2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed

General Guides  New Launches 

How are you supposed to sum up an event that's seen everything? A record crowd for this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed witnessed a breath-taking mix of new cars, old cars, record breaking cars, and a dash of celebrity thrown in for good measure.

Like the rest of our lives, the Festival of Speed ground to a halt during the pandemic so it was inevitable the crowds would take the first opportunity to return to the sunshine and normality. After selling out quicker than ever, a whole range of vehicles, drivers, and exhibitors were present at motorsport's ultimate summer garden party for its 29th year, celebrating the world of motoring, technology, and future mobility.

This year's festival witnessed global debuts from many renowned manufacturers, include the unveiling of the brand-new BMW M3 Touring, Mercedes AMG Project ONE, Range Rover Sport and Pagani Huayra Codalunga. Other debuts included the latest Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, Ferrari SP38, and the blisteringly fast Ford Electric Supervan.

High octane and high voltage

It wasn't all high-octane thrills either. ‘Electric Avenue: The Road to 2030' showcased the latest EV technology that we'll all end up driving eventually. Exhibits covered the whole range of options you can expect to see being electrified; city cars, SUVs, and saloons will all be electric come 2030. The centrepiece of Electric Avenue was the Concepts stage, presented by British Volt, which showcased the next generation of electric cars, including the brand new Lotus Eletre SUV, the Renault 5 prototype and the Fisker Ocean.

BMW sculpture

In a celebration of ‘The Innovators - Masterminds of Motorsport', the Festival of Speed also saw one of its most impressive sculptures to date which paid homage to 50 years of the BMW Motorsport division.

Every year sees a different sculpture unveiled against the backdrop of Goodwood House. 50 years after the creation of BMW's M Division, and fittingly so considering the launch of the new M3 Touring, this year's spectacular feature included some of its most iconic creations. The car that began it all back in the early 1970s, the classic E9 3.0 CSL, was joined by an M1 Procar, V12 LMR, E90 320i WTCC and the BMW M Hybrid V8 – the marque's new top-level endurance racing entry.

It should go without saying that most people attend the Festival of Speed for the speed part, and there was plenty of that this time around.

Goodwood welcomed several current Formula 1 teams including McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Scuderia Ferrari and Williams. The F1 Pit Lane allowed visitors to watch these impressive cars being prepped to take on the iconic Hillclimb, with drivers George Russell, Esteban Gutierrez and Zhou Guanyu mingling with fans before tackling the hill. There was also a return for ‘Mansell Mania' as the 1992 Formula 1 World Champion was reunited with his championship-winning Williams FW14B for the first time in 30 years, giving fans the chance to watch the iconic ‘Red 5' storm up the hill as Nigel Mansell celebrated the anniversary of his win.

New Hill record

In an unexpected turn of events, the outright hill record was also broken by the McMurty Spéirling, driven by Max Chilton in a thrilling 39.08 seconds. Just to put that into context, the official record had stood since Nick Heidfeld set the standard back in 1999. It's really not a record that falls very often despite the number of incredibly fast and agile cars that have tackled the climb over the years.

This year's event may be over but if you want to get a taste of the action for yourself keep an eye out for the dates of the 2023 event which will be announced in the coming months. It's the 30th anniversary next year so we should expect something really special to celebrate.

Watch highlights from the Festival

Click here to see the official highlights: Goodwood Festival of Speed 2022.

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