The largest motoring garden party in the world returns to celebrate all things automotive - and this year a spectacular collection of Lotus cars will be the key attraction.
Fans young and old feel the need for speed at Goodwood (Picture: Rex)Nearly 200,000 people are expected to descend on Sussex for the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed, which takes place from June 28 to July 1. This time the festival is celebrating the achievements of much-loved British brand Lotus.
In the company's 60th anniversary year, a selection of Lotus Indycars, saloons, sports and road cars will take centre stage outside Goodwood House.
James Bond's Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me - 2013 marks 40 years since the iconic supercar was first revealed …Among the collection will be a number of the F1 cars that helped the maker to win 13 Formula 1 World Championships.
No doubt casting admiring glances will be F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, who is one of a select group of names being celebrated at the festival this year.
The festival's central theme, ‘Young Guns – Born to Win’, will recognise drivers, riders, designers and engineers drawn from more than 100 years of motorsports history whose talent and thirst for speed shocked the establishment, making them instant superstars.
Joining Lewis in the hall of fame will be Bernd Rosemeyer, Mike Hawthorn, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mike Hailwood, Valentino Rossi, Henri Toivonen and Colin McRae.
Current F1 stars Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber and Jenson Button will also be attending the festival to meet motorsport fans.
Lewis Hamilton at 2011's Goodwood event (Picture: Rex)And three years after wowing the Festival of Speed crowds with his crazy driving antics in his Baja desert racing Trophy Truck, wild American TV star Jesse G. James is returning.
The larger-than-life presenter of cult TV shows such as Monster Garage and Motorcycle Mania is all set to enthral festival-goers with his exciting and unexpected antics behind the wheel of his sophisticated space-frame chassis truck.
Providing more excitement will be some of the biggest names in the adrenaline-fuelled world of extreme action sports. Goodwood Action Sports (GAS) will see jaw-dropping freestyle motocross sharing airspace with BMX dirt jumping, while a little closer to terra firma the stars of motorcycle trials, mountain bike trials and BMX flatland demonstrate an almost supernatural sense of balance and inch-perfect precision. It all takes place in one purpose-built arena.
Classic cars line up at Goodwood 2011 (Picture: Rex)But it's not all thrills and spills at the festival. As a mark of respect to the Queen for her Diamond Jubilee, Goodwood and Cartier will gather together an astonishing selection of vehicles all personally owned or used by Her Majesty.
These vehicles have never been seen in public together as a collection.
The Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ Royal Vehicle concours will be divided into five special classes, including state limousines and carriages, official overseas state visit transport, working cars, personal family cars, plus toy cars owned by the Royal Household.
The Queen is a motoring enthusiastFormal state limousines and carriages will include the Queen’s 1961 Rolls-Royce Phantom V, modified specifically to fit on The Royal Yacht Britannia, a 1929 Daimler Double Six 30hp Brougham and a 1920 carriage from the Royal train.
There's even something for music fans: Tim Burgess and Mark Collins of The Charlatans, Steve Cradock of Ocean Colour Scene & Marner Brown will perform intimate acoustic sets on the Alfa Romeo stand.
The award-winning two-cylinder TwinAir engine in the Alfa MiTo is among the keenly awaited launches at the festival. A development prototype example of Jaguar's F-type will also make its debut.
Entry is by advance ticket only. It is not possible to buy tickets on the day, and there will be no admission without a ticket.
Click here to buy tickets for the festival.
