The Goodwood Festival of Speed began as a humble gathering in 1993 at the estate of Charles Gordon-Lennox in West Sussex, England. The then Lord March, now the Duke of Richmond, expected two or three thousand men to climb a hill to his driveway. Instead, about 25,000 came.
That afternoon, it became a global stage for new car debuts, hosting everything from concept cars to record-breaking hypercars.
The 2026 Festival of Speed It takes place at Goodwood House from July 9 to 12, with the theme “Rivals: Epic Racing Duels”. The singer, known for his reworked Porsche 911 builds, headlines the festival’s Central Artistic Sculpture this year. Additionally, here are five showcase cars we’re looking forward to seeing on the hill this year.
5
Bentley Design Theme by Mulliner
You’ve never seen two-tone paint like this
The paint fade, which transfers the color from one side of the car to the other, may sound like a stunt, but it fits exactly what the Supersports is built around: a two-seater coupe designed entirely for the driver. The bright color shown here always falls on the driver’s side, regardless of whether the car is configured for left- or right-hand drive.
The Design Theme by Mulliner is only available on the Bentley Supersports model, a two-seat, rear-wheel-drive coupe that starts at £343,900 (about $486,000) and is limited to just 500 units worldwide. The package introduces Bentley’s first side-by-side paint fade, with a bold accent color on the driver’s side blending into a darker tone on the passenger side. The Supersports itself is a member of the Continental GT family, although it shifts the standard car’s focus to long-distance grand touring for track performance.
Buyers can choose from three specifications: Dragon (Dragon Red changes to Black Crystal), Electric (Electric Blue changes to dark Sapphire), and Brodgar (Pale Brodgar fades to Brodgar).
The theme extends to the cabin, where a brighter color covers the driver’s seat and a darker tone surrounds the passenger side. Similarly, the gear lever matches the color of the driver’s seat, while contrasting stitching is done on the dashboard and headrests.
The Supersports features a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that produces 657 horsepower and 590 lb-ft. of torque, hitting 62 mph in 3.7 seconds. Bentley recently brought a similar driver-focused approach to its flagship range Continental GT S and GTC STaking design inspiration from Supersports and combining it with a new hybrid powertrain.
4
Yangwang U9 Xtreme
The world’s fastest production car
If you want proof that electric hypercars can beat anything gas-powered, this is the car to win the argument. Watching a car smash at 300 miles per hour without a drop of gas will be one of the festival’s defining moments, and few attendees will ever see anything like it up close.
The Yangwang U9 Xtreme makes its European debut at Goodwood this year. BYD’s ultra-luxury brand tested the car at Germany’s ATP Papenburg proving ground, where it reached a high level. Certified top speed of 308.4 mphthe fastest recorded speed for any production car.
The four electric motors produce a combined output of more than 3,000 metric horsepower running on a 1,200-volt platform, a first for a production vehicle. The car lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in less than seven minutes. Yangwang plans to build only 30 units.
3
BMW M Concept New Class
Take a look at where the M3 is headed
The BMW M Concept Neue Klasse will appear at Goodwood after its world premiere at Le Mans in June 2026. As BMW points out 40 years of the M3The Concept Neue Klasse gives us a look at where the nameplate could be headed.
The concept is powered by a four-motor M eDrive powertrain mated to BMW’s M Dynamic Performance Control system, with a battery pack built in an 800-volt architecture reaching 100 kWh.
BMW is presenting the M Concept Neue Klasse and the new M Performance Track Kit alongside the M3 Touring race car that finished fifth overall at this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours. M2 coupe.
2
Honda Prelude HRC Concept
The return of The Prelude is a bit of a treat
my How – Geek colleague Adam Gray and myself Honda spotted the Prelude at the 2026 Detroit Auto Showalthough connected. While members of the media were able to view the car from the outside, no one was allowed to sit inside or look inside.
This locked-door experience makes Goodwood feel like a big deal, as it marks the first time we’ve heard the Prelude run. Honda hasn’t sold a Prelude in the U.S. since 2001, so seeing the return of worn parts built by Honda’s own racing division is a moment fans have long been waiting for.
Modeled after the production Prelude that went on sale in September 2025, the HRC Concept first appeared as a static display at the Tokyo Auto Show in January 2026. HRC Performance parts developed by Honda’s racing division to sharpen handling and response inspired the concept’s name.
Jessica Hawkins, Aston Martin Aramco’s Driver Ambassador and Head of F1 Academy, will drive the Prelude HRC Concept on the hill for the weekend with racing driver Tiago Monteiro behind the wheel.
1
Toyota GR GT and GR GT3
The road car meets its track brother
Toyota has been testing these cars on Japanese circuits for a full year, but this year’s Goodwood marks their first uncamouflaged appearance outside of Asia. It also fits this year’s Rivals: Epic Racing Duels theme, as pitting a road car against its GT3 racing counterpart shows exactly how much engineering separates a street car from a Le Mans race car.
Both share a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, the road-going GR GT combines the engine with a single-motor hybrid system. The GR GT3 is built on an all-aluminum frame to FIA GT3 specification, a first for Toyota (with a length of 4,785 millimeters and a wheelbase of 2,725 millimeters).
Toyota is positioning the GR GT as a competitor to cars like this one Porsche 911 GT3.
One weekend, five amazing cars
Between a single seater, a 308 mph production EV and a paint job designed around a street car that meets its race family member, this year’s Goodwood field touches on just about every direction the industry is going in right now.
The five cars above join a wider lineup that includes new models from BYD, Alpine and Gordon Murray Automotive. The 2026 Festival of Speed starts on July 9 and runs until July 12 at Goodwood House in West Sussex, England.
