The Goodwood House sits on an 11,000-acre estate in West Sussex, England. Built in 1617, it’s been home to the many Dukes of Richmond for over 400 years.
But for one weekend every summer over the past 33 years, hoards of vehicles have descended upon the estate for one very good reason: the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Photo by: Bentley
The Festival of Speed was founded in 1993 by Charles Gordon-Lennox, the 11th Duke of Richmond—better known as the Earl of March. His goal was to bring motorsport back to Goodwood after the nearby Goodwood Circuit had stopped hosting major races.
Instead of reopening the circuit, though, he came up with an even better idea. Why not use the estate’s 1.16-mile driveway as a hill climb? Pair it with a gathering of the world’s greatest cars on the front lawn, and the Festival of Speed was born.
Three decades later, it’s become one of the most important automotive events in the world.
Welcome To Goodwood
Photo by: Bentley
This year marked my fourth trip to the Festival of Speed (FoS). Even with a relentless European heat wave baking the showgoers, the 2026 event was every bit as exciting as I had remembered.
The first thing that strikes you is just how much the festival has grown. When I first attended back in 2018, it was already hugely popular, but it still felt manageable. Today, it rivals some of the world’s biggest auto shows—Los Angeles, Geneva, etc.
Every major automaker seems to have a presence now. Bentley showed off the new Continental Supersports at its expansive display, Lamborghini had the latest Urus SE Performante on its stand, and dozens of other manufacturers filled the estate with their newest machinery.
Even with a relentless European heat wave baking the showgoers, the 2026 event was every bit as exciting as I had remembered.
Chinese automakers had their strongest showing yet. BYD’s display was impossible to miss, while Denza and several other brands occupied large sections of the showgrounds.
Beyond the manufacturer stands, the paddocks were packed with some of the world’s most ridiculous hypercars. The Red Bull RB17, Hennessey Venom F5-M, Apollo IE, Gordon Murray T.50s Niki Lauda, and dozens of others drew crowds throughout the weekend.
As impressive as the static displays were, though, the real soundtrack of Goodwood comes from beyond the lawn.
Up, Up, Up The Hill
Photo by: Bentley
Despite attending the Festival of Speed for years, I’d never actually gone up the hill. Not as a driver. Not even as a passenger. That finally changed this year.
My ride was Bentley’s Continental GTC Speed. The hybrid convertible produces 771 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, enough to reach 60 mph in 3.2 seconds before topping out at 191 mph. More than enough oomph for a 1.16-mile sprint.
Behind the wheel was André Gies, Bentley’s Vehicle Dynamics Manager and an experienced GT3 racer who’s tackled the hill before. He knows every bump, every braking point, and every section capable of catching drivers out—especially the notoriously unforgiving wall where more than a few expensive cars have met an unfortunate end.
Even getting to the starting line is an event unto itself.
Marshals guide us out of the paddock and into a parade of million-dollar exotics. We crawl through the center of the festival grounds while spectators film, cheer, and inevitably ask drivers to rev their engines—which most happily do.
Even inside a $342,000 Bentley, though, it’s hard not to feel like the “normal” car in the lineup.
Despite attending the Festival of Speed for years, I’d never actually gone up the hill. Not as a driver. Not even as a passenger. That finally changed this year.
A Ferrari F80 sits directly ahead of us. An Apollo IE is only a few cars farther up. A Pagani Utopia waits off to one side, while Koenigseggs, Lamborghinis, and more Ferraris seem to appear from every direction. At one point, we even spot Lightning McQueen making his way up the course ahead of everyone else. Kachow!
Only at Goodwood.
Waiting at the start line feels surreal. Hypercars launch one after another in clouds of tire smoke before disappearing between the hay bales. Then, suddenly, it’s our turn.
I’ll be honest: I wasn’t expecting the hill climb to be all that intense. Watching from the sidelines or on TV, it looks quick, sure. But at the end of the day, you’re driving up somebody’s driveway lined with hay bales and spectators. How wild could it really be?
The answer is: far wilder than it looks.
My driver buries the throttle, and the Bentley explodes off the line toward the opening right-hander. The launch is violent, but it’s the first corner that really puts that speed into perspective. The walls, the hay bales, and the trees rush toward you much faster than they ever appear on camera.
Through the sweeping opening section, my driver does his best to entertain the crowd, attempting to slide his way up most of the track (too bad he forgot to disengage ESC before setting off).
As the course narrows toward the back half of the hill, the challenge is more obvious. The infamous section squeezed between the stone wall and the hay bales is remarkably tight, leaving almost no margin for error—especially in a big ol’ Bentley.
By the time we blast onto the final straight and through the last few bends, it’s clear that the Goodwood Hillclimb is no gimmick. It’s a genuinely demanding piece of track that commands respect. And after finally experiencing it from inside the car, it’s easy to understand why so many drivers leave a little paint behind each year.
With so much of our world revolving around screens and smartphones, getting the chance to experience Goodwood in person is a good reminder of what these vehicles we love are all about. You can hear the engines, you can touch the metal, you can watch them go up the hill, and if you’re lucky, you might even get on the track yourself.
Videos don’t do it justice; you’ve got to get your ass to Goodwood.
