Goodwood will play host to a pair of ultra cars, the McLaren P1™ GTR has 1,000hp and goes like noting else.

• 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed to host two different incarnations of the ultra rare McLaren P1™ GTR
• Entrants by both McLaren Automotive and Lanzante Ltd.
• Lanzante Ltd. modified McLaren P1™ GTR to attempt record Hill time for a road car

Not one, but two examples of the extraordinary McLaren P1™ GTR will be in action on the Hill over the Goodwood Festival of Speed weekend, between them producing nearly 2,000 horsepower. 

The first is entered by McLaren Automotive as part of the Supercar Run and is being fitted with a special livery inspired by James Hunt’s famous race helmet, in honour of the 40th anniversary of his Formula 1™ championship win. The second is entered by Lanzante Ltd. and is an extensively modified version of the original which was initially created by McLaren Special Operations (MSO). 

The most obvious difference between them is that the Lanzante entrant is street legal, meaning the Lanzante team will attempt to set the fastest time of the weekend for a road car with 1999 Indy 500 winner and McLaren test driver, Kenny Bräck, behind the wheel.

The McLaren P1™ GTR is the car that McLaren never intended to build. But when deliveries began of the road legal McLaren P1™, its first recipients called for an even more extreme version dedicated for track use. The bespoke division of McLaren Automotive, MSO, obliged confirming limited production of the car at the International Geneva Motor Show in 2015. 

For the near £2 million purchase price, their clients also had automatic entry into the ultimate McLaren ownership experience, the McLaren P1™ GTR Driver Programme, including exclusive events at international Formula 1™ circuits, access to the McLaren Racing driver simulator, and their own team of race technicians. 

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of James Hunt’s Driver’s Championship, as well as the fourth owners’ gathering for the McLaren P1™ GTR earlier this week at Silverstone, a one-off livery has been created by McLaren for the entry of the car in this year’s Festival. Its base colour of black teamed with red, yellow and blue stripes echo those of James Hunt’s race helmet, colours resembling his school colours. 

And among those gripping its Formula 1™-inspired steering wheel over the weekend will be McLaren P1™ GTR Driver Programme Mentor, Bruno Senna. 

Lanzante Ltd. has extensive history with McLaren, not least as the company that ran the semi-works McLaren F1 GTR that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995. 21 years later, Lanzante is renewing its link to those evocative letters with a car that it says will bring together the best of the McLaren Ulimate Series, combining the track-focused McLaren P1™ GTR and its road car sibling in one. Lanzante has so far completed an experimental prototype and it is this which will take to Goodwood’s Hill in Class 25 for Modern GT Racers.  

Visually, the Lanzante car resembles a McLaren P1™ GTR but with modifications for road use. These updates have been designed and developed by Lanzante Ltd.

In addition to a presence in both the Supercar and F1 paddocks, McLaren House will once again return to the lawns of the Goodwood Estate with iconic racers displayed alongside the full range of modern-day McLarens from across the Sports Series, Super Series and Ultimate Series. 

The broad selection of cars, spanning more than 50 years of the McLaren name, will be the most extensive display the company has ever showcased...including the new 570GT.

Ford Focus RS will make its competition debut as a factory entry in 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship

• Ford Focus RS will make its competition debut as Ford’s factory entry in 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship
• Ken Block’s Hoonigan Racing Division will field two Focus RS race cars to build on the performance marque’s championship legacy
• World Rallycross Championship race car based on all-new global 2016 Ford Focus RS featuring advanced Ford Performance torque vectoring all-wheel drive
• Ken Block will be joined by Andreas Bakkerud as his teammate for 2016

Ford’s RS competition legacy continues this season for a new generation of motorsports fans. Teased at the conclusion of Ken Block’s Gymkhana EIGHT released earlier this week, Ford Performance confirms Block’s Hoonigan Racing Division team will field two factory-supported 2016 Ford Focus RS race cars in the FIA World Rallycross Championship.  

For more than 50 years, Ford Performance’s Rallye Sport badge has been reserved for racing and production vehicles that push the limits of performance and innovation. Known for aggressive design and pioneering technology, Ford vehicles wearing the RS badge have seen success for decades in stage rally series including winning participation in FIA World Rally Championship with drivers like Björn Waldegård, Marcus Grönholm, Mikko Hirvonen and Colin McRae. 

“RS is a worldwide brand with a rich heritage that motorsports enthusiasts know and love,” said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance. “Our RS badge has a natural connection to racing, and we have a passionate, dedicated team on the project. We’re excited to honor the history of Rallye Sport by pushing every aspect of performance and design to the limit.”

The Focus RS build is a global collaboration between Ford Performance, Block’s Hoonigan Racing and U.K.-based M-Sport. Featuring all-wheel drive, a new EcoBoost^® engine producing 600 horsepower, and a 0-60-mph launch time of less than two seconds, Ford Focus RS Rallycross cars are optimized for competition.

Mark Rushbrook, motorsports engineering manager, Ford Performance, says the intention has been to develop a Rallycross car that lives up to the RS badge.

“We’ve dedicated the same level of cutting-edge tools, technical resources and engineering know-how from our Le Mans GT and NASCAR programs, and working with M-Sport brings renowned expertise in rallycross and stage rally vehicle development,” said Rushbrook. “Ken, Andreas Bakkerud and Hoonigan Racing give us insight from the competition and driver perspectives. Our three organizations have a great working relationship, and we’re all looking forward to seeing the Focus RS in action.”

"I'm really happy to be expanding my relationship with Ford Performance," said Hoonigan Racing Division’s Ken Block. "To have official factory support for my race season in 2016 and beyond as I enter the FIA World Rallycross Championship full-time is absolutely incredible. It opens up a ton of powerful resources that myself and my team will be able to benefit from in terms of engineering prowess, research, development and racing experience from different fields. Plus, have you seen the car that they've created for me to go race in? My mind was blown when they showed it to me in Dearborn a few months ago. I absolutely cannot wait to get behind the wheel and start testing."

Malcolm Wilson, OBE, managing director for M-Sport, believes that together, they’ve produced a very special race car. “Working closely with our colleagues at Ford Performance and Hoonigan Racing Division, a huge amount of work has gone into this project,” he said. “It’s been an extremely exciting, rewarding venture – one we hope yields considerable success. I’m confident we have a winning formula for the season ahead.”

A Ford driven by Ford-Autocraft employee Brian Melia was at the birth of rallycross in February 1967 – his Lotus Cortina finishing second in the Lydden Hill event created especially for ITV’s “World of Sport”. The BBC adopted rallycross later that year and the sport’s future was assured, with the first British Rallycross Championship won by Tony Chappell in a factory-prepared Ford Escort Twin Cam in 1968.

The Focus RS Rallycross cars will debut at the FIA World Rallycross event in Portugal, April 15-17, with Block and Bakkerud behind the wheel. The global 12-race series takes place in 11 countries on three continents.

New Challenges for the stunning Renaultsport R.S. 01.

No rest for the Renaultsport R.S. 01! For the first time since it made its racing debut, the high-performance vehicle from Renault Sport Technologies will compete outside the World Series by Renault. Two cars are entered for this weekend’s GT Tour season finale at Circuit Paul Ricard.

Originally built exclusively for racing in the Renaultsport Trophy, Renault Sport Technologies’ most recent sports car received such a strong interest that the Ulis engineers quickly went to work to make certain adjustments to reach a new homologation. The first was granted by the FFSA, through a GT3 balance of performance.

Created to achieve high-end performance, the Renaultsport R.S. 01 had to review and level out itself to be allowed to race. The carbon brakes have been replaced with steel. In addition to the 25 extra kilograms associated with the change, 50 more of ballast was added. The ride height was raised and an engine restriction added.

Aerodynamically, changes were necessary both to add drag and remove downforce from the Renaultsport R.S. 01, which naturally enjoys exceptional characteristics in this area.

Less than a week after the inaugural Renaultsport Trophy season finale, two cars will take part in the FFSA championship for the first time. The Team Duqueine Renaultsport R.S. 01 will be entrusted to three GT Tour regulars: Eric Clément, Ange Barde and Bruce Lorgere-Roux. They will be joined in Open Challenge by a second R.S. 01 entered by the Belgian Boutsen-Ginion team for Eric Vaissière and Olivier Grotz.

Jean-Pascal Dauce, Renault Sport Technologies Motorsport Director: “Since the genesis of the Renault Sport R.S. 01, the interest in our creation has been keen among teams and promoters. The success of the Renaultsport Trophy in the World Series by Renault has confirmed this trend. As competitors, we are extremely enthusiastic about the idea of seeing the R.S. 01 take on the competition. No doubt, it will turn heads among both drivers and spectators. We are extremely grateful in the confidence that Hugues de Chaunac has shown in us and this drives us to continue our discussions with other championships.”

Hugues de Chaunac, ORECA Group President and GT Tour promoter: “We are pleased to welcome two Renault Sport R.S. 01s for the first appearance of this car outside the Renaultsport Trophy. It is a fast car with a magnificent look. This presence, through two quality teams, will, without a doubt, be positive and interesting. We have paid close attention the R.S. 01. I am convinced that the spectators will fully appreciate it.”

A new Golf for the racetrack: VW Motorsport is developing its first racing car based on the 7th-gen Golf.

A new Golf for the racetrack: Volkswagen Motorsport is developing its first racing car based on the seventh-generation Golf. The production-based, 330 PS concept car is assembled in accordance with TCR regulations and is intended to help Volkswagen evaluate a potential customer racing programme from the 2016 season onwards.

In order to accelerate the development of the car, the new Golf will be tested under competitive conditions between now and the end of the season: as cooperation partner, the Liqui Moly Team Engstler will run two cars at the eighth round of the Touringcar Racer International Series (TCR) at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.

“The newly created TCR category provides a promising platform for customer racing – on a national and international level. With exciting races, production-based technology and reasonable costs, it offers a new outlook for private racing teams,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. 

“When developing the Golf-based concept car, we are able to fall back on the resources at Volkswagen. This reduces both development time and costs. We will also use the rest of the season to test the car under competitive conditions and evaluate a possible customer racing project from 2016.”

Dynamic appearance: new Golf epitomises racing genes

Visually, the racing genes are clear to see on the Golf developed by Volkswagen Motorsport: 18-inch racing rims, a chassis roughly 40 centimetres wider than that of the production Golf, and a striking rear wing give the Golf a ‘ready-to-race’ look and first-class handling. An aerodynamically designed front splitter and carbon rear wing are also among the modifications for the racetrack. Among the components designed to protect the driver are a racing seat with head protectors, a racing safety cell, and a safety tank in accordance with FIA regulations.

Under the bonnet: the inner values of the new Golf for the racetrack

A powerful four-cylinder engine, DSG gearbox with shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel, a consistently developed racing chassis – even under the bonnet, the new Golf has been meticulously prepared for its outings at the racetrack. Volkswagen Motorsport is developing the car in cooperation with the sport department at SEAT, meaning it can call on SEAT’s experience with the Leon Cup Racer. As with the Volkswagen Group’s production vehicles, the MQB platform also offers many synergies for racing cars and reduces the cost of assembling and running the touring car. The 2.0-litre turbo engine with direct fuel injection comes from the top sporting model, the Golf R. The racing version of this engine generates 330 PS (243 kW) and 410 Nm of torque.

Testing under race conditions: first start at the Red Bull Ring

In order to accelerate development, the concept car will be tested under competitive conditions at the remaining four race weekends in the international TCR series. The renowned Liqui Moly Team Engstler, which boasts decades of experience of touring car racing, will take responsibility for running the car during the remaining test phase.

Calendar for the Touringcar Racer International Series (TCR)

28–29/03/2015 Malaysia (Sepang)*

11–12/04/2015 China (Shanghai)*

02–03/05/2015 Spain (Valencia)

09–10/05/2015 Portugal (Algarve)

23–24/05/2015 Italy (Monza)

30–31/05/2015 Austria (Salzburgring)

20–21/06/2015 Russia (Sochi)

11–12/07/2015 Austria (Spielberg)

19–20/09/2015 Singapore*

24–25/10/2015 Thailand (Buriram)

21–22/11/2015 Macau

* on support programme for the Formula One World Championship.