A-Z of the Goodwood Festival of Speed

Here's Autocar's guide of what to look out for at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
Darren Moss
10 July 2013

This weekend marks the return of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. You can stay tuned to all the latest news from the event right here at Autocar.co.uk, but if you're heading along here's what to look out for:

A – Alfa Romeo 4C - one of the most anticipated cars of the year gets its moving debut. the 4C will cost £50,000 when it goes on sale next year

B - Bowler - visitors can experience what makes a Bowler the ultimate off-road racer, safely in the hands of Bowler's driving team, fresh from the Dakar Rally

C – Concours de’ Elegance - Some of the most exotic and rare machinery on the planet will be on display to the public, both from private collections - like Chris Evans' Magnificent Seven - and from manufacturer museums. Some of it will be taking to the track, too

D - Damon Hill - the master of F1 returns to mix with current F1 drivers including Jensen Button, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Taking the first of his 22 F1 victories in 1993, Hill has raced for Brabham, Williams, Arrows and Jordan between 1992 and 1999

E – Endurance racers - It's not all about Le Mans as cars and drivers from the world of endurance take on the hill - notably Alex Brundle will be in action in a Benetton B12 and Jaguar XJS. Endurance racing is considered among the toughest of motorsport disciplines, with three main events - the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans - coming together to form a Triple Crown

F – Fifty years of the 911 - Porsche celebrates 50 years of its iconic sports car with the central statue and a 911 parade featuring all seven generations of the iconic sports car

G – Grand prix - the stars and cars of Formula 1, past and present, will be giving motorsport fans a show they'll never forget - donuts on the hillclimb route are a distinct possibility as the likes of Button, Hamilton and Rosberg take to the track. Grand Prix legends from the past, like Nelson Piquet in his rebuilt Brabham BT52, will also be showing off on the hill

Our Verdict

Alfa Romeo 4C

Alfa Romeo 4C
Alfa 4C is built to encapsulate all of the Alfa Romeo brand values

The 4C is Alfa's first true driver's car for decades, and it shows how brilliantly a small turbo four can go and sound in a lightweight package

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H - Hillclimb - hundreds of cars, bikes and automotive contraptions will take to the Goodwood hill over the weekend - most will be demonstrating their raw power, but some will be competing in the time trial. Spectators can line almost every inch of the 1.6-mile route, so expect to get there early and enjoy the action

I – Innotech Aspiron - The Czech-based track car gets its UK debut. It's a car of big numbers, with 800bhp on tap and a price tag of £117,000

J – Jackie Stewart - He'll be talking through a packed F1 grid with other motorsport veterans like Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell. mixing with the new breed of F1 talent also at the Festival. Born in 1939, Stewart became known as "the flying Scot"  for his driving in Formula One between 1965 and 1973. He won three F1 driver's championships in that time

K - Tom Kristensen - Born in 1967, Kristensen is one of only a handful of men to have won both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Sebring, meaning he's well on the way to completing his own triple crown of endurance race. The Danish racing legend, and recent six-time Le Mans winner, shows off his skill behind the wheel - including piloting his 2003 Le Mans winning Bentley Speed 8

L – Le Mans legends - Goodwood celebrates 90 years of Le Mans this year, with legendary cars and drivers taking to the track - expect to see the likes of Alan McNish, Henri Pescarolo and five-time Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro in action

M - Motorbikes - from racing legends to off-road and stunt bikes, the Festival of Speed will have them all. Watching 15-time Motorcycle World Champion Giacomo Agostini ride an MV Agusta up the hill should be a particular highlight. Nine-time TT winner and road racing legend Bruce Anstey will also be seen riding his a Britten V1000 on the track

N - Nascar - American race series fans rejoice! Nascar demonstrates its power up the Goodwood hill with International Speedway Corporation President Joie Chitwood III in action, driving the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro NASCAR. Son of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Kerry Earnhardt will also be in action, driving his father's Chevrolet Monte Carlo NASCAR

O - Peugeot Onyx - first seen in Shanghai, this concept uses PSA's compressed air-hybrid technology. The bodywork features copper panels polished to an almost mirror finish

P – Planes, trains and automobiles - Ok, so there might not be a train, but there'll be plenty of cars and planes to gaze upon  - expect the usual fly past from the last remaining flying Vulcan, too. There'll also be the usual smattering of celebrity, with the likes of Chris Evans, Peter Fonda and Sir Chris Hoy all confirmed to be in action on the hill

Q - Audi Quattro S1 - the WRC winner will be taking on the hill accompanied by driver Hannu Mikkola - he's the best man for the job of taming the S1's 770bhp

R – Rally stage- this year's rally stage, again sponsored by Skoda, has been lengthened to two miles for better spectator access - expect to see Skoda's Fabia S200 rally cars, among others, taking to the gravel, chalk and mud-strewn stage

S - Statue -  the central feature, this year presented by Porsche, will celebrate 50 years of the 911. The statue is the focal point of the festival, placed on the front lawn of Goodwood house

T – Twin’Run - Renault's motorsport-inspired concept gets its first crack at the Goodwood hill, with a 3.5-litre V6 taken from a Megane Trophy racer the car should have no problems putting in a good time

U - Unser, Bobby - the retired racer and thee-time Indy 500 winner from the US will be donning his helmet once more to take on the course in an as-yet unrevealed racer. Unser was part of one of the most controversial finishes in Indy 500 history when, in 1981, he was stripped of his win for pitting under a caution and thereby gaining places

V – Vühl ‘05 - it's the public reveal for this radical track-racer from Mexico, costing £59.900 and putting out 285bhp from its 2.0-litre Ford Ecoboost engine

W - Wallace, Andy - he's been racing professionally since 1979, and has won over 25 international races, including Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring endurance racing. He's also won the Petit Le Mans, which covers over 1000 miles. At Goodwood he'll be in action in a Jaguar XJR11

X - XKR-S GT - one of three new Jaguars to get their UK public debuts under Jag's 'R' banner, the XKR-S GT has been built to celebrate 25 years of the brand

Y - Race cars of yesteryear - a chance to see the legends of motorsport on display and on the hill, one of the earliest examples of which will be Kenny Brack driving the 1922 Indy 500 winning Duesenberg 8. Legend Jack Sears will also be in action driving his 1963 British Saloon Car Championship-winning Ford Galaxie

Z - Z car  — Nissan's 370Z will be in the supercar paddock alongside models from McLaren, Ferrari and Pagani, Audi and Aston Martin - which will be bringing along its CC100 centenary concept

For all the latest news from the Goodwood Festival of Speed, stay tuned to Autocar.co.uk

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