The Goodwood Festival of Speed has grown from an enthusiast meet and greet to one of the most important moments on the automotive calendar. Each year it feels like more and more cars make their debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and the 2024 edition has been no different, with some truly spectacular vehicles being revealed to the public for the first time.
From Formula 1 drivers shredding rubber to multi-million dollar concept cars crashing into Goodwood’s legendary haybales, this year had it all. Beyond the excitement of screaming engines and hot rubber, we also saw plenty of all-new cars from the likes of Aston Martin, McLaren, and Porsche.
Here were the highlights.
Red Bull RB17
Designed by aerodynamic wizard Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing’s outgoing Chief Technical Officer, the hotly anticipated Red Bull RB17 is a track-only hypercar that looks exactly as aggressive as it is.
Powered by a Cosworth-made 746kW 4.5-litre V10, it also boasts a 149kW e-motor and will reportedly produce 1,700kg of downforce at 240km/h. With just 50 examples to be produced at Red Bull’s facility at Milton Keynes, it arrives with a face-melting price tag of £5 million (AU$9.5 million).
Aston Martin Valiant
If you’ve already seen the Aston Martin Valiant on social media, but aren’t sure where it fits into the high-performance automotive landscape, some commentators have made comparisons to the coveted Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
Essentially, it’s a track monster that you can drive on public roads, arriving with a six-speed manual transmission that’s mated to a 548kW twin-turbo V12, all of which is rolling on 21-inch magnesium wheels. It’s more powerful than the Aston Martin Valour and depending on the options selected, will cost around £2 million (AU$3.8 million) per unit.
Land Rover Defender Octa
We’ve already covered the all-powerful Land Rover Defender Octa, but it was at the 2024 Goodwood Festival Of Speed that the off-roader made its official debut. Reported to be the most powerful Defender ever, it’s powered by a 4.4L mild-hybrid V8 engine, which generates 386kW and 625Nm.
“Mad Mike” McLaren P1 GTR Drift Car
Totally bespoke in its construction, the “Mad Mike” McLaren P1 GTR Drift Car is a one-off vehicle based on the road-legal version of the hypercar, but with the addition of a 2.0L rotary engine capable of a full 745kW. As its name suggests, it can go sideways almost as fast as in a straight line and is easily one of the most bonkers cars to be shown at the 2024 Goodwood Festival Of Speed.
Yangwang U9
Italy and Germany are probably the countries you think of when the topic of supercars comes up, but the Chinese-made Yangwang U9 has been turning heads for all the right reasons. This all-electric hypercar is produced by the team at BYD and delivers an ear-popping 960kW, while also reportedly being able to sprint from 0-100km/h in less than two seconds.
Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale was first announced the best part of a year ago, but this year’s edition of Goodwood was the first time it touched down in the UK and unsurprisingly, it’s been very well received.
Only 33 examples will be produced with the client’s choice of either a 559kW electric motor or a 462kW V6 engine, but it’s a pleasure to see one of the most beautiful cars of all time reproduced. All 33 examples have been spoken for, however, for those wondering if it was in their budget, it’s understood to have cost €1.7 million (AU$2.7 million) before on-roads and taxes.
BMW i5 Flow Nostokana
Over the last couple of years, the boffins at BMW have been experimenting with colour-changing paints (first with black and white, before colour was made possible) and the BMW i5 Flow Nostokana is their Mona Lisa. This electrified version of the new BMW 5 Series was produced in collaboration with South African artist Esther Mahlangu and features an exterior that can constantly shift colours.
Ford Mustang GTD
Another road-legal GT3 car, this Ford Mustang GTD is designed for one thing: ripping around the Nürburgring Nordschleife race track in under seven minutes. Beneath the bonnet is a supercharged 5.2L V-8 engine producing more than 597kW and while it won’t be available in Australia, our American friends can expect to pay at least US$300,000 (AU$442,000).
Ineos Grenadier V8 Concept
Last but not least is a favourite automaker in the Boss Hunting office. Say hello to the all-new Ineos Grenadier V8 Concept, which takes the Grenadier we know and love and throws a 6.2L naturally-aspirated V8 into it. While it remains a concept at this stage, we’ve all got our fingers crossed that this souped-up off-roader makes it into regular production.
