It’s Goodwood Festival of Speed time once again, and we’ll soon be bathing in the sound of rumbling V8s and screaming V10s. Before the 2021 event kicks off, we thought looking back on some of the best runs up that fabled hill would be the ideal amuse-bouche.
Some seriously impressive cars have snaked their way up the Duke of Richmond’s driveway, but what proved to be the fastest ever? Here’s the top 10.
Leyton House-Judd CG901B: 44.64
Garry Ward thundered up the hill in a Leyton House-Judd CG901B Formula 1 car to set the tenth fastest time ever. It’s not the most prestigious F1 car, but this is certainly an honour it can wear proudly.
Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak: 44.60
Not content with taking the record at Pikes Peak in America, rally legend Sebastian Loeb drove the modern-day T16 up Goodwood’s hill. This incredible machine features a wind that would put light aircraft to shame.
Williams-Cosworth FW07B: 44.58
Cosworth has powered some of the most famed F1 cars over the decades, and the motor in the back of this FW07B did itself proud a few years ago. Piloted by Anthony Reid, the racer rocketed toward the finish line to claim the seventh fastest time.
Jaguar XJR8/9: 44.40
What an icon! This Le Mans legend graced the Goodwood Tarmac and reminded the crowd what serious endurance cars are truly capable of. Its downforce-generating bodywork delivered the goods with Justin Law behind the wheel.
Neo EP9: 44.32
The first all-electric car on the list is unsurprisingly also a Nurburgring record holder. Its 1,360bhp and instantaneous torque made it the sixth fastest car to ever charge – pun intended – up the hill.
Jaguar XJR8/9: 44.19
Justin Law returned to the hill for another run in the XJR8/9 to become one of only two drivers to be in this top 10 twice. His freshest attempt landed the Jag even further up the leaderboard.
Volkswagen I.D. R: 43.05
Volkswagen’s EV offensive isn’t just taking place on the road. Keen to show that its battery tech has a place in motorsport, this electric racer storms into fourth position. We’ll be seeing this car’s successor a little further up this list.
Gould-Cosworth GR51: 42.9
We return to the world of Cosworth for the bronze medalist. Graeme Wight JR piloted the bespoke hillclimb car to a podium finish.
McLaren MP4/13: 41.6
This was one of the longest-standing Goodwood records and one that still amazes watching it back today. Nick Heidfeld took the relatively modern F1 machine for a spin to clinch a seriously impressive time.
Volkswagen I.D. R: 39.9
The electric I.D. R recently returned to Goowood with the intention of nocking the McLaren MP4/13 clean off the top step. Again driven by Romain Dumas, the revised EV remains the fastest car to ever get up the hill. Quite the statement for electric cars.
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