In a star-studded celebration in support of the 70th anniversary of the production of the first car to bear the Porsche name in 1948, many examples of road and race cars from throughout the seven decades will be on show and be participating in demonstration runs up the famous Goodwood Hill climb course.
The world-renowned Porsche Museum has gathered together a stunning line-up of seven icons from its collection in Stuttgart which will take visitors on a visual journey through the evolution of the sports car.
To lead this procession, the Museum is sending an exceptional, original Porsche to Goodwood. The 356 ‘No.1’ Roadster, which received its operating permit on 8 June 1948, makes its debut appearance in the UK at the Festival of Speed. As the first ever Porsche sports car, it holds a special place in the company history.
Owners and enthusiasts alike will be able to see the very early origins of the Porsche DNA in this car; most notably, a mid-engine layout, a ‘boxer’ engine design, a two-seat layout, and lightweight construction to ensure the highest possible performance and efficiency.
This remarkable car will be joined by successive examples of highlight Porsche sports cars in a daily parade up the Goodwood Hill:
- 1964 Porsche 911
- 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS
- 1987 Porsche 959
- 1997 Porsche 911 Turbo
- 2003 Porsche Carrera GT
- 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder
- 1962 Porsche 804
- 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR Turbo
- 1978 Porsche 935/78 ‘Moby Dick’
- 1984 Porsche 911 SC ‘Paris Dakar’
- 1986 Porsche 961
- 1987 Porsche 962
- 1988 Porsche 2708 Indycar
- 1994 Dauer 962 GT Le Mans
- 1998 Porsche GT1 ’98
- 2000 Porsche LMP 2000
- 2007 RS Spyder
- 919 Hybrid Tribute Tour
Credit: Porsche
The hero of the assembled Porsche cars will be the phenomenal 919 Hybrid Evo. Barely two weeks ago, Porsche factory race driver, Timo Bernhard, beat the 35-year old lap record around the Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit in Germany, behind the wheel of this ultimate sports car.
Neel Jani will be demonstrating the 919 Hybrid Evo at Goodwood during the Festival of Speed.
The Porsche tradition of success in the Le Mans 24 Hours will be further celebrated at the Festival of Speed by the demonstration of the winner of the GTE Pro category of the 2018 race, the factory Porsche 911 RSR ‘Pink Pig’.
Factory drivers Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor fresh from that thrilling French victory in the evocatively liveried car, inspired by a famous 1970s Porsche 917 racer, will be driving at Goodwood.
Completing the Porsche Motorsport line-up will be the latest 911 GT3 Cup race car from the Porsche Carrera Cup GB. Characterised by a very close relationship to the 911 GT3, the GT3 Cup race car shares its 4.0-litre flat-six engine with the road car.
The Supercar Run is a prime attraction at the Festival of Speed, showcasing the fastest and most exclusive road-going sports cars. The highlight here is the 911 Speedster Concept, a road-ready study of an open-top sports car.
The track to road technology transfer principle at Porsche sees developments proven on the race circuit brought to the street for everyday enjoyment. The latest 911 GT3 RS shares its high-revving, normally-aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six engine technology with the 911 Carrera Cup and RSR race cars, and the chassis dynamics are also clearly honed on the track.
Credit: Porsche A.G.
As the most powerful 911 ever, the 911 GT2 RS takes this concept to another level with a twin-turbocharged, 3.8-litre flat-six engine offering 700 hp and the capability to lap the Nürburgring-Nordschleife in Germany in 6 min 47 secs.
Visitors will also be able to catch a glimpse of the future of Porsche sports cars, with the display of the 2015 Mission E concept car, on the Porsche Experience Centre stand.
Marking the 70th anniversary of Porsche sports cars at Goodwood fits well with the 25th anniversary of the Festival of Speed. To date, the legendary marque has featured at every single Goodwood Festival, from the first event in 1993, when 27,500 enthusiasts turned up, to the near 200,000 visitors that attended the event last year.
