Currently reading: The best cars from the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed

Join us as we break down all the best and most interesting new metal at this year's show

This year's Goodwood Festival of Speed theme is ‘Horseless to Hybrid’, celebrating 130 years of technological progress. The central sculpture even carries an electric car for the first time, as MG celebrates its centenary with the new Cyberster.

Highlights of the event so far include oh-so sensible Polestar building a track car concept, an energy drink company showcasing a hypercar and China's oldest car maker announcing that it is coming to the UK.

Keep reading to discover the key details of the new metal being revealed at this year's show.

Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale

Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale

Alfa Romeo's final combustion supercar is the head-turning 33 Stradale, so named because only 33 examples will ever be built.

It's offered with a choice of either electric or combustion powertrains, the latter being an updated version of the 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 from the Giulia Quadrifoglio.

Everything we know about the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale

Alfa Romeo Junior

Alfa Romeo Junior

Alfa Romeo's first mainstream EV is the Junior (née Milano), a small crossover that's promised to be the best driver's car in its class.

Entry-level Juniors put out 154bhp, while the top-rung Junior Veloce is boosted to 278bhp. There's also a 1.2-litre petrol-electric option with 134bhp.

Read our Alfa Romeo Junior review

Alpine A290

In true hot hatch tradition, the Renault 5-based Alpine A290 borrows the powerplant from its bigger sibling, the Renault Mégane E-Tech. With 215bhp and a series of chassis tweaks, it aims to prove that EVs can be fun to drive.

Everything we know about the Alpine A290

Alpine Alpenglow Hy4

Alpine Alpenglow front quarter tracking

This rakish supercar could be one of the more important projects in Alpine’s history. It’s powered by a fairly conventional turbocharged four-cylinder engine with one key difference – it burns hydrogen, rather than petrol. Company executives have hinted that it could make production.

Everything we know about the Alpine Alpenglow

Aston Martin Valiant

The track-focused reimagining of last year's Valour commissioned by Fernando Alonso made its public debut at this year's FoS. The Valiant packs a 734bhp twin-turbo V12 that's mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

Everything we know about the Aston Martin Valiant

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Bentley Continental GT

Bentley Continental GT Speed front quarter tracking

The next-generation, plug-in hybrid Continental GT took to the hill as the marque looks to cement its 771bhp beast as the sporting alternative to the old W12.

Read our Bentley Continental PHEV review

BMW i5 Flow Nostokana

BMW i5 Flow Nostokana

A throwback to South African artist Esther Mahlangu’s 1991 art car, the i5 Flow previews BMW’s future e-ink paint technology. It’s capable of shifting the shade of the body panels at a moment’s notice, displaying a different colour, a message or, as here, a special livery. BMW design chief Adrian van Hooydonk recently told Autocar the firm is working to ready the panels for mass production, and that it’s possible we’ll see a finished version within “the next two years”. 

Read our BMW i5 review

BMW 1 Series facelift

BMW M135

BMW’s entry-level family hatch was recently overhauled, gaining a smoother new look and BMW’s latest iDrive infotainment system inside. It made its public debut at Goodwood, in range-topping M135i guise.

Everything we know about the BMW 1 Series facelift

BMW M2 update

BMW M2

The M2 has gained 20bhp and 37lb ft of torque as part of a wider upgrade for the 2 Series coupé. The new version of the car was shown alongside BMW's other cars.

Everything we know about the BMW M2 update

BMW M3 Touring update

BMW M3 facelift

The M3 has gained new lighting and a 20bhp boost as part of its mid-life update. It was displayed in Touring estate form at Goodwood.

Everything we know about the BMW M3 update

BMW M4 CS

BMW M4 CS

This is a more hardcore version of the M4 coupé, with an increase in turbo boost pressure (from 1.7 bar to 2.1 bar) upping its peak power output from 523bhp to 543bhp. It’s also 20kg lighter than the regular M4, thanks in part to a new titanium exhaust silencer and various carbonfibre-reinforced plastic trim pieces.

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Read our BMW M4 CS review

BMW M5

BMW M5 front quarter tracking

The new M5 makes the switch from pure-petrol to plug-in hybrid power, pairing a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 with a gearbox-mounted electric motor for combined outputs of 717bhp and 738lb ft.

BMW M5 prototype review

BMW Skytop concept

BMW Concept Skytop

This striking open-air sports car is a first look at a spiritual successor to the Z8, packing BMW’s most powerful road-going V8. It’s tipped for a limited production run of around “50 pieces”, according to van Hooydonk.

Everything we know about the BMW Skytop concept

BMW Vision Neue Klasse

BMW Vision Neue Klasse

The Neue Klasse is our first look at the next-generation 3 Series EV, harking back to the range of saloons that established BMW as a major player in the European market. It will usher in an advanced new platform promising 30% more range, 30% faster charging and 25% better efficiency than the firm’s existing electric cars.

Everything we know about the BMW Vision Neue Klasse

BMW X3

BMW X3

The fourth-generation X3 made its global debut at the Festival of Speed. It touts a radical new look inside and out, plus a heavily reworked chassis that’s promised to improve both handling and comfort. 

Everything we know about the new BMW X3

BYD Seal U 

BYD Seal U

Chinese firm BYD’s UK expansion continues with the Seal U, a plug-in hybrid family SUV majoring on refinement and economy. It was shown alongside sibling brand Yangwang’s U8 luxury SUV in the First Glance paddock at the Festival of Speed.

Read our BYD Seal U review

Callum Skye 

Callum Skye front quarter

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The first bespoke production car to come from former Jaguar designer Ian Callum’s new eponymous outfit, the Skye is an electric Ariel Nomad rival with 247bhp. It’s said to prioritise engagement, promising both a cosseting ride and good steering feel. The Skye was shown in the Electric Avenue area.

Everything we know about the Callum Skye

Evoluto Automobili 355

British restomodders Evoluto Automobili have created an analogue Ferrari F355 with carbonfibre bracing, Ian Callum design and a reworked engine making 420bhp.

Everything we know about the Evoluto Automobili 355

Ferrari SF90 XX Spider

Ferrari SF90 XX front tracking

The first XX-branded road car packs an outrageous turn of pace, with its plug-in hybrid powertrain delivering 1016bhp and a 0-62mph sprint time of just 2.3sec.

Read our Ferrari SF90 XX and XX Spider review

Ford Capri

Far removed from its low-slung, two-door 1970s namesake, the electric Capri is derived from the Ford Explorer crossover and will enter production alongside that car in Cologne, Germany, in the coming weeks.

Like the Explorer, it rides on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB architecture and will be offered with a choice of either a 282bhp single rear motor for 0-62mph in 6.4sec, or a 335bhp twin-motor arrangement that enables 0-62mph in 5.3sec.

Everything we know about the electric Ford Capri

Ford Mustang GTD

This wild 800bhp road-going racer made its dynamic debut on the Goodwood hill. Order books for the new model opened recently, with it priced from £315,000 in the UK.

Everything we know about the Ford Mustang GTD

Genesis GV60 Magma

Genesis GV60 Magma front quarter

A more luxurious sibling to the celebrated Hyundai Ioniq 5 N electric sports SUV, the GV60 Magma is tipped to use the same 641bhp dual-motor powertrain but tuned for the “gentleman driver”.

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Everything we know about the Genesis GV60 Magma

Helixx van

British start-up Helixx aims to upheave the global van market with its new EV, engineered to L7e quadricycle regulations. It aims to establish an innovative franchise factory model inspired by McDonald’s, leasing vans to customers at a rate of just 20p per hour of use. Helixx demonstrated its ‘factory in a box’ at the Future Lab and its cargo van ran up the hill.

Everything we know about Helixx

Hongqi

Chinese luxury brand Hongqi has revealed that it will be coming to the UK - possibly as soon as 2026.

Everything we know about Hongqi coming to the UK

Lotus Emeya

Lotus Emeya front quarter tracking

Lotus’s new Chinese-built Porsche Taycan rival made demonstration runs up the Goodwood hill in both 603bhp S and 905bhp R guises. 

Read our Lotus Emeya review

Lotus Evija X

Lotus Evija X

The Evija X is Lotus’s challenger for the Volkswagen ID R, taking a production-spec Evija hypercar and bolting on an aggressive aerodynamic package in a bid to take the Nürburgring lap record.

Everything we know about the Lotus Evija X

MG Cyberster Coupe

An electric successor to the MGB GT? Don't let classic car fans hear you say that. The four-seat Cyberster Coupe is still officially a concept, but insiders tell us it could be in showrooms as soon as 2025.

Everything we know about the MG Cyberster Coupe

MG HS

The all-new HS SUV promises 75 miles of EV range for less than £32,000. An MG insider suggests it’s based on the Chinese-market Roewe RX5 but restyled to suit European tastes.

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Everything we know about the new MG HS

Ineos Arcane Works

Ineos’s new Arcane Works division promises to drastically broaden the scope of customisation available for the Grenadier off-roader. It will launch a series of limited-run specials, which customers will be able to tweak to their exacting requirements.

Everything we know about Ineos Arcane Works

Land Rover Defender Octa

This new addition to the Defender line-up is Land Rover's most extreme 4x4 yet, packing the same twin-turbocharged mild-hybrid 4.4-litre V8 as its more road-focused sibling, the Range Rover Sport SV. It made its dynamic debut at the Festival of Speed.

Everything we know about the Defender Octa

Lanzante Tag Championship

Lanzante Tag Championship

Take a classic Porsche 911 Turbo, shove an '80s-era Formula 1 V6 into it, and you get the Lanzante Tag Championship. It packs 625bhp and weighs just 920kg, all but guaranteeing it will be an absolute rocketship on the road. It was revealed in full at the Festival of Speed.

Everything we know about the Lanzante Tag Championship

Mini Cooper John Cooper Works

Mini demonstrated both the petrol and electric versions of the next-generation John Cooper Works (JCW) hot hatch as part of the First Glance display.

Everything we know about the Mini John Cooper Works and John Cooper Works E

Mercedes-AMG GT

Mercedes' performance car division unveiled a track-focused version of its GT Coupe. The snappily titled Mercedes-AMG GT 6 Pro 4Matic+ variant has four-wheel drive and 603bhp. UK sales will begin in late 2024.

Everything we know about the Mercedes-AMG GT Pro

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Polestar Concept BST

A stunning two-seat track-honed supercar-baiting concept from Polestar?! You better believe it. Based on the forthcoming Polestar 6, the Concept BST kicks things up a notch with a vented bonnet, front splitter, huge rear wing and a wider track.

Everything we know about the Polestar Concept BST

Red Bull RB17

Red Bull’s first hypercar was formally unveiled. With a 1184bhp V10, it is described by Red Bull Advanced Technologies CEO Christian Horner as Adrian Newey “unleashed”. Its reveal was accompanied by a celebration of Red Bull’s 20 years in Formula 1, with demonstration runs for several of the brand’s historic racers.

Everything we know about the Red Bull RB17

Renault 5 E-Tech Electric

Renault 5

Show goers had the chance to poke around the new electric Renault 5 at the Electric Avenue, accompanied by EVs such as the new Mini Cooper E, Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model 3 Performance.

Everything we know about the Renault 5 E-Tech

Tesla Cybertruck

Tesla Cybertruck

This divisive electric pick-up truck was always guaranteed to be one of the biggest attractions at the Festival of Speed. It ran up the hill in the First Glance group.

Everything we know about the Tesla Cybertruck

Toyota GR Yaris H2

Toyota GR Yaris H2

Toyota presented a new, European-built version of its hydrogen-combustion GR Yaris, providing a first look at the future of how performance cars are fuelled.

Yangwang U9

Chinese EV-making giant BYD’s luxury arm demonstrated its new hypercar, the U9, on the Goodwood hillclimb. 

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Charlie Martin

Charlie Martin Autocar
Title: Editorial assistant, Autocar

As part of Autocar’s news desk, Charlie plays a key role in the title’s coverage of new car launches and industry events. He’s also a regular contributor to its social media channels, providing videos for Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook and Twitter.

Charlie joined Autocar in July 2022 after a nine-month stint as an apprentice with sister publication What Car?, during which he acquired his gold-standard NCTJ diploma with the Press Association.

Charlie is the proud owner of a Fiat Panda 100HP, which he swears to be the best car in the world. Until it breaks.

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Peter Cavellini 14 July 2024

Are we suggesting cars should be smaller?, yeah, that right, a silly suggestion,cars are bigger because life has moved on , we do more,we need vehicles that can be family or utility, we're going EV which means transport is bigger heavier, 21st Century design might not suit some of us,so just buy something older,can't see many wanting a 1970's five series,just wouldn't cut it now for instance,I guess you like what you like.

jason_recliner 26 June 2024

Can't wait to miss the Goodwood Festival of BMW.

scrap 25 June 2024

Wow, look how dainty that '91 5 series is next to the bloated and ugly current version.

shiftright 9 July 2024

My thoughts exactly.