Goodwood 2012

The Earl of March has confirmed the dates for all the motoring events being held at Goodwood in 2012. The 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed will take place from Friday the 29th June to Sunday the 1st July. As usual, the 2012 Festival will be packed with action and some of the world’s most glamorous racing machinery ever built.

The Goodwood Moving Motor Show is being held on Thursday the 28th June 2012. This event will provide new car buyers and motoring enthusiasts the chance to see the very latest new model cars close up, and in many cases drive them around the Goodwood estate on a dedicated evalution route, including the Festival hillclimb.

The Goodwood Revival is confirmed for the weekend of the 14th to the 16th September 2012 where competitors and spectators alike dress in period fashions, plus enjoying the experience of the finest sights and entertainment of the pre-1966 era.

All tickets for admission to the events will be strictly by advance booking only, with ticket sales commencing on Monday the 31st October 2011 at 9.00am. Details for grandstand seats, camping and other products can be found at the Goodwood website or call the ticket hotline on 01243 755055.

New BMW M5

The fifth generation BMW M5 performance saloon will make its UK debut at The Goodwood Festival of Speed which is being held between the 1st and 3rd July. The new M5 will be showcased at the BMW pavilion along with a selection of the Bavarian manufacturer’s hottest current cars, plus some famous BMW racing cars from the past as well.

The BMW M5 is powered by a M TwinPower turbocharged, high-revving, 4.4-litre (4395cc) V8 engine that develops 560hp. All this power accelerates the car from 0-62mph in just 4.4 seconds and onto a limited top speed of  155mph. The 0-124mph sprint is achieved in only 13 seconds and the new BMW M5 comes with BMW’s seven-speed M Double Clutch Transmission Drivelogic, EfficientDynamics technology and for the first time, Active M differential and electronic damping control.

In addition to the new BMW M5, BMW will be showing off a BMW 328 and M3, with Le Mans ace Dirk Muller also driving a BMW Z4 GT3 up the famous Goodwood 1.16 mile hillclimb. The hillclimb will also be completed by a BMW M3 GTS Coupe in the supercar run as well. Further details on The Goodwood Festival Speed can be found at their website @ www.goodwood.co.uk/festival-of-speed. BMW car leasing can also be found on the site now on all car models.

Hyundai i-flow concept car

The pioneering Hyundai i-flow concept car is set to wow the crowds who will be attending the final few days at the  Goodwood Festival of Speed . Over 175,000 visitors are expected to visit the festival and the ground breaking future D-segment car creates a futuristic shape with excellent aerodynamics, all of which contributes to an excellent visual experience as well as performance all round.

The Hyundai i-flow is powered by a 1.7-litre diesel-electric engine hybrid powertrain and emits only 85g/km CO2 emissions. The car also has a “glossy metal finish” created in conjunction with BASF and you can find the car at the FoS-TECH pavilion. If you are also interested in Hyundai contract hire prices for your next company car then prices are on the site for all their other models.

Cummins' diesel in an Austin Mini

An original Austin Mini has been kitted out by Cummins, the world’s largest independent make of diesel engines, with the QSK78 diesel engine, weighing in at over 11 tonnes and producing a staggering 3,500bhp.  The QSK78 is normally used to power mining industry dump trucks and is a V18 monster with no less than 12 turbochargers.

Steve Nendick, Cummins’ Communications Director – Europe, Middle East, Africa and CIS said,” We never like to let a challenge go by unanswered so we got thinking maybe we could fit the QSK78 into the original Austin Mini. It proved to be tricky to fit under the bonnet but our engineers came up with a more creative solution. We’re certain that the Goodwood crowd will have difficulty believing what they are seeing”.

Jaguar XKR 75

The exclusive Jaguar XKR 75 makes its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on July the 2nd, with only 75 models going into full production. The XKR 75 has a higher performance than the standard XKR reaching 0-60 seconds in only 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 174mph.

Mike O’Driscoll, managing director of Jaguar Cars, said,”The XKR 75 will provide owners with exclusivity, excitement and a hint of Jaguar’s great heritage. This is a fitting way to celebrate the sporting credentials of the XK marque in the 75th year of the Jaguar name”.

BMW M3 GT2 Art Car

BMW is a long time sponsor of the Goodwood Festival of Speed and will roll out some its hottest cars at the forthcoming event. The BMW 328 Touring will drive up the Goodwood hill, 70 years after its historic win in the Mille Miglia.

The BMW M3 GT2 Art Car makes its UK debut after competing in the Le Mans 24 Hours race, plus the BMW Z4 sDrive35is represents BMW in the supercar runs. Finally the new BMW 5 Series Touring will also make its Sussex debut plus World Superbike hero Troy Corser will ride the UK Superstock spec S 1000 RR. BMW is a popular model on the site and BMW business contract hire pricing is available now.

MINI

MINI is looking forward to attending the Goodwood Festival of Speed with the new MINI Countryman and the MINI E Race will participate in the hill climb race. The MINI E Race has the same power unit as the MINI E but this car has been modified for racing.

Monte Carlo racing legend, Rauno Aaltonen, one of the original “flying Finns” will drive the MINI E Race up the hill. The new MINI Countryman will go on sale at UK dealers in September and will offer three petrol, two diesel and two ALL4-all wheel drive models.

Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo is calling on drivers and fans of the iconic Italian brand (known as Alfisti) to upload any favourite images or shots that capture the essence of the car in its centenary year. All photos can be submitted via the Alfa Centenary site and they will be used to create a mosaic of photos of the Italian sports car manufacturer’s latest model, the Giulietta.

You can add photos until Sunday the 5th July, but if you load your photos on before the 18th June, you will be included in a prize draw to win an exclusive Alfa Romeo goodie bag and a pair of VIP tickets to attend the Goodwood Festival of Speed (2nd-4th July).

Moving Motor Show

This year’s 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed will now  have a one-day extension called the “Moving Motor Show” where new car buyers can preview a selection of models and even try them out, (strictly at the invitation of the car manufacturers attending). Most sectors of the new car market will be represented at the Moving Motor Show on Thursday the 1st July, from economy hatchbacks to MPVs, family saloons to SUVs and prestige limousines to supercars.

Manufacturers who have confirmed attendance include Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Jaguar, BMW, Abarth, Morgan, Volvo, Mazda, Rolls-Royce, Ford, Nissan and Alpina. The Festival of Speed attracts over 150,000 visitors every year over the three days and the cars from the manufacturers above will undertake hundreds of runs on a special evaluation route.

Ford Ranger

Ford is supplying the new Ford ranger pick-up as a support vehicle at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (from 3rd -5th July). The Ranger is built for the job, as this tough off-roader makes it the perfect choice for the team responsible for event support. The Ranger’s class leading 3,000kg braked trailer load capacity plus seating for up to five being particulary helpful to the event team.

Christopher Salmon, motor sports event manager for Goodwood, said “The Ranger’s towing capability, load space and real agility off-road make it the ideal choice for our location and set-up. It really makes a difference to the event team to have the right support vehicle at the Festival”. The event team will be using six Ford vehicles, including double cab and super cab Thunder derivatives, throughout the event.

MK1 Escort Mexico

Other vehicles on display from Ford will includes the iconic MK Ford Escort Mexico which won the 1970 London-Mexico rally (and winning the re-run in 1995) and the new Ford Focus RS. Hannu Mikkola will be driving the Escort on the Goodwood hillclimb, having been the triumphant driver on both previous occasions. The Ford ranger will go on sale in September 2009 and Ford contract hire prices are available now.