The Goodwood Festival of Speed is exactly that: a festival. But not just any festival; one where car culture is honored and celebrated without any objections whatsoever. From American muscle cars to cutting-edge self-driving cars, and of course, the world’s wildest race cars, the 11th Duke of Richmond and his event committee share the spotlight with just about any car and motorcycle.
Last year I witnessed ridiculous machinery like the McMurtry Speirling and the McLaren Solus GT fly past me at insane speeds along a narrow stretch of tarmac lined by hay bales. Unlike the road course where the Revival is held, the Hill Climb course isn’t exactly a world-class race track, so even the most experienced racers have a hard time negotiating the many obstacles. This year isn’t the exception, with a star-studded roster of drivers ready to put it all on the line to secure the quickest time up the hill past Goodwood House.
While hundreds of cars crossed the finish line (and some couldn’t even get 50 feet from the starting line), I’ve narrowed it down to five must-see cars from the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Also, keep in mind that while the YouTube embed thumbnails might be the same, each link is time-stamped to the highlighted car.
Ferrari 312 T2 Driven by Adrian Newey
It doesn’t get much better than a V12-powered vintage Ferrari F1 car, but somehow this one is so much more than that. Driven by legendary F1 car designer Adrian Newey (who had just unveiled his own hypercar the day before), this race- and championship-winning Ferrari 312 T2 was driven by none other than Niki Lauda. (Time stamp set to 2:05 on the video below.)
Subaru Huckster Driven by Travis Pastrana
The only kind of advantage you can have at the Goodwood Hill Climb is experience. And boy, does Travis Pastrana have that. The veteran adrenaline junkie has multiple Goodwoods under his belt, and he certainly knows how to wrangle the 850-horsepower Huckster regardless of weather conditions. This year was not the exception. (Time stamp set to 5:00 on the video below.)
Ford Raptor T1+
I wrote a whole blog about how the Ford Raptor T1+ Dakar truck is the coolest Blue Oval in years, so I probably don’t need to say much here. However, one thing I didn’t know when I wrote that was how good the thing sounded. Seriously, listen to it! (Time stamp set to 4:38 on the video below.)
McLaren Solus GT Driven by Mika Hakkinen
McLaren’s single-seater Solus is a feat of engineering, and having seen it in action last year I can confirm that it sounds absolutely ridiculous. However, last year’s Solus GT was finished in Papaya Orange, while this year’s machine sported the amazing Silver Arrows McLaren-Mercedes livery from the late ’90s. Like two-time F1 champ Hakkinen said after his run up the hill, “lot of horsepower.” (Time stamp set to 3:14 on the video below.)
Subaru WRX Project Midnight Driven by Scott Speed
This car is truly, truly special. The WRX Project Midnight is the ultimate evolution of the WRX rally car, featuring over-the-top aerodynamics and 670 horsepower. And with former F1 driver and rallycross champ Scott Speed, it’s the only car capable of fighting Ford’s mighty Super Van for the quickest time up the hill. Enjoy. (Time stamp set to 14:43 on the video below.)