Performance car fans were well and truly on the move ahead of this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The now traditional prequel to the annual automotive extravaganza, the Moving Motor Show, featured no less than 21 new cars making their UK debut.
And to get the spectacular underway Goodwood owner Lord March wooed the preview day crowd by driving the all-new Mazda MX-5 sports car up the 1.16-mile Hillclimb course.
Mazda has chosen the event to reveal three new models – the MX-5, CX-3 and Mazda2 – to UK enthusiasts and the Japanese car maker is this year also hosting the famous Central Feature outside Goodwood House.
The 37-metre high structure features two of Mazda’s racing legends and was being officially revealed at 22:30 tonight.
With many more car makers choosing to use the event to stage global, European and UK debuts of their latest vehicles, there was a wealth of new models on show.
Lord March prepares to set the Moving Motor Show in motion
They included the first UK public appearance of the new Ford Focus RS, a first outing for the latest Honda Civic Type-R, the world premiere of the Peugeot 308GTi and the UK reveal of the new SEAT Ibiza.
That’s in addition to a first UK appearance for the Clio Renaultsport 220 Trophy, the European dynamic debut of the Lexus GS F, first showing of the new MINI John Cooper Works and with the emphasis on performance, UK debuts for the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Cayman GT4 and Boxster models plus the new Aston Martin DB9 GT.
Some 18 leading car makers were present, alongside the AA and Michelin, with members of the public test driving new models on a specially-constructed course featuring the Goodwood Hillclimb.
Visitors to the Moving Motor Show also got an exclusive sneak preview to the Festival of Speed, with access to the Formula 1 paddock presented by Sky Sports F1, Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ Concors d’Elegance, Michelin supercar paddock and the automotive show stands, which will boast the widest range of new products in the 22-year history of the festival.
