The annual hill climb was a star studded event this year and featured one of the best line-ups of super cars and racers in recent times.
The 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed commemorated the 100th anniversary of BMW and the success of BMW motorsport. The traditional Goodwood Central feature therefore was built inspired by this theme. Sculpted by Gerry Judah, the sculpture features three very iconic BMWs. The first of which is the 1936, BMW 328 which isn’t just a pretty face. It was a highly effective race and rally car that was well ahead of its time. The second car to don the large sculpture is the Gordon Murray built Brabham BT52. The BT52 is a gorgeous racing car that boasted over a 1000 HP during qualifying. The final car is Le Mans prototype racer , the fabulous BMW V12 LMR. It took the overall victory at the 1995 Le Mans and this remains the only victory for BMW at the prestigious event.
BMW say that these cars represent their highest achievements in the world of motorsport. Their victory at Le Mans, Formula One and in the Mille Miglia. “The cars epitomise BMW’s competitive instincts and pursuit of technology in creating the ultimate driving machine” quote BMW.
The hill climb this year was splashed with rain and unpredictable weather. This, however did not stop the cars from setting some new records. The McLaren P1 LM set a new Road Legal Car record of 47.07 seconds with Kenny Brack at the wheel. The record timing is just a mere 5.5 seconds slower than Nick Heidfeld in the McLaren MP4/13.
The Goodwood festival also hosted top Formula One drivers – Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button. MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi was also present at the event. Rally Cross racer and Ford factory rally driver Ken Block took the prestigious hill climb event. Overall, an absolutely star studded lineup of famous automotive figures.
In classic Goodwood tradition, the event featured a number of race cars from the world of Le Mans and Formula One. That includes the modern day race cars as well as the legendary classics, this event featured them all. From the likes of the 2016 turbocharged Formula One cars, to Senna’s world championship winning McLaren, the F1 fans witnessed it all.
From the Le Mans world, most of the latest generation racers were at the event, the Porsche 919 to the Audi R18 TDI. Some legendary classics like the Porsche 935 Moby Dick, the Porsche 911 GT1 and the Mazda 787B all made appearances. The Le Mans paddock was an enthusiast’s wet dream indeed.
The elite road going supercars were also present at the event. The likes of the McLaren P1 LM , Bugatti Chiron, Mercedes-AMG GT R and the Honda NSX took to the hill climb course over the weekend. A thoroughly enjoyable sight indeed.
The 2016 hill climb also featured the annual Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’. The event is a beauty contest for classic collections cars that were on display on the lawns of the Good Wood house. The contest featured an outstanding range of beautiful and rare cars. A treat for every kind of automotive aficionado. After intense scrutiny by a panel of ten world renowned judges and style icons, the stunning metallic green 1971 Lamborghini Miura SV was crowned the overall winner of the Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’.
The 2016 Goodwood Festival was a decadent display of road and race cars from around the globe. We were definitely thoroughly impressed and look forward to next years iteration of the legendary festival.
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