5 things to see at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed – including Tesla Model 3, Ford Mustang GT
Staged every summer since 1993, the Goodwood Festival of Speed is the world’s largest automotive garden party, set against the spectacular backdrop of Goodwood House in West Sussex, UK.
Over 600 cars and motorcycles spanning the phenomenal history of motoring and motor sport take part with some of the most legendary figures from the sport (and even a few international celebrities) pitching up.
For tech fans it’s a particular delight with the Festival of Speed Future Lab also showcasing the latest automotive – and this year even space – technologies. It’s open to the public throughout the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which runs from the 12 – 15 July 2018, 7am – 7pm each day.
Here’s our pick of five things at this year’s Silver Jubilee Festival which are definitely worth checking out:
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Steve McQueen’s Ford Mustang GT from Bullitt
This iconic 1968 Ford Mustang GT driven by the late Steve McQueen in the movie Bullitt – and lost to history until the beginning of this year – is set to make its European debut at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The original car, which starred in the film’s legendary 10-minute chase sequence – setting the standard for every movie car chase to follow – is set to feature on the 1.16-mile (1.9-kilometre) Goodwood Hillclimb course. One of two identical 1968 Mustang GT fastbacks used in the filming of Bullitt, the historic vehicle will be driven by owner Sean Kiernan (pictured above).
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Life on Mars habitation pod!
Yes you did read that correctly. Architecture firm Foster + Partners is set to present its vision of life on Mars and the Moon as part of its Future Lab showcase at this year’s festival.Forming a central part of its exhibition will be a scale model based on the Mars and lunar habitation pods that it has designed complete with virtual reality animation so visitors will be able to take a look inside. The firm has been working on a number of projects looking at developing habitats on the Moon and Mars using a wide variety of technologies such as large-scale 3D-printing, robotics and Regolith Additive Construction.
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Autonomous race car Robocar
It’s been completed by several F1 drivers, including David Coulthard, but never by a fully autonomous race car. However, this year’s FoS will see Robocar (pictured at the top of this story) take on the famous 1.16-mile track guided only by automated systems. Designed by Daniel Simon, the automotive futurist best known for his work in Hollywood films such as Oblivion and Tron, the vehicle will be tasked with navigating hay bales, flint walls and forests on the Goodwood estate, using a variety of sensors that give it 360-degree machine vision around the car.
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Siemens autonomous classic car hillclimb
Not to be outdone, Siemens has partnered with engineers from Cranfield University to create an autonomous sports car capable of racing up the Goodwood hillside. The Siemens Autonomous hillclimb will be attempted on Thursday 12th July and will be repeated twice every day until the end of the Festival on Sunday 15th July. The classic car will also be wrapped in a special silver design to mark the 25th anniversary and feature cameras mounted inside and out to livestream the demo onto screens around the Goodwood estate.
When the Siemens car is not on the hillclimb it will be parked in the main paddock and available for selfies and a meeting point for more information on autonomous vehicle technology as well as careers advice in science, engineering and technology.
5. Tesla Model 3This year’s festival will mark the European debut of the highly-anticipated Tesla Model 3 – see picture above. The smallest and most affordable model from the hi-tech Californian firm, Tesla wants to do to the compact saloon market what it’s already achieved in luxury sedans (Model S) and SUVs (with the Model X).
And FoS this year will be the first time anyone in Europe has been able to see it live, ahead of local sales which are tipped to begin in 2019. If reaction to the car’s launch in the US is any guide, expect Tesla’s FoS stand to be mobbed by inquisitive enthusiasts keen to see what all the fuss is about.
