect proportions. It also embodies ŠKODA’s passion for practicality and the environment, incorporating a large, aerodynamically efficient five-door body and an innovative natural gas drive system.

Mini:

Fresh from yet another victory in the Dakar Rally, the 300 hp MINI ALL4 Racing will be at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed to take on a new challenge. The three-time Dakar winning racer wowed the world again this year with its blistering performance during the 15-day cross-country endurance race. And now, on Friday 27th June, the MINI ALL4 Racing will showcase what it’s made of when race ace, Nani Roma, takes it up the famous 1.16 mile hillclimb.