The coolest cars at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed
Held at the Goodwood estate in West Sussex, UK. The Goodwood Festival of Speed is one event every auto enthusiast from over the world looks out for every year. Spread out over three days, it comprises new car reveals, historic vehicle racing, rallycross races and hillclimbs at the iconic 3.8km long Goodwood Circuit famous for hosting endurance races since the 50s. The Goodwood FOS is back this year following a year's pandemic-related hiatus and here are a few cool new cars showcased at Britain's biggest motoring event.
Aston Martin Valkyrie
Probably the craziest car at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed was the Aston Martin Valkyrie. The car has been making headlines ever since the British marque announced it in 2017 because of its bonkers 6.5-litre 1000bhp naturally-aspirated V12 engine and race car looks. The Valkyrie has been spotted many times on public roads in the UK and Aston has even released a video of the Cosworth V12 at full whack on the dyno too, but the Valkyrie’s 11,100rpm redline symphony is never going to get old as demonstrated by its Goodwood debut this year. It develops a sound that’s more at home on a racetrack next to F1 cars of the 90s rather than a supercar. It’s simply astonishing that anything road legal can make this kind of noise. Deliveries for the Valkyrie will begin early next year and each of the 150 planned cars will cost its lucky owner upwards of $3 million (Rs 22.3 crore, excluding taxes and options of course). Talking about options on the Valkyrie, here is one that will definitely blow your mind away!
Lotus Emira
A new car from Lotus is not something that we hear about everyday. The company has a habit of updating existing models every year, rather than a totally new one — more evolution than revolution. But in 2018, the brand was taken over by Geely and since then it has started to focus more on EVs. Plans of going full-electric by 2028 have been announced and the shift to EVs is kick started by the manic 1972bhp Evija. On the other hand is the Emira. It is the brand’s first all-new series-production car after more than a decade. It is a significant product for the brand as it represents the final chapter in the age of the combustion engine for Lotus. Available with either a 3.5-litre supercharged V6 from Toyota or a 2-litre four-cylinder engine borrowed from Mercedes-AMG, the Emira is all set to rival the likes of Alpine’s A110 and Porsche’s Cayman. Lotus intends to price the Emira at less than 60,000 Euros (Rs 53 lakh before Indian taxes and duties).
Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae
The Aventador Ultimae is the final hurrah for both Lamborghini's bellowing supercar flagship, and the naturally-aspirated V12 that powers it. In its 11 year lifespan, the Aventador has developed quite a fan following because of how it looks and sounds. With over 11,000 units produced and sold, it is Lamborghini’s third most successful product ever. The Aventador's successor will retain twelve-cylinder power, but with a hybrid element for reduced emissions, so the Ultimae really is the last of its kind. In its last iteration the Aventador will make 769bhp and 719Nm torque. It will be limited to 600 units, 350 coupes and 250 Roadsters. Lamborghini also showcased the SCV12 track-only hypercar of which only 40 units will ever be made.
BMW 2 Series Coupe
The newest car from Munich, the BMW 2 Series Coupe made its world premiere at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. The 2 Series made headlines, but not for what you expect from BMW nowadays with their wild styling. Instead it made headlines because it looks like BMW’s of the past with less in-your-face kidney grilles and a boxy brutish design. Fans were not happy when BMW released the second generation 2 Series sedan with a FWD layout in 2019 and assumed the 2 Series Coupe would also retain the FWD layout. But BMW has kept the enthusiasts in mind and delivered. The 2 Series Coupe has returned with a choice of rear- and four-wheel drive drivetrains and a range-topping 369bhp variant. And the new M2 and M2 Competition versions are in the works as well. Alongside the new 2 Series Coupe, BMW also showcased the 335bhp i4 all-electric sedan which promises a range of 590km and a 0-100kmph sprint time of 3.9 seconds.
Kimera EVO37
The Kimera EVO37 is a restomod version of the Lancia 037 Stradale. Italy-based Kimera Automobili has reimagined the rally legend from the 80s by giving it modern tech and more power. The Lancia 037 is still the last rear-wheel-drive car to win the World Rally Championship. Homologation rules meant they had to build 200 road going versions and so, the 037 Stradale was born. The Kimera 037 is a modern take on the 037 Stradale and it is limited to 37 units. It is powered by a 2.1-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine that produces 485bhp and 550Nm torque, which is twice as powerful as the original 037 Stradale. A kerb weight of just 1000kgs is courtesy carbonfibre panels and buyers will have the option to choose from either a six-speed manual or a six-speed sequential transmission sending power to the rear wheels only. Prices in Europe begin at $588,000 (Rs 4.27 crore before Indian taxes and duties).
SCG 004S
Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus used this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed for the debut of its 004S supercar. In case you've forgotten, the 004S is the road-going version of the 004C GT3-spec race car launched in 2020. The 004S has a milder aerodynamic setup, though it still generates as much as 600kg of downforce at a speed of 300kmph. It also has fewer intakes, plus exhaust tips that exit from the rear deck instead of from the diffusera. The 004S will also spawn a track-focused CS variant. This 004CS will be a special version that will allow owners to swap between road and race configurations. This means it can be driven on the road but with a few simple modifications, it can become a homologated race car. The SCG 004S has a central driving position similar to the McLaren F1 and it is powered by GM’s 6.2-litre supercharged LT5 V8 engine which produces 641bhp in the 004S. Only 25 units of the 004S will be made and each will demand a price of $460,000 (Rs 3.4crore without Indian taxes and duties) before options like the $70,000 (Rs 52 lakh) clear or tinted carbonfibre body option.
Powerflex V8 Mini
A Mini Cooper with a V8 engine just might be the craziest go-kart for the road, if there ever was one.Think back to when Aston Martin shoved a V8 from the Vantage into their Cygnet, that's pretty much what British suspension specialist Powerflex has done to a Mini Cooper. This frankenstein of a car is now powered by a 4-litre V8 sourced from a BMW M3. It makes 408bhp and is sure to be a very tight fit under the Mini’s hood which was originally designed to house an engine half its size. The car also gets flared wheel arches and a custom interior with a roll cage, carbon fibre steering wheel with a digital screen and racing seats. This crazy project took 4 years to be completed, says Powerflex. Time spent well, we say.
Experimental Polestar 2
Created specifically for the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the one-off Experimental Polestar 2 is a track-honed version of Polestar’s electric crossover. Based on a Long Range version of the 2, with the same 78kWh battery pack, its dual-electric motor powertrain has been given a software recalibration to produce 469bhp — an increase of 67bhp over the standard car. It has also received a chassis makeover with 20mm wider front and rear tracks and 30mm lower ride height. Widened wheel arches have been fitted to the Polestar 2’s body to accommodate the extra width, in which lay 21-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero Rosso rubber borrowed from the Polestar 1 Coupe. It remains to be seen now if Polestar will actually produce and sell this to the public to take on rivals from Germany and America.
Everrati Signature widebody
Restomodding a Porsche 911 has been around for a long time now, but restomodding and converting them to pure electric seems to be the new trend. British firm Everrati isn't new to converting vintage cars to EVs, with the electric Mercedes-Benz Pagoda and Land Rover Series II models already under its belt. It has now laid hands on the 964-generation 911 and given it a 53kWh battery. The single Tesla-sourced motor develops 500bhp and 500Nm of torque. It sends power only to the rear wheels and can propel the car from 0 to 100kmph in under 4 seconds. At around 1350kg, the Everrati Signature is even lighter than the 964 Tiptronic it’s based on. The brand claims that it can do 241km on a single charge and can be charged via AC or DC fast charging. Prices start at £250,000 (Rs 2.5 crore without Indian taxes and duties) without taxes and the cost of a donor car. Do you fancy an electric Neunelfer?
MissionH24 LMPH2G
The Goodwood Festival of Speed has a bit of something for everyone. From vintage race cars like the 1910 like the Fiat S76 with its fire breathing 28.4-litre four-cylinder 286bhp engine to Mission’s hydrogen-powered endurance race car — the LMPH2G. The LMPH2G has been developed by Mission in partnership with Michelin Tyres with the goal of entering it into the electric-hydrogen category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024. It is fuelled by a four-stack hydrogen fuel-cell sending power to four electric motors. Combined output is rated at 653bhp with a top speed in excess of 300kmph.
Alongside this futuristic racer Michelin also revealed a new race tyre that is made up of 46% sustainable materials. It consists of recycled carbon from end-of-life tyres, orange and lemon peel, sunflower oil, pine resin and recycled steel from packaging.
McMurtry Speirling
Conceived by British start-up McMurtry Automotive, the Speirling looks like a mini batmobile. It is a full-carbon (monocoque + bodywork) single-seater electric race car which has a ‘powered downforce’ electric fan and ground-hugging body skirt, which the brand says is capable of generating 500kg of downforce at standstill. Featuring a 60kWh battery that wraps around the cockpit, as opposed to the skateboard set-up favoured by most manufacturers, it is rear-wheel-drive. The Speirling has a claimed 0-300kmph sprint time of under 9sec. Top speed is rated at over 320kmph, helped by a sub one-tonne kerb weight and minimal drag bodywork which also gives you between 30 to 60 minutes of range at full send.
While these were a few cool cars, an honorable mention goes to the array of classic Formula 1 cars, rally cars and vintage motorcycles that made their way across the Goodwood hill climb this week. They are always a great spectacle to watch and as expected the Goodwood Festival of Speed never disappoints. Head over to the Goodwood Road & Racing YouTube channel to watch the full three day event that was telecasted live.
