Porsche steals the show at Goodwood

‘Porsche has been one of Goodwood’s most loyal partners’ 

The Duke of Richmond

In the year in which we celebrate the 75th anniversary of our first sports car being completed in a former sawmill in Gmünd, Austria, Porsche was thrilled to be the honoured marque at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed – the 30th edition of one of the world’s biggest and best motoring events. For the fourth time, Porsche was the subject of the famous Central Feature outside Goodwood House, designed by the highly regarded London-based artist Gerry Judah.

Constructed from 50 tonnes of steel and stretching 28 metres high, the breathtaking sculpture featured six cars spanning the past, present and future of Porsche on road and track: an early 1951 356; a 1960 718 Formula 2 racer; an example of the all-conquering 962C; a 997 generation 911 Sport Classic; the very latest Type 992 911; and the car which has returned Porsche to the top tier of endurance racing, the 963.

Fans were treated to a stunning showcase of the latest Porsche road-going models on Goodwood’s famous 1.16-mile hillclimb throughout the Festival weekend. The recently announced 368 kW (500 PS; 718 Spyder RS: Fuel consumption* combined (WLTP) 12,7 l/100 km, CO₂ emissions* combined (WLTP) 288 g/km, CO₂ class G ) 718 Spyder RS made its global dynamic debut, and was joined by the latest 911 GT3 RS, the 718 GT4 RS equipped with the track-honed Manthey kit, the rugged 911 Dakar and the new Cayenne S.

Naturally, a mouth-watering selection of the marque’s greatest competition cars were also in action, split into three special ‘75 Years of Porsche’ classes on the hillclimb: ‘Le Mans Winners’ – for cars that took outright or class victories at the world’s greatest endurance race; ‘60th Anniversary of the 911’ – celebrating the racing and rallying successes of the most iconic Porsche design; and ‘Prototypes’ – Porsche sports racers that have triumphed across the globe, from the 1950s right up to the present day.

Highlights of these classes included the very first Porsche sports car, the 1948 356 ‘No. 1’ Roadster, and the 356 SL Gmünd Coupé – the first Porsche to compete at the Le Mans 24 Hours, winning the 1.1-litre class in 1951. The legendary Porsche Salzburg 917K, which gave Porsche its first outright win at Le Mans, took its turn up the Hill in the hands of Richard Attwood – one of the drivers who secured that famous 1970 victory. And the Goodwood crowds were also treated to the sight of two Porsche cars that have achieved the rare feat of winning back-to-back Le Mans: the ex-Joest Racing 956B (1984 and ’85) and the WSC-95 (1996 and ’97).

Other Porsche factory drivers on hand included endurance racing stars and Le Mans winners Nick Tandy and Timo Bernhard (the latter of whom could be seen chatting in the paddock with golf pro and Brand Ambassador Paul Casey on Thursday). Current Porsche Penske Team aces Kévin Estre and Michael Christensen from the 963 driver line-up were also in action over the weekend.

As well as climbing the Hill twice each day, all these drivers and machines congregated around the Porsche Central Feature outside Goodwood House for a daily Porsche anniversary ‘moment’, featuring a spectacular display of music and fireworks that turned heads right across the Festival site.

The Porsche Experience stand was jam-packed with visitors throughout the weekend. Alongside the latest Porsche models, the stand offered the chance to see the Mission X, a reinterpretation of a hypercar with Le Mans-style doors and a high-performance, highly efficient electric powertrain. The global debut of the Vision 357 Speedster, an all-electric machine inspired by the 356, was also a star attraction.

Unfortunately, the Saturday of the Festival couldn’t go ahead due to safety concerns over high winds. But the event resumed in fine style the following day – and Sunday afternoon’s climactic (and ultra-competitive) Timed Shootout final proved to be one of the highlights of the weekend for Porsche fans, when Adam Smalley, 2022-2023 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Junior Driver, put on a stunning display in the 75th anniversary-liveried 911 GT3 Cup car. Tearing up the Hill in a blistering 47.40 seconds, Smalley and the GT3 Cup finished an impressive fourth, powered by bio-based Exxon Mobil fuel with a renewable content of around 75 per cent.

‘Porsche has been one of our most loyal and enthusiastic partners, supporting the Festival of Speed since 1995 and the Goodwood Revival since 2010,’ said The Duke of Richmond, host of the Festival. ‘It’s been a pleasure to celebrate one of the world’s greatest brands.’