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Goodwood Festival of Speed 2021 highlights

Following a pandemic-induced hiatus, Goodwood Festival of Speed made a return for 2021. Here are the highlights

13 Jul 2021

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Every year Goodwood is home to some of the world’s greatest automotive events, ones that due to the global pandemic had to be cancelled in 2020. Thankfully though, all three of Goodwood’s biggest gatherings are back up and running in 2021, with Festival of Speed having taken place as part of the government's Events Research Programme.

As a result, many of the world’s performance car manufacturers used this opportunity to show off their new cars in the flesh after over 12 months of virtual reveals and closed door events, so there was plenty of new and exciting metal to see. Here are the highlights of this year's event.

Alfa Romeo

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The hardcore Giulia GTA took centre stage for Alfa Romeo at this year’s festival, giving many their first opportunity to see the track-oriented saloon for the first time. Its 532bhp output is higher than that of an ordinary Quadrifoglio, but it's the bespoke chassis tuning, aerodynamic adjustments and weight saving measures that make it such a special machine.

Aston Martin

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Aston Martin had a big presence at this year’s festival, as not only did it have a swathe of exciting new models to show off, but new management behind them ready to show them off.

The limited-run V12 Speedster is one such new arrival, rivalling the McLaren Elva and Ferrari Monza SP1/2 with its screen-less design and DBS Superleggera-derived 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12. The new Vantage F1 Edition was also on display, but the 1000bhp Valkyrie hypercar drew the most attention with its wailing 11,000rpm V12...

BMW

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Alongside a raft of all-electric offerings, BMW has also been pushing its performance car agenda over the last 12 months, the result of which was all on show at Goodwood this year. This included the excellent new M5 CS alongside the limited-run G82 M4 Competition x KITH. All-electric models like the iX and i4 also made UK debuts, but most notable was the world debut of the all-new 2-series coupe, the model which will form the basis for the highly-anticipated next-generation M2.

Ferrari

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Maranello’s fast-expanding range was also on the guest list, with the drop-top 812 GTS and SF90 Spider both making an appearance. Ferrari’s updated Portofino M also featured alongside the Roma and SF90 Stradale.

Genesis

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Following its recent launch into Europe, Genesis made a big song and dance at the Festival of Speed as one of its title sponsors. As well as introducing its current range to the public, it also formed the world debut of the Euro-specific G70 Shooting Brake. The new compact executive estate strikes at the heartland of European tastes, and will rival the likes of BMW’s 3-series, the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz’s C-class, with a striking design and optional twin-turbocharged V6 engine.

Lotus

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Lotus displayed its most important new model in decades at this year’s Festival of Speed with the reveal of the Emira, a new sports car that will form the backbone of a totally revitalised company now underpinned by Chinese owners Geely. The all-electric Evija hypercar also made an appearance at the show.

Maserati

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The all-new MC20 was the star of Maserati’s Festival of Speed lineup, with the near-£200,000 supercar signalling the beginning of a new era for the marque and its first mid-engined supercar in decades. This joined a revitalised range of Trofeo models, including the new Ghibli Trofeo, which is the first version of Maserati’s executive-sized saloon to feature the Ferrari derived V8 engine available elsewhere in the range.

Porsche

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As always, it was a struggle to leave this year’s Festival of Speed without noticing Porsche’s presence. Alongside plenty of historic models, the new Cayenne Turbo GT took centre stage – a high performance flagship muted as being the most driver-focused variant so far in its three generations. The 992-generation 911 also featured in various forms, including the track-only GT3 Cup. Manthey-Racing also brought along its record-breaking 991 911 GT2 RS fresh from the Nurburgring.

Toyota

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Hot on the heels of the highly successful GR Yaris, Toyota’s Gazoo Racing performance division launched its successor to the GT86 earlier this year. The GR 86 boasts not only a new design, but a bump in performance too, and made its UK debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.