There are few automotive events quite like the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
It combines motorsport history, future technology, exotic machinery, new-car launches and wonderfully excessive engineering within the grounds of one of Britain’s most beautiful country estates. You can watch a Formula 1 car charge past Goodwood House, examine an experimental electric supercar, explore a heavily modified Defender and then find yourself standing beside a rally legend within the space of an hour.
I attended the final day of the 2026 Festival of Speed on Sunday 12 July, and I must begin by thanking BYD Brighton for managing to secure me tickets to the event. It was hugely appreciated and gave me another opportunity to see just how quickly BYD, Denza and Yangwang are establishing themselves as serious players within the global automotive industry.
The theme for the 2026 Festival of Speed was “The Rivals: Epic Racing Duels”, celebrating the manufacturers, drivers and machines that have pushed one another to greater heights throughout motorsport history. On Sunday, that theme was visible everywhere, from historic racing cars and Formula 1 machinery to modern electric competition vehicles fighting for the fastest time on the famous Goodwood Hill.
Sunday at Goodwood feels like the grand finale
Sunday always carries a slightly different atmosphere from the other days of the Festival of Speed.
While many of the major unveilings and press announcements had taken place earlier in the four-day event, the final day was the opportunity to see those cars together, watch the most competitive Hillclimb runs and experience the culmination of the weekend.
The centrepiece was the Timed Shoot-Out on Goodwood’s 1.16-mile Hillclimb. There were also demonstrations from Formula 1 cars, appearances by major motorsport personalities, action on the Forest Rally Stage and Off-Road Arena, and plenty to explore across the manufacturer stands, Supercar Paddock, First Glance Paddock and Cartier Style et Luxe lawn.
Goodwood requires a lot of walking, but that is part of its appeal. There is always something happening in the distance, whether it is the unmistakable noise of an old racing engine, tyre smoke drifting above the Hill or a crowd gathering around a newly revealed car.
It is virtually impossible to experience everything in one day, but Sunday provided a brilliant cross-section of what makes the Festival of Speed so special.
BYD created one of Goodwood’s most impressive displays
For me, the BYD display was mega impressive.
It was not simply a conventional manufacturer stand with a few cars positioned beneath bright lights. BYD had created an enormous automotive and technology showcase spanning 2,016 square metres, reportedly the largest stand in Festival of Speed history.
The space brought together BYD, Denza and Yangwang, supported by driving simulators, interactive technology areas, an off-road course, displays explaining the company’s battery and charging systems, robot demonstrations and a roof terrace overlooking the event. There were even opportunities for passenger rides in models including the BYD Shark 6 and Denza BAO5.
Walking around it felt less like visiting a temporary motor show stand and more like entering a complete brand experience.
That matters because many British drivers still primarily associate BYD with its growing range of electric and plug-in hybrid passenger cars. At Goodwood, the company demonstrated the much wider scale of its ambitions.
The display included the European presentation of the premium Denza brand, with cars such as the Z9GT, D9 and BAO5 helping illustrate where the group intends to position itself above the mainstream BYD range.
One of the most dramatic attractions was the Denza Z family. The Z Coupe and track-focused Z Racing had made their global debuts during the Festival, with the tri-motor Z Racing producing a claimed 1,604PS, accelerating from 0-62mph in 1.96 seconds and generating as much as 1,060kg of downforce.
Then there was Yangwang.
The U9 Xtreme, with more than 3,000PS and a recorded top speed of 308.3mph, is the sort of car that forces people to reconsider their perception of Chinese automotive engineering. It was joined by the U8L luxury SUV and U7 performance saloon, with the latter having travelled to Goodwood from China.
At the more accessible end of the display was the BYD Dolphin G DM-i, a plug-in hybrid model with a claimed combined driving range of up to 646 miles. BYD also demonstrated its latest flash-charging technology, which is claimed to take a compatible battery from 10 to 70 per cent in around five minutes.
The scale, variety and confidence of the display made a real statement. BYD was not at Goodwood merely to introduce another electric hatchback. It was there to show battery technology, luxury cars, performance vehicles, off-roaders, charging systems and some genuinely outrageous engineering.
MINI delivered something quintessentially British
The MINI display offered a completely different type of experience.
Where BYD focused on size, technology and spectacle, MINI created something playful, characterful and very quintessentially British.
Its “MINI Street” installation resembled a miniature British high street rather than a traditional motor show stand. It incorporated areas including the Aceman Arms pub, a Countryman Farm Shop, a Paul Smith-inspired shop and places to stop for ice cream.
It worked because MINI has always been about more than the technical specification of the car. Its appeal comes from personality, design and a sense of fun, and the Goodwood display reflected that perfectly.
The Paul Smith collaboration was particularly fitting. The latest Paul Smith Editions brought distinctive colours, subtle design references and British tailoring influences to the MINI range, including Nottingham Green detailing and, on the Convertible, the option of a Union Jack roof.
As someone who has loved MINIs for years, the display felt instantly familiar. It celebrated the brand without taking itself too seriously and managed to turn a collection of cars into a genuinely memorable environment.
Land Rover made you want to step inside and explore
The Land Rover display took almost the opposite approach.
It was clean, restrained and surprisingly minimalist. Rather than trying to fill every available space with signs, screens and visual noise, it made you want to go inside and explore.
That sense of discovery suited the brand. Land Rover and Range Rover products are often sold through the idea of travelling somewhere remote, capable or luxurious, and the stand allowed the vehicles and materials to do much of the talking.
There was plenty of substance behind the minimal design.
Range Rover provided a public preview of the forthcoming Range Rover Electric, while also showing a collection of London-inspired editions named Westminster, Battersea, Belgravia and Hoxton. The Range Rover Sport SV Ultimate Edition also appeared on the Goodwood Hill.
Defender brought its motorsport credentials to the event through the D7X-R, the competition vehicle that had won its class at the 2026 Dakar Rally. It appeared both on the Hill and within Goodwood’s off-road environment, accompanied by current Defender models and historic Land Rover machinery.
Jaguar, meanwhile, gave the Type 01 its UK dynamic debut. Whatever your view of Jaguar’s dramatic change in direction, seeing the concept move under its own power was an important moment for the brand as it prepares for its next electric era.
The world’s biggest manufacturers brought serious machinery
One of Goodwood’s greatest strengths is the sheer concentration of important manufacturers.
BMW used the event to celebrate 40 years of the M3 while also looking towards the future with the UK debut of the BMW M Concept Neue Klasse. Its display included the new iX5, while the Hill featured cars such as the M2 fitted with its Track Kit and the spectacular M3 Touring 24H.
That M3 Touring was far more than a static display car. Jordan Pepper drove it to fifth place in Sunday’s Timed Shoot-Out, recording a time of 46.54 seconds.
Ferrari had an exceptionally strong presence. Its Sunday display included the Amalfi following its dynamic debut during the weekend, the Amalfi Spider, the Purosangue Handling Speciale and the highly focused 296 Speciale and 296 Speciale A.
Aston Martin brought its latest generation of performance models, including the DB12 S, Vantage S and DBX S, while Bentley displayed cars including the Bentayga Extended Wheelbase Artenara and Continental GTC Speed.
Honda’s Prelude HRC Concept was another significant attraction. The performance-focused prototype made its world dynamic debut at Goodwood and was driven during the event by Jessica Hawkins and Tiago Monteiro. It was joined by the compact Super-N concept, showing how Honda might inject more excitement into its smaller electric cars.
Toyota displayed the GR GT and GR GT3, Renault brought both the reborn Twingo E-Tech and the dramatic Renault 5 Turbo 3E, and Subaru’s E-Outback made its UK dynamic debut while serving as the safety car on the Forest Rally Stage.
Alpine’s electric A110 development car was particularly interesting. It retained the familiar shape and compact proportions of the current sports car while offering an early indication of how Alpine intends to translate the character of the A110 into an electric successor.
Gordon Murray Automotive also provided some of the most desirable machinery at the event. Its collection included the production-specification T.50s, the T.33 Spider VP12, the extraordinary S1 LM and the Le Mans GTR XP. These are the sort of cars you could spend hours examining, with every vent, control and component seemingly designed for a reason.
Singer took centre stage outside Goodwood House
The Central Feature outside Goodwood House is always one of the defining images of the Festival of Speed, and in 2026 it celebrated Singer.
Created by artist and designer Gerry Judah, the towering sculpture featured three Porsche 911s representing Singer’s Classic, Classic Turbo and Dynamics and Lightweighting Study programmes. Singer brought 11 customer cars to the Festival in total.
It was an inspired choice.
Singer has become one of the most influential names within the restomod and bespoke automotive world. Its restorations begin with the Porsche 964-generation 911 but are comprehensively reworked using modern materials, upgraded mechanical components and obsessive attention to detail.
The cars manage to feel recognisably classic while being far more sophisticated than the original donor vehicles.
Seeing Singer celebrated on this scale, directly outside Goodwood House, also reflected the growing importance of specialist manufacturers and customisation companies. The Festival of Speed is no longer only about established global carmakers. Businesses that restore, reinterpret and personalise existing vehicles now sit comfortably alongside them.
Restomods, bespoke builds and customisation
Goodwood’s “New Classics” area was one of the best places to see just how far the restomod industry has developed.
The selection included the TWR Supercat, a radically reworked Jaguar XJS powered by a 5.6-litre supercharged V12, the Totem GTSuper Sport Prototipo, the Honda NSX Tribute by Italdesign and machinery from HWA. The HWA EVO appeared alongside the EVO.R, which also competed on the Hill.
Gunther Werks brought the F-26, a heavily re-engineered interpretation of the Porsche 930 Flachbau producing a claimed 1,067hp. Scott Speed drove it in Sunday’s Timed Shoot-Out, completing the Hill in 50.41 seconds.
Beyond these headline restomods, Goodwood featured an enormous variety of vehicle customisation businesses.
Urban Automotive displayed its approach to bespoke vehicle styling and carbon-fibre components, while Carlex showcased highly personalised Mercedes-Benz G-Class models. Forged Cars specialised in V8-powered Defenders featuring forged-carbon details, and companies including CT Carbon, M Style, Milltek, Leighton Vans and Automotive Artisans demonstrated just how broad the modern personalisation market has become.
It is an area of the industry that fascinates me.
Some modifications are subtle and beautifully judged. Others are deliberately excessive. Either way, these companies reveal how emotionally attached people become to their cars and how much demand exists for something more individual than a standard factory specification.
Romain Dumas wins Sunday’s Timed Shoot-Out
The biggest competitive moment of Sunday was the Timed Shoot-Out.
Conditions were demanding. The intense heat and dust had made sections of the Hill slippery, particularly around Molecomb, creating an additional challenge for drivers trying to find every possible fraction of a second.
Romain Dumas started as the favourite after setting the fastest qualifying time in Ford’s Super Mustang Mach-E, and he delivered when it mattered.
The radically modified electric Ford completed the Hill in 41.97 seconds, giving Dumas and Ford their third consecutive Festival of Speed Shoot-Out victory.
Dan Ticktum came remarkably close in the newly launched Formula E GEN4 car, recording a time of 42.46 seconds. The result demonstrated just how serious the next generation of electric single-seater racing machinery is becoming.
Alex Summers finished third in the brutal Shadow DN4 with a time of 46.30 seconds, followed by Johan Kristoffersson in the Volkswagen Polo WRX at 46.31 seconds and Jordan Pepper in the BMW M3 Touring 24H at 46.54 seconds.
There were plenty of other crowd favourites.
Travis Pastrana finished sixth in the Subaru Brataroo 9500 Turbo, Jake Hill took seventh in the Nissan 300ZX Turbo, and Callum Voisin put the latest Porsche 911 Cup car inside the top ten. Ryan Tuerck’s Toyota-Judd Formula Supra, Sean Hudspeth’s Maserati MCXtrema and Scott Speed’s Gunther Werks F-26 added even more variety to the field.
Not everyone reached the finish. Johnny Cecotto crashed the BMW M3 DTM E92 at Molecomb and was unable to complete his run, a reminder that even a demonstration event can carry very real consequences when powerful historic racing cars are being driven at competitive speeds.
Damon Hill and the Williams FW18
One of Sunday’s most emotional moments was the celebration of Damon Hill, marking 30 years since he won the 1996 Formula 1 World Championship.
Hill was reunited with the Williams-Renault FW18 that carried him to the title and appeared on the balcony of Goodwood House as part of the Sunday celebrations.
His family also surprised him with the original trophy from the 1996 Japanese Grand Prix, the race at which he secured the championship. Williams team principal James Vowles joined him for the occasion.
For British Formula 1 fans, it was a genuinely special moment.
The FW18 represents one of the most dominant periods in Williams’ history, but seeing Hill reunited with the car was about more than statistics. It connected the machinery with the person, the pressure and the emotion behind one of Britain’s most memorable World Championship victories.
Formula 1 still provides an unforgettable soundtrack
Modern Formula 1 cars may be technically extraordinary, but historic F1 machinery remains one of the biggest reasons to attend Goodwood.
On Sunday, Leonardo Fornaroli drove McLaren’s MCL60 up the Hill, while Mercedes reserve driver Fred Vesti appeared in the Mercedes W13.
McLaren also brought cars from different periods of its history, including the MP4/8 associated with Ayrton Senna, its experimental Lamborghini-powered MP4/8B and the championship-winning M23.
Even among thousands of rare and exotic cars, Formula 1 machinery commands attention. You hear it before you see it. Conversations stop, phones appear and people move towards the track barriers.
The noise is not simply loud. It has texture and character. For a car enthusiast, hearing different generations of competition machinery echo around the Goodwood estate is music to the ears.
Lunch beside the Goodwood Hill
One of my personal highlights was taking a break from the crowds to enjoy a delicious lunch and a glass of fizz at the Veuve Clicquot tent.
Its position on the lawn outside Goodwood House provided a trackside view of the Hill, combining good food, a relaxed atmosphere and the sight and sound of cars accelerating past.
It is hard to imagine a more fitting Goodwood experience.
One moment you are enjoying lunch in the grounds of a beautiful country house, and the next a racing car is charging past only a short distance away. It captures the unusual combination of garden party, motorsport meeting and luxury automotive show that makes the Festival of Speed so distinctive.
More than a motor show
Goodwood succeeds because it is much more than a place to inspect new cars.
The Forest Rally Stage offered a completely different experience from the main Hill, placing rally cars in a more natural setting where spectators could appreciate their movement, noise and agility.
The Off-Road Arena allowed manufacturers to demonstrate vehicles away from a polished show stand, while the Future Lab explored emerging technologies beyond the conventional car industry.
Cartier Style et Luxe provided a calmer contrast, bringing together some of the world’s most elegant and historically significant cars on the lawn. The Action Sports Arena added yet another form of entertainment, ensuring there was almost always something happening regardless of where you were within the estate.
That variety is crucial.
A conventional motor show can sometimes feel like walking through a large showroom. Goodwood brings the cars to life. You see them moving, hear their engines, watch the drivers interact with them and gain a much better understanding of why they matter.
My verdict on Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026
My Sunday at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed reminded me why this event remains one of the most important dates in the automotive calendar.
There were global manufacturers demonstrating their latest technology, specialist companies obsessing over the smallest details, priceless historic racing cars being driven as intended and some of the world’s best drivers competing against the clock.
The BYD display was one of the most impressive manufacturer showcases I have seen at Goodwood. MINI captured the charm and humour of the brand through a wonderfully British display, while Land Rover proved that a quieter and more minimalist approach can be just as inviting.
Singer’s Central Feature was spectacular, Damon Hill’s FW18 reunion brought genuine emotion and the Timed Shoot-Out provided a properly competitive conclusion to the weekend.
Most importantly, Goodwood once again celebrated enthusiasm in all its forms.
You did not have to prefer electric cars, historic racers, modified Defenders, exotic supercars or Formula 1 machinery. Every corner of the event offered something different, united by an appreciation for engineering, design, performance and the simple enjoyment of cars.
A huge thank you once again to BYD Brighton for securing my entry tickets and making it possible for me to attend.
