If you find yourself in a place where this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed and you didn’t see a supercar or hypercar that you dreamed of owning, then you weren’t looking in the right places.
The Festival of Speed is a petrolhead’s paradise, like Disneyland for car enthusiasts. While you can look at photos and videos online, experiencing the event in person is a mind-blowing experience that you can’t fully comprehend until you’re standing on the lawn in front of Goodwood House. I have yet to visit Disneyland, but my first trip to the Festival of Speed this year surpassed all expectations.
The event showcases everything from drift cars to modern and historic race cars and even standard production vehicles. However, the highlight for me was seeing the latest supercars and hypercars. Many of these machines are rarely seen outside of exclusive exhibitions, let alone on public roads in the real world. The Festival of Speed offers a unique opportunity to see them in action as they climb the iconic Duke of Richmond ramp.
It’s no surprise that the event attracts some of the UK’s wealthiest individuals, many of whom already own impressive car collections and may be there to scout for additions. Which got me thinking…
If I suddenly won the lottery and had millions to blow on a new garage collection, which cars would top the list at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed? I’ll highlight my must-haves, plus a few others that caught my eye during the recent four-day event.
Let’s start with the Gordon Murray Automotive stable. I have two good reasons why the GMA cars are my absolute favorites. Firstly, Gordon, the father of the McLaren F1, is a madman. In an age of electric vehicles, GMA gives us the F1 successor we’ve always wanted, with three seats, a central driving position, a manual transmission and a Cosworth 3.9L V12 with a unique rear fan. Secondly, as a South African, do I have any choice but to give Gordon my full support?
GMA took three cars up the hill this year: a T.50, the awe-inspiring T.50s Niki Lauda – a track-focused masterpiece that gave me goosebumps the moment I heard about it – and a T.33 development mule.
Next on my list is Koenigsegg, whose CC850 immediately caught my attention. Its stunning design combines inspiration from the original CC8 with cutting-edge technology. The CC850 has a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio with 1,385 hp from its twin-turbocharged V8 and, you guessed it, 1,385 kg. This is combined with the Engage shifting system, which allows you to switch between manual 6-speed clutch shifting and super-fast fully automatic 9-speed shifting.
Koenigsegg also released a Jesko Attack and a Jekso Absolut, the latter recently breaking the 0-400-0 km/h record with a time of 27.83 seconds. In a bucking electric trend, that car uses a 1,600 hp V8 twin-turbo powerplant and no hybrid assistance. The Swedish manufacturer also had its family supercar Gemera on display.
Third on my list is Bugatti. The company that gave us the Veyron, one of the first 1,000 horsepower production cars, and then the 1,500 horsepower Chiron, simply couldn’t be ignored.
The Bugatti race car gets its first mention, as the Bollide is a supreme demonstration of what an OEM can do without limits. In person, it’s intimidating, but also beautiful. The Mistral, marketed as the world’s fastest roadster and also the last Bugatti to use the iconic W16 powerplant, also made a few runs up the hill. Both cars left a lasting impression on me. On static display, the recently unveiled Tourbillon, boasting a staggering 1,800bhp from its Cosworth-designed V16 hybrid, was an absolute showstopper. If you haven’t seen how cool this car’s instrument panel is, you need to Google now!
But the automotive delights didn’t stop there. Pagani’s new Utopia and screaming Huayra, Czinger’s futuristic 21C with its 3D-printed components, and McLaren’s impressive line-up – the most eye-catching for me being the yellow P1, along with Lanzante’s P1 HDK build – all impressed.
And then there were Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Aston Martin, Rimac, Zenvo and many more, all showing their best side and driving. It is obvious why the Goodwood Festival of Speed is the pinnacle of car parties.
It was a privilege to see these dream cars gathered in one place, especially for someone like me from South Africa, where you rarely see these types of cars.
If I had to pick a dream two-car garage from this year’s Goodwood selection, which would it be? Without a doubt the GMA T.50s Niki Lauda for the ultimate track experience and the Koenigsegg CC850 for its blend of performance and style. What about you?
Stefan Kotze
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