Goodwood Festival Of Speed - A - Z

E

Electric Avenue

The dust may have been a feature since my very first visit but what is a little newer is Electric Avenue. The festival has always had future FOS and individual examples of electric cars, they always seemed to be dotted around the festival and you would have stands and exhibitors with a car here or there, however, in 2021 we were treated to a real showcase of Electric Vehicles all in a dedicated space with suitable décor and styling, huge LED screens and lit up power cables hanging from the roof down to each car, all very cool.

 It wasn’t just super car and hypercar variations here either, I mean obviously, there was plenty on show from Porsche and Rimac but there were cars from across the whole spectrum like the long-distance cruisers from Audi and Jaguar down to the smaller run-arounds from Renault, Nissan and Mazda. If you were in any doubt about the future and just how many manufacturers are buying into the EV revolution then this place really brings home what the future looks like.

I can also confirm having seen some examples of EVs on the hill climb the speed (and dust) is still going to be there even if the noise isn’t.

Eating and Drinking

It's not just the machines that need fuel, we all need it too and the festival has all manner of options to pick from based on your budget and tastes, from Grab & go to restaurants and even luxury hampers Goodwood has you covered. Normally on the go from the minute I arrive, I will often choose to pitch up on a haybale while waiting for a track crossing to open or even settle down onto one of the many many benches and tents that are located all around the venue but the main stop built into my days at the festival are at the top of the hill / end of the rally stage.

No matter what time I reach the top of the hill this then becomes lunchtime and it's time to grab some hot food and a drink. A large number of options are both organic and from the Goodwood estate which just shows the level of commitment put in by the team here. They have even started to provide the more re-usable plastic pint glasses / cups which I “accidentally” brought home and have used ever since.

At an event where the machines take centre stage, it would be easy to have the food and drink options on the periphery but no, most of the restaurants are perfectly placed for viewing the hill climb or ones like the Porsche Café Le Mans which is in an ideal central location to just kick back and soak in the atmosphere at the front of the house while enjoying some perfectly prepared breakfast or lunch.

Exhibitors

The same with Exhibitors, these could be put off in a corner somewhere as an afterthought from the organisers however they are right there in the middle of the site, some even have elevated platforms which you can fully utilise to get a better view of the hill climb or front of the house.

In the same way, as they have been embraced its always pretty exciting to see what the manufacturers are bringing to the party each year too, now straight out of the gate I will admit that my favourite display was the McLaren-Honda toy box stand from 2015 is my absolute favourite with a 1:1 scale model of the MP4-30 as its centre piece. I collect diecast F1 cars and this just spoke to me on so many levels.

It's not the only example of this kind of thing though, I have seen Mercedes with cabinets full of trophies, an F1 car suspended from the wall as well as a 360degree virtual lap in one of their cars, Rolls Royce always take over the same spot by the paddock and always dominate the space on a raised stand with several cars. Then you have the Stables which is an enclosed space usually filled with a manufacturer celebrating a milestone in their history or an aspect of their various divisions, this is always a fun spot to go and spend some time.

It was here that I saw one of the funniest things ever as I watched two reps struggle for close to 10minutes to close the hood on a car before having to call over a senior member of the team to help them out.

Enthusiasts

Oh boy do these girls and guys come in all manner of guises, from the absolutely mad about the team, have the hat, the t-shirt, the backpack and drinks bottle all in the red of the prancing horse to the more individual and driver-focussed fans who also seem to have the hat and the t-shirt but they also bring the replica helmet the books and the toy cars just desperate for a smile and a word of hello and an autograph from their heroes.

It seems obvious to say it but everyone who comes to the festival of speed is passionate about at least one car or bike, a driver or brand and you can fully indulge that passion for four days of the year and nobody is going to judge you for it, it's more likely you will meet and see people year after year hovering around the same piece of machine as you are. 

Ear Defenders

So, before the electric cars take over… and long into the future I hope, the noise that fills the event is almost constant, sure there are some quieter areas where you can go and rest for a bit, however, if you are like me you want to be as close to the action as possible for as long as possible.

I don’t even mean just by the hill climb or on the rally stage but also in the paddocks where you can get within millimetres (or even touch them if my wife is any way to behave) the cars of your dreams. What this does mean though is when they fire up the cars there is an almighty noise, it rumbles through your chest and through the bottom of your feet as they rev the engines and bring them to life.

As such ear defenders should be a serious consideration for anyone attending the event, even if it’s just the sponge ones that slip in your ears, something is better than nothing. I think that might even count as my second helpful tip.

To counteract my own advice, have you ever heard an F1 engine playing the national anthem, I have and it is pretty much as amazing as it sounds, the Renault F1 team playing God save the queen purely using engine noise and revs is a yet another unexpected and unique memory I have gained from my time at the festival.