BMW will really push the boat out at this years Goodwood, as the favoured marque, the central feature will be huge.

• Central Feature to celebrate BMW’s motorsport successes
• UK premiere of the BMW 2002 Hommage
• Icons, including Alex Zanardi and Riccardo Patrese, to drive up the hill in an array of BMW classic cars
• BMW’s M4 GTS to storm up Goodwood’s famous hill
• A celebration of BMW M cars in a unique ‘M Avenue’
• BMW i Vision Future concept shown for the first time in the UK
• BMW Pavilion - a showcase of the Next 100 years of the brand

In only a few days BMW will take centre stage at the world’s most prestigious motoring festival - the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed. In its centenary year, the company will be the Central Feature Marque showcasing famous cars and drivers from throughout its illustrious history.

Epitomising this year’s Festival of Speed theme – ‘Full Throttle – The Endless Pursuit of Power’ – the Central Feature will celebrate BMW’s myriad of motorsport successes. Taking a starring role on the sculpture created by Gerry Judah will be the legendary BMW 328 Mille Miglia Roadster, the Gordon Murray-designed Brabham-BMW BT52, and the Le Mans-winning BMW V12 LMP.

The event will also offer the chance to see the stunning 2002 Hommage for the first time since its global debut at the 2016 Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este. Taking its inspiration from the original 2002 turbo of 1973, the 2002 Hommage offers an inspiring tribute to this turbocharging pioneer, re-imagined as a design study for the 21st century.

As the honoured marque, it’s entirely fitting that Lord March should ‘open the hill’ at the wheel of a beautiful 1957 BMW 507. Other BMW legends being driven up Goodwood’s famous 1.16-mile course include the Mille Miglia-winning BMW 328 Touring Coupé from 1940, and a 1965 BMW 1800 TiSA – an early example of BMW’s unparalleled success in touring car racing.

It’s not just the famous cars from BMW’s past and present that can be seen and heard in anger, but also the drivers associated with their successes. Ex-F1 driver Riccardo Patrese will drive his one-time teammate Nelson Piquet’s M1 Procar; Yannick Dalmas will be reunited with the V12 LMP that he helped steer to victory in the 1999 Le Mans 24-hours; and DTM legends Johnny Cecotto and Roberto Ravaglia will drive BMW M touring cars, old and new, while former double Indycar champion and Paralympic handcycling gold medallist Alex Zanardi will drive a Z4 GT3 car.

Meanwhile, motorbike enthusiasts will be treated to an array of classic and modern bikes including a 1966 BMW R50 S Kaczor, a 1976 BMW R90 S 76 and legendary WR 750 Kompressor from 1929. Star riders present will include ‘Ringmeister Helmut Dahne and former World Superbike Champion Troy Corser.

This summer’s festival also promises one of the most exciting displays ever for BMW Motorsport GmbH. 

Representing the most recent expression of the BMW M philosophy, the BMW M4 GTS will be seen for the first time at Goodwood – both up the hill and on display – powered by a six-cylinder in-line engine that develops 500hp with the help of a new water injection system. 

British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) stars Rob Collard and Jack Goff will be at the helm, whilst one lucky Twitter follower- @BMWUKMotorsport - will be able to join Jack in the first Supercar run of the weekend.

In fact, fans of BMW M are in for a treat, as a unique ‘M Avenue’ over on the ‘cricket pitch’ will celebrate iconic BMW M cars from the last 40 years alongside the hottest new M products. 

These will include everything from the original M1 supercar to the new BMW M2 - the latest compact sports coupé in a long line of legendary road and racing BMWs.

The BMW Pavilion will be the home of the marque during the festival and is a celebration of the next 100 years of the brand. 

The history wall takes visitors through our past, a fleet of road cars shows our present including BMW iPerformance models, and the presence of the BMW Vision NEXT 100 shows where the future may lie. 

Visitors to the BMW Pavilion are able to have their photo taken with the BMW Vision NEXT 100 at the Vision Gate, and win prizes and BMW experiences.

Guest stars and drivers will make appearances on the stand, with live interviews broadcast to assembled visitors. All schedules will be displayed daily or available through Twitter @BMWUKMotorsport, which will be dedicated to the festival all week. 

BMW owners can also access the exclusive Owners’ Lounge on the top floor terrace of the Pavilion to enjoy refreshments and an unrivalled view of the festival’s famous Hillclimb.

Finally, those BMW enthusiasts looking for a quieter moment away from the energy and excitement of the Festival can enjoy a tranquil, relaxed environment at ‘The Stable Yard’. Here they’ll find two of the iconic BMW Art Cars: the Frank Stella BMW 3.0 CSL from 1976 and the Roy Lichtenstein BMW 320i from 1977. 

Also in the Stable Yard, and in the UK for the first time, will be the BMW i Vision Future concept - a BMW i8 Spyder packed with the latest BMW in-car innovations including BMW Airtouch, the next generation of gesture control, BMW Connected and Cloud connectivity. 

The BMW i Vision Future concept was first shown earlier this year, at the CES Show in Las Vegas.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is being held from 23-26 June 2016, beginning with Press Preview Day featuring the Moving Motor Show on Thursday 23 June. 

The BMW M2 and BMW i8 will be in action for (pre-booked) test drives, and the new BMW i3 with more powerful battery will be on static display. Visitors can even experience what it’s like to drive a BMW touring car in the BTCC with a virtual reality ride courtesy of Team IHG® Rewards Club BMW BTCC Virtual Reality Race Experience. 

Using an Oculus Rift, it will be possible to sit alongside BTCC driver Jack Goff as he tackles the first round of the 2016 championship held at Brands Hatch.  Jack, along with all our drivers, will also be on hand on Thursday and throughout the festival to meet fans.

Mazda to become the Focus brand at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed will pay tribute to the innovation and achievements in motoring and motorsport by Mazda with a spectacular Central Feature in honour of the Japanese manufacturer.

Mazda, renowned for defying convention in its approach to automotive engineering, has also chosen Goodwood as the setting to showcase its range of SKYACTIV vehicles.

The Central Feature, created by renowned sculptor Gerry Judah and Mazda, will provide a spectacular backdrop to the Festival of Speed, which is preceded by the Moving Motor Show presented by the AA in association with The Telegraph, and runs from June 25-28.

Set spectacularly against the iconic sight of Goodwood House, the Central Feature will celebrate Mazda’s 95-year history, and its numerous international motor sport achievements.

Mazda is the only Japanese manufacturer to have won the world’s most prestigious motor race – the Le Mans 24 Hours – and the victorious rotary-engined 787B, with its distinctive sound, is certain to be a crowd favourite as it winds its way up Goodwood’s iconic 1.16-mile Hillclimb, along with many other examples of its sporting success and road-going innovation.

Further motor sport success has been achieved in touring cars, the World Rally Championship, Andros Trophy ice racing and sportscar competition in the USA - in which Mazda’s pioneering SKYACTIV-D turbodiesel technology is breaking new ground currently.

Every era of Mazda’s motor sport achievement will be marked by some incredible competition cars both on the Hillclimb and the Forest Rally Stage as the Festival of Speed celebrates the theme ‘Flat-out and fearless; racing on the edge’, while the Moving Motor Show on June 25, will showcase  many of the key models from Mazda’s current range.

Lord March said: “The theme for this year’s Festival of Speed is ‘Flat-Out and Fearless: Racing on the Edge,’ and Mazda’s continual push to reject engineering conventions and strive for something unique perfectly aligns with this philosophy. We are delighted to be celebrating Mazda’s motor sport achievements and pioneering road-car technologies with the Central Feature, and to help it showcase its brand-new cars to an international community of car enthusiasts and the world’s automotive media – an audience that only Goodwood can attract.”

Jeremy Thompson, Managing Director, Mazda Motors UK, said: “Mazda has a long and proud heritage in racing, and through motor sport has demonstrated its engineering challenger spirit through the rotary engine, its Le Mans win and the LMP2 SKYACTIV diesel prototype currently racing in the United States. This spirit is also encompassed by both our historical and current road cars, being the only manufacturer to perfect the rotary engine, the only manufacturer to use the Millar Cycle engine, and the manufacturer who developed the world’s smallest V6 engine.  

We were also the manufacturer who defied convention by bringing an affordable two seat sports car to market when all other manufacturers were deserting that market segment. Mazda also has more cars, and cars with Mazda engines, racing each weekend in the United States than any other manufacturer and it is all these landmarks and achievements that we will be celebrating at Goodwood this year.”

Porsche to be central attraction at Goodwood 2013

• Porsche 911 marks 50 years with memorable ‘Central Feature’ display at Goodwood
• Stunning line-up of 911 race and road cars to star at the 2013 Festival of Speed, 11-14 July
• Goodwood is a key part of the global anniversary celebrations of the Porsche 911 in 2013
• Further special announcements from Porsche planned during the event

Goodwood is honouring one of the world’s most versatile and popular sports cars – the Porsche 911 – with the main Central Feature at the 2013 Festival of Speed from 11-14 July. The bespoke 911-inspired sculpture promises to be a highly distinctive ‘art installation’ and will be displayed, as has become the tradition, prominently outside Goodwood House.

For five decades, the 911 has been at the heart of the Porsche brand. Few other cars in the world can look back on such a long tradition and continuity as the Porsche 911. It has been inspiring car enthusiasts around the world since its debut as the model 901 at the IAA International Automotive Show, Frankfurt, in September 1963. Today it is considered by its many devoted fans as the quintessential sports car, the benchmark for all others. The 911 is also the central point of reference for all other Porsche series. Every Porsche is the most sporting automobile in its category, and each one carries a piece of the 911 philosophy.

Porsche at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

Over 820,000 Porsche 911s have been built since 1963, and examples of each of its seven generations will be present at the 2013 Festival of Speed.  From the very beginning the car has been at home on race circuits and rally stages all over the world, earning a reputation as a quick and dependable winner. In fact, two thirds of the 30,000 race victories achieved by Porsche to date have been recorded by the 911.

With support from the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, private collectors and enthusiasts, a number of significant editions of the 911 are set to be in action at the Festival. Further examples of significant Porsche competition cars including the 356, 908, 917 and 962 are also anticipated.

Porsche is also sending a 1967 model 911 to Goodwood as part of a world tour. Over the course of the year, this classic car will travel to five continents. In addition to the UK, it will visit Pebble Beach, California, China, France, and Australia.

As an ambassador for the Porsche brand, this vintage 911 will attend many international fairs, historical rallies and motor sport events. Fans and enthusiasts can keep up to date with the car’s progress at porsche.com/follow-911.

Furthermore, during the summer the Porsche Museum will be marking ‘50 years of the Porsche 911’ with a special exhibition from 4 June to 29 September.

20 years of the Goodwood Festival of Speed

Marking the first half-century of the Porsche 911 at Goodwood is hugely appropriate in the 20th anniversary year of the Festival of Speed.  To date, the legendary sports coupe has featured at every single Goodwood Festival, from the first event in 1993 – when an unexpectedly high 27,500 enthusiasts turned-up– to the 185,000+ visitors that attended the world’s greatest celebration of car culture last year.

Whether in action in road and race form on the testing 1.16-mile Goodwood hillclimb, sliding sideways around the gravel Forest Rally Stage, sitting serenely on the Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ concours lawn, or as part of the regular Porsche displays, the 911 has played a key role in helping put the Festival of Speed on the map over the last two decades.