The Goodwood Festival Of Speed is always one of the most exciting events on the automotive calendar. It's basically a car show within a hill climb within one big giant lawn party – complete with fancy dress and champagne. And this year is already shaping up to be something special.
The 2023 Goodwood Festival Of Speed will host big sports car manufacturers like Aston Martin, Ferrari, and McLaren for their debuts, while also affording smaller automakers the opportunity to showcase their latest products, companies like Caterhan and McMurtry.
We've already put together a list of every car making its in-person debut this year at Goodwood, but now we're narrowing it down to just our favorites. These are the vehicles that Motor1.com editors are most excited to see this year – be it brand-new cars making their global debut or previous attendees hoping to make a bigger splash.
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Caterham Project V
The Aston Martin Valour and Ferrari KC23 are obvious answers here. Even that insanely pretty Lamborghini Diablo restomod will probably have people flocking to it. But I’m really intrigued by Caterham’s Project V electric sports car. The design is lovely, the 2+1 seating configuration is fascinating, and the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive configuration makes this EV lighter than a Toyota GR86 – which is pretty unheard of. This thing could be a ton of fun.
– Jeff Perez, Senior Editor
Singer DLS Turbo Study
Modern Porsches are incredible from both a performance and technological standpoint. But I grew up with ‘80s whale tail 911s and that’s where my Porsche heart beats the strongest. Aside from the styling, there’s a raw, elemental feel behind the wheel of a 930 or 964 that I know others appreciate, and there isn’t a company out there that captures – and modernizes – this better than Singer. The recently revealed DLS Turbo Study hits all my 930 and 964 sweet spots, from the wild aero to the gorgeous retro interior, and then it boots me in the keister with gobs of air-cooled, twin-turbocharged horsepower.
– Christopher Smith, US News Editor
Lamborghini Diablo Restomod By Eccentrica
Who doesn’t love the Lamborghini Diablo? Countless video games made it an iconic supercar of the 1990s.
The BorromeodeSilva design firm revives the Diablo as a proper restomod. The exterior is only slightly different with revised styling and a few updated parts. Meanwhile, the interior features an overhauled instrument cluster with digital gauges while retaining a gated manual gearbox. The result is just so cool, even if it largely plays on nostalgia for the 1990s.
Sadly, we don’t have powertrain specifics. The originals came with either a 5.7-liter or 6.0-liter V12 depending on the model. With a minimum of 485 horsepower on tap, there’s plenty of power even by modern standards.
- Chris Bruce, Associate Editor
Ferrari KC23
Exclusivity is an integral part of Ferrari, and the KC23 exemplifies that. The brand based its latest one-off creation on the 488 GT3 Evo. It took over three years to develop, and it features a full roll cage because it’s a track-only car. It has butterfly doors and a giant wing, but its most exciting design details are the motorized side panels that open the air intakes. Active aero isn’t new, but moving body panels are another step beyond that.
– Anthony Alaniz, Daily News Writer
Pastrana's Subaru GL Family Huckster Wagon
Yes, this car already ran up Goodwood in 2022. I loved it then, and still love it now. And lest you forget, he nearly won the whole damn thing last year. In a Subaru GL wagon.
Of course, it only looks like an old long-roof Subie. The Family Huckster was purpose built to Gymkhana all the things, but as it turns out, it’s also seriously fast on a track. Last year Pastrana went up the hill in 46.20 seconds, a time that normally would have him at the very top. He ended up fifth in an extremely competitive field that saw less than a second between him and second place. The bonkers McMurtry Speirling then stole the show by setting a new record of 39.08 seconds, and yes, there’s a new version running this year. But it’s production-spec so it will be slower. And just maybe, that’s enough to give the old wagon a shot at the title.
– Christopher Smith, US News Editor
Prodrive P25
Just because it’s been around awhile doesn’t mean I’m any less excited to see the Prodrive P25 roaring up the Goodwood hill climb. Clearly based on one of my first favorite cars, the Subaru Impreza 22B STI, the Prodrive P25 ditches the 276-horsepower, 2.2-liter flat-four in favor of a 2.5-liter boxer making more than 400 hp. The Prodrive’s carbon-intensive bodywork cuts about 200 pounds of fat from the 22B, allowing the restomod rally car to hit 60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds.
Best of all, the Prodrive P25 retains its spiritual predecessor’s econo-coupe bodywork and blistered special-stage fenders, altered slightly via a set of gray multispoke wheels, an open-element grille, and slightly sleeker bumper-mounted foglights. At 560,000 British pounds including value-added tax ($727,000 at current exchange rates), the limited-production 22B homage is not cheap. And if you want to get all boring and logical, a modern Porsche 911 Carrera GTS has faster acceleration for roughly a fifth of the price. But I promise you, I won’t be feeling logical when I hear that throaty, turbocharged flat-four screaming around Goodwood.
– Brett T. Evans, Senior Editor
McLaren Solus GT
It debuted at Monterey Car Week 2022, but the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed marks the first time we’ll actually see the McLaren Solus GT moving around under its own power. And what power it is.
The single-seat, track-only McLaren breaks from roadgoing tradition via a naturally aspirated V10 instead of a twin-turbocharged V8, resulting in 829 horsepower, 429 pound-feet, and a staggering rev limit of 10,000 rpm. The Solus GT has looks to match its outlandish powertrain, with a single-seat cockpit found underneath a sliding canopy. Weighing in at about 2,200 pounds, the Solus GT can generate up to 2,600 pounds of downforce thanks to aerodynamic pods around the wheels, a front splitter that routes air through a variety of underbody channels, and an adjustable rear wing that looks like it came off of Speed Racer’s Mach 6.
– Brett T. Evans, Senior Editor
Pininfarina Battista Edizione Nino Farina
Everybody knows the Battista by now, seeing how it debuted way back in 2019 and the first production-spec units rolled off the assembly line last year. But it's still a jaw-droppingly fast EV and a rather emotional one in this limited edition paint that pays homage to the world's first officially certified Formula 1 World Champion.
Giuseppe Farina, nicknamed Nino, was a prolific Italian racing driver that competed throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s and won the Italian Grand Prix Champion several times before winning the 1950 FIA Formula One World Championship in an Alfa Romeo 158 after battling his teammate Juan Manuel Fangio.
Nino was the son of Giovanni Carlo Farina, who founded the Stabilimenti Farina coachbuilder, and the nephew of Battista “Pinin” Farina, who worked at his brother's shop for decades and later established what is now known as Carrozzeria Pinin Farina or simply Pininfarina.
So I'd say the car is pretty special. It even has lovely mismatched bucket seats – black for the driver and tan for the passenger – and there's a lot of exposed carbon fiber and aluminum adorning both the exterior and interior. Pininfarina will build just five of them, each one powered by the same 1,877 horsepower setup that's found on the regular Battista.
– Iulian Dnistran, Daily News Writer at InsideEVs
Genesis G90
With a few small exceptions, Europe’s luxury segment has largely been dominated by the German premium trio for decades. It’s refreshing to see a new player on the market and the arrival of the second-generation Genesis G90 on the Old Continent – more than a year and a half after its original launch in South Korea – is surely good news for the European customers. What’s more, there’s a long wheelbase version of the stately sedan, which has four seats and an enormous rear legroom – something you won’t find in any BMW, Mercedes-Benz, or Audi model for the region.
There’s one big part of the puzzle that’s still missing, though. Genesis doesn’t disclose the engine range of the G90 for Europe, though there’s not much to wonder as the model has only two combustion powertrains available worldwide. You can have a 3.5-liter V6 in two power stages – with 375 hp and 391 lb-ft or 409 hp and 405 lb-ft – with the latter offering an electric supercharger. Alternatively, there’s also a fully electric powertrain.
The standard and optional equipment is probably much more important in this segment and the G90 has plenty to offer. A predictive air suspension, massage rear seats, and a noise-canceling system are just some of the features the sedan comes with. Is that enough to beat the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in its own game? Only time will tell but customers in Germany and Switzerland can already put an order for the Genesis G90. Even if it doesn’t beat the long-standing nameplates in the segment, it’s always good to have an alternative.
– Angel Sergeev, Editor at Motor1.com US/Global
Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster
While my American colleagues are spoiled for choice when it comes to buying trucks, Europeans have limited options. Thankfully, Ineos Automotive is introducing what the current-generation Land Rover Defender should’ve had from day one – a pickup version. The Grenadier Quartermaster retains the boxy look of the SUV, which itself is a not-so-subtle reinterpretation of the classic Defender.
The double-cab, five-seat truck is an off-roader through and through by packing up to three locking differentials, a two-speed transfer case, and permanent 4x4. The body-on-frame pickup uses BMW’s ubiquitous B58 and B57 inline-six engines hooked up to a ZF eight-speed automatic, so future owners can take comfort from knowing the truck boasts tried-and-tested hardware.
– Adrian Padeanu, European News Editor
