Is it your thing to drive up a winding hill in a McLaren Artura at 200 mph? Welcome to Goodwood Festival of Speed: a car lover’s paradise in the English countryside.
For the 200,000-plus people who descend on Goodwood Festival of Speed annually, the passion for pace revs at the highest RPM. First established in 1993, the four day long event is a quintessential date in the calendar for any car lover. Featuring a plethora of the very best in modern and historic racing and automotive vehicles, it’s high adrenaline-meets-luxury lifestyle, an opportunity for car lovers to spend time with fellow enthusiasts and peruse a peerless array of eye-catching motors. The main attraction of the weekend is undoubtedly the hillclimb, a no-breaks sprint to the top of Goodwood’s infamous summit, with plenty of twists and turns along the way.
Of all the car brands who showcase their smorgasbord of wheeled wonders, McLaren sits at the utmost echelon. The establishment hold a rich lineage of progression and reinvention — whether in decorated Formula 1 tenure or in their ever-growing road car dossier. This year is extra special for McLaren, marking the 30th anniversary of their historic victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. For a look inside the celebration, they invited Man About Town down to Goodwood to find out what all the fuss is all about.
It’s Thursday morning, bright and early, sticky hot. I crouch on the floor of a busy train filled with large groups of buzzing individuals, all seemingly heading to the same destination, deep in conversation, speculating on the day ahead. It’s the opening hours of this year’s event, and the anticipation is high.
Arriving at Chichester, it’s a short taxi ride into the rustic countryside towards Goodwood Manor, the dazzling estate that hosts the festival every July. Although it’s barely 10am, the site is already awash with happenings. Each car brand has its own arena of exhibition, as punters saunter around in the mid morning heat — some already on the lager — avidly absorbing the medley of vehicles, array of activities (I attempt to complete a sideways climbing wall challenge but fail to make it across, blaming the clunkiness of my Dr. Martens) and general festivities.
Imagery courtesy of McLaren
After some waiting around, we make our way to the starting line. My new friend and navigator revs, smiling eagerly at me. I breathe out and brace for impact.
It’s an incredible experience. 0-60 in 3 seconds flat, the Artura boasts a cataclysmic power I’ve never felt before in a car. That butterflies in your stomach feeling from a rollercoaster. Flying around the nine corners, soaring up the 1.16 mile ascent. By the time we reach the peak, all I can do is smile ecclesiastically; ascended into joyful bliss.
When you go up, you must come back down. After a sit-down recovery, I descend the hill on foot through forested terrain. It’s mid-afternoon now and the festival is in full swing. There’s rally cars scorching around a separate course, food and drink trucks everywhere. Dust swirls through the air. The people are giddy with excitement. After more than a few wrong turns and an elongated walk (again, damn massive) in the boiling heat of the afternoon, I finally locate the McLaren House and some much welcomed shade. The atmosphere bubbles as groups of important looking individuals speak animatedly. I grab a white wine (crisp, fruity) and begin to mosey around, observing the cars that McLaren have on display.
There’s my old friend the Artura, its tangerine tone deliciously adaptable to any viewing scenario. There’s the all-new McLaren W1, making its global debut, accompanied by the P1™ and F1, a celebration of the brand’s ‘1’ car history. In honour of the 30th anniversary for the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans victory, there’s a first public appearance of the McLaren 750S.
Each car is unique, but utterly in keeping with the McLaren visual palette and grounded philosophy. As someone who is certainly not an automotive fanatic, there is something incredibly impressive about seeing the vehicles up close, groundbreaking in their technicality and gorgeous in their image.
The day has well and truly worn me out. I’m not sure I could last a whole weekend. I wander off into the late afternoon, beginning my journey back to London before the commuters catch wind. Staring out the window, admiring the stillness of the countryside, reflection greets me. The culture of cars is quickly evolving — finding its coating within the framework of media and entertainment. And Goodwood Festival of Speed sits as an emblem of that, led forward by progressive brands like McLaren. If only I could drive.
