GOODWOOD - Lord March takes the BMW i8 up the Hill Climb to open this year Motoring Event.

This year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed has kicked off in style, with Lord March completing the very first run of the weekend up the famous 1.16-mile hillclimb course in a BMW i8.

BMW is this year’s Honoured Marque and is celebrating its centenary at the event, with displays showcasing its storied M Sport performance range, as well as looking forward to its next 100 years with a focus on its electric offerings in the i range of products.

The first run being completed in the futuristic, all-electric i8 fits perfectly with BMW’s theme examining the future of mobility.

Meanwhile, visitors have been pouring into the beautiful Goodwood Estate despite the murky weather to see nearly 30 brand new cars make some form of debut at today’s Moving Motor Show, part of the newly-introduced Press & Preview Day.

Today’s Moving Motor Show allows visitors to get up close and personal with some of the most exciting new cars – some of which have not even gone on sale yet.

It also provides a sneak preview of all of the main Festival of Speed show content, including the Michelin Supercar Paddock, Cartier Style et Luxe Concours d’Elegance, Goodwood Aviation Exhibition, the spectacular motorcycle stunts of the GAS Arena and the amazing cars that will be sold in the Bonhams Auction.

UK RECALL #6 - BMW - New i8 supercar recalled for possible fuel leak.

Vehicle Details
Reference :	R/2014/190
Manufacturer Ref :	0016890100
Make:	BMW
Model :	i8
Launch Date :	14/01/2015
Numbers Involved :	128
Build Start Date :	21/03/2014
Build End Date :	12/09/2014

Recall Details
Concern :	FUEL MAY LEAK
Description :	It is possible that lubricant contamination may result in the high current welding of the bolt for the fuel tank earth strap not being to specification. This could over time result in the fuel tank leaking. The driver will become aware of the leak either by the smell or dripping fuel after refuelling.
Remedial Action :	Recall all affected vehicles and inspect the fuel tank. If necessary, replace the fuel tank.
Vehicle Id :	WBY2Z22090VX65023 to WBY2Z22010VX65209

Other Vehicles Affected (Click the vehicle to perform an extended search)

BMW - i8

WhatCar? announces the shortlist for 2015 Car Of The Year.

What Car? has revealed the shortlist for its prestigious 2015 Car of the Year Award.

The shortlist comprises 26 outstanding vehicles that went on sale for the first time in 2014. But it includes the Smart Fortwo, Volkswagen Golf SV,Nissan X-Trail, Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe, BMW i8, Porsche Macan and the Lamborghini Huracan.

The annual What Car? Awards are the most sought-after prizes for car manufacturers and the car-buying public alike. What Car? experts ensure that only the cars that deliver exceptionally against stringent criteria are shortlisted.

As well as the overall Car of the Year Award, the event celebrates the very best vehicles across 16 separate caterories, as chosen by the public and What Car? industry professionals.

For 2015, individual categories are: city car, small car, family car, electric car, coupé, estate car, mpv, hot hatch, convertible, small SUV, large SUV, executive car, sports car, luxury car, reader award and a safety award. This last award is sponsored by the Thatcham research centre and open only to vehicles that have achieved five Euro NCAP stars and come fitted with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB).

What Car? editor Jim Holder said: “The new car market has been buoyant in the UK during 2014 and the automotive industry in the UK has bloomed – that means there are a heap of exciting new cars that are all genuine contenders for our main COTY prize. No wonder the decision-making process around the shortlist was even more intense than usual.”

Awards are given to the cars that set the highest standards in their class and only the best is named What Car? Car of the Year. Last year, the Sunderland-built Nissan Qashqai was crowned the overall winner.

This year’s event takes place on January 7, 2015 at the Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London.  

WHAT CAR? 2015 COTY AWARD SHORT LIST

City Car (sponsored by Warranty Direct)

Renault Twingo

Smart Fortwo

Small Car

Hyundai i20

Mazda 2

Mini 5dr

Skoda Fabia

Vauxhall Corsa

Family Car

Ford Mondeo

Nissan Pulsar

Electric car (sponsored by Hankook)

BMW i8

Coupe

Audi TT

Jaguar F-type Coupe

Mercedes S-Class Coupe

Estate Car

Ford Mondeo Estate

Volkswagen Passat Estate

MPV

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer

Volkswagen Golf SV

Small SUV

Citroen C4 Cactus

Kia Soul

Large SUV

Land Rover Discovery Sport

Nissan X-Trail

Porsche Macan

Executive car (sponsored by Allianz Global Assistance)

Volkswagen Passat

Sports Car

BMW M3

Lamborghini Huracan

McLaren 650S Spider

Mercedes to sponsor 2014 Goodwood festival of Speed - Run-down of what to expect.

Mercedes will sponsor this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, which opens its doors on 26 June

The theme for this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, to be held from 26-29th June, is ‘Addicted to Winning – The Unbeatable Champions of Motor Sport, ‘ celebrating legendary drivers, teams and manufacturers from around the world. Goodwood owner Lord March has announced Mercedes will sponsor this year's show as the brand celebrates 120 years of motorsport.

Alongside the theme, this year’s show will also celebrate the centenary of Italian manufacturer Maserati. Some of the most successful racing cars from the marque’s history will be showcased at Goodwood, including the 1928 Maserati Tipo 26B and MC12 GT racer.

Road cars that will tackling the 1.16-mile hillclimb will be a world debut from a prototype Honda NSX, along with the new BMW M4 Cabriolet, the BMW M5 30 Jahre Edition, the Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake and the Volvo V60 Polestar. 

Famous faces in motor sport including Sir Stirling Moss, Mark Webber, Jenson Button, Emerson Fittipaldi, John Surtees and Lewis Hamilton will all be Goodwood. So too will Sebastian Loeb, who will also be attempting to break the Goodwood hill climb record in the Pike’s Peak Peugeot 208 T16 racer.

Other significant anniversaries to be celebrated at Goodwood will include 50 years since the Mini won its first Monte Carlo Rally. The 40th anniversary of McLaren’s first F1 crown will also be honoured, as will 60 years of the Jaguar D-Type.

Goodwood Festival of Speed 2014: the key cars

Audi R8 LMX

The last hurrah for the R8 supercar has more power, but it's also the world's first road car to feature laser-powered headlights. See it first at Goodwood in June.

BMW i8

The hybrid supercar makes its UK debut at the 2014 GFoS event.

BMW M4 Cabriolet

The sister car to the new turbocharged M4 Coupe and M3 Saloon arrives for its 'dynamic debut' on the hill, sporting 425bhp of six-cylinder firepower to shift the extra heft of its folding hard-top roof.

Honda Civic Type R concept

Lairy-looking prototype of the superhatch Honda hopes to set a new Nurburgring lap record with will turn a wheel in anger for the public for the very first time at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Honda NSX

Also making its UK debut is Honda's new hybrid supercar concept car, due on sale in 2015 with a combination of petrol-fed V6 and electric motor power for banzai all-wheel drive performance.

Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake

Jaguar's most extreme family car ever will deploy its XJ220 supercar-matching 542bhp output on the hill. Could it be Goodwood's fastest ever wagon?

Koenigsegg One:1

Goodwood 2014 is the first place in the world the general public will be able to see the 1322bhp One:1 hypercar in action. The 1340kg carbon fibre missile is in with a chance of swiping the road-legal car hillclimb record.

Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak

Sebastian Loeb is reunited with the 875bhp one-off in which he smashed the Pikes Peak hillclimb record in 2013. Target: the title of fastest Goodwood hill run ever.

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