Goodwood Festival Of Speed 2019: Full Preview
The Goodwood Central Feature, an always impressive monument, will be dedicated this year to Aston Martin, in honour of the 70th anniversary of the brand winning its first race at Goodwood. Expect some of the world鈥檚 rarest, most valuable and most exciting Astons to be on display, too. The event will also celebrate the career of Michael Schumacher, with team-mates, former rivals and a collection of his most iconic Formula 1 cars all set to come together. It鈥檚 likely there will also be a memorable tribute to Niki Lauda, who died in May, though what that will be remains a mystery. A homage to the Monaco Grand Prix will be another theme. Goodwood isn鈥檛 just about the past, however: A number of brands use the show to give debuts to new models in front of enthusiastic crowds. Here鈥檚 a list of the new models that we know will be there, either on static display or being driven flat-out up the hillclimb. Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019: what new cars will be there? Alfa Romeo is celebrating its return to Formula 1 with two special edition variants of the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio. The limited-run 'Alfa Romeo Racing' versions of the performance saloon and SUV gain a red and white livery and unique interior trim upgrades, such as Sparco carbonfibre-shell bucket seats. The 503bhp 2.9-litre V6 remains the same, however. Aston鈥檚 fastest convertible in its history, the 211mph DBS Superleggera Volante, will almost certainly make its first public debut at the show given the brand鈥檚 presence will be bigger than ever. Revealed last month, the 拢250,000 model features a 715bhp 5.2-litre V12, with Aston claiming a 鈥渟ensory overload鈥?thanks to the electric folding soft-top. It's been eight years since Cheshire-based Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) first launched the Mono single-seater. Now, at long last, the company is turning up the wick with a new version heading to Goodwood.
Porsche has announced that the replacement for the current Macan SUV will become fully electric. Details about the new Porsche Macan are still scarce, but Porsche has confirmed that it will run on the Premium Platform Electric architecture, which is co-developed with Audi. It has also confirmed that it鈥檒l use a similar 800-volt electric drive system to the Taycan, which suggests it could share that car鈥檚 ultra-rapid 350kW charging ability. We also know that the new Macan will be built in Porsche鈥檚 Leipzig plant. It鈥檚 the location of current Macan, Cayenne and Panamera production, and opened in 2002 with the production of the original Porsche Cayenne. A specific release date for the new Porsche Macan is to be confirmed, but production should begin at the start of next decade. Porsche says that by 2022 it will be investing more than six billion euros into electric mobility, and that by 2025, 50% of all new vehicles in its range could have an electric drive system of some sort. Will you be pleased to see the Macan join Porsche's expanding electric car range?
A householder had a lucky escape after a Porsche Boxster smashed through their front garden and became lodged in the living room window. The 2004 sports car, which has a top speed of 169mph crashed through the hedge and hit the front of the house in Farnham, Surrey. Fire officers sealed off the road until the car was safely removed from the scene. The 2004 Porsche Boxster crashed through the front garden of a house in Farnham, Surrey on Friday morning causing significant damage to the property. Police said fortunately nobody was injured. The Porsche's 3.2litre, 280hp engine is capable of hitting 60mph in a little over five seconds. The crash happened on Friday morning. A spokesman for Surrey Police said: 'We were called after a grey Porsche Boxster collided with the side of a house in Guildford Road, Farnham. No one was injured as a result of the incident. However, it resulted in significant structural damage to the building. Farnham is still closed whilst the building is made safe. Then recovery can be started on the vehicle. Farnham Fire Station tweeted: 'Have been dealing with an RTC with Waverley Beat, Surrey along Guildford Road, Farnham since this morning.
More recent suggestions from readers: Ben wants to know why we cannot copy some South American countries, by painting school, play, speed and yield signs on the road. It seems to be very effective in warning drivers of various hazards. The popular belief in North America is to have drivers look up for route selection and various other information. Climate is another reason for not doing dramatic informational road markings. Snow, ice and freezing rain would likely negate the effect. It is near-impossible to get governments to do reflective road-lane markings, let alone introduce additional logical requests. It would be worth trying a pilot project in a specified area to find out if the idea has merit in reducing crashes. Ben also wants very clear road marking to indicate the beginning and end of a school zone. He is suggesting a wide blue line at the beginning and end of the zone.