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ESM – Goodwood FoS Video Blog #1

Not the usual thing to have in front of your house. Beats some gravel or garden gnomes I guess.

As promised, here at the video highlights from EngageSportMode’s weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. I’m no Ron Howard, and was only using either an iPhone or fairly basic digital camera to record these. As such, the quality is not HD, but I feel it does still capture the noise and fury of the GFoS. Due to the unique way WordPress works, the videos are hosted via YouTube. Enjoy; ear defenders advised.

I shot quite a lot of video during Friday’s Michelin Supercar Run. We were down by the start line, which gave a great opportunity to film the cars coming off the line and powering towards the first corner. Here are some of the highlights:

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport

Wiesmann GT MF5

Chevrolet Corvette

Mclaren MP4-12C

New Aston Martin Vanquish

Alfa Romeo TZ3 Zagato

Alfa Romeo 8C Spider

Lexus LFA

Ferrari California

Ferrari FF

Filmed from the same location but on a different day during the run of Lotus cars. This is the Classic Team Lotus 97T

For sheer sonic pleasure I think I’d have to cite the Lexus LFA or perhaps the Ferrari FF as my favourites. More videos to come tomorrow, including F1 action.

July 6, 2012 | Categories: GFoS | Tags: Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Lexus, Lotus, Wiesmann | Leave A Comment »

ESM – Goodwood FoS Photo Blog #2 Friday

The epic sounding BRM V16 P15. No, not a typo, it has 16 cylinders! 1.5 litres with a supercharger. Not bad for 1950.

Friday is the first main day of the actual Festival of Speed. ESM spent the vast majority of it taking the long walk from the bottom of the paddock all the way to the rally-stage at the top of the hill. This is what we encountered along the way.

: Jaguar XJ relaxs in the field next to the campsite. Row of Dacias behind, with a row of BMW M cars further back. Only at Goodwood.

$Skoda pulled out all the stops to promote the Citigo. This represents a fraction of the little city-cars dotted around the event.$: Skoda pulled out all the stops to promote the Citigo. This represents a fraction of the little city-cars dotted around the event.

: The anti-christ; two Chevrolet Volts.

: Sometimes the car park is just as good as the main FoS. Here, a DB7 poses with a DB5 (yes, a real DB5) in the background.

: Aston Martin V12 Zagato burbles down to the start line

: The epic sounding BRM V16 P15. No, not a typo, it has 16 cylinders! 1.5 litres with a supercharger. Not bad for 1950.

: Not sure what the collective term is for Jaguar XJR8/9/11s is. A prowl maybe?

: It’s the Bugatti Veyron Vitesse again.

: Just as impressive from the rear. Also, suprisingly smaller in real life compared to photos.

: The 1954 Land Rover Series II “Royal Review Vehicle” as used by Her Majesty The Queen.

: That stunning Lotus monument outside Goodwood House.

: Ayrton Senna’s Lotus 98T.

: Rene Arnoux, signing some autographs.

: The Red Bull RB7; driven by Daniel Ricciardo on Friday ahead of SV’s arrival on Saturday,

: 2011 Lotus Renault R30.

: Lotus Cosworth Type 125. Ultimate track-day toy? Essentially an F1 car for private buyers to play with.

: Mercedes MGP W02 of 2011 vintage

: This is the “Course Director’s” car; a locally sourced Rolls-Royce. Again, only something you would see at Goodwood.

: Red Arrows take to the sky as the action continues on track below.

: Ferrari 250 emerges from the trees back into daylight

: Ford GT40 rumbles on up the hill.

: Mercedes-Benz W194 “Gullwing” shows off it’s low-tech aircondition system.

: 1937 Mercedes-Benz W125; one of the classic “silver arrows” of the pre-war years.

: Gorgeous and effective; the 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe.

: Is the Lancia Stratos the best looking rally car ever built? Hard to think of a better one.

: The brutal Ford RS200 Group B monster.

: The “business end” of the RS200

: How the late Tony Pond managed to rally a Rover SD1 Vitesse is beyond me. Look at the size of it?!

: A distinctive livery for the Opel Manta 400. Driven by Russell Brookes at the FoS as it was back in 1985.

: Skoda’s “car-henge” creation, marking the top of the hill.

: Jenson Button’s Williams FW22. A car from before he started doing Head & Shoulders adverts.

: Being driven by Bruno Senna at Goodwood, the 1983 Williams-Cosworth FW08C.

: Jody Sheckter’s personal Ferrari 312 T4 from 1979.

: THE Audi Sport Quattro S1. My favpurite rally car of all time.

: Ah. It’s somehow made its way from Oulton Park to be here at Goodwood.

: Another ESM unfavourite; the BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe in matte brown.

: Mmmm carbon fibre on the boot of a Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG.

: Modern “Gullwing” in the form of the SLS AMG.

: Finishing off a hard day’s walking, photographing and drinking £4 pints.

So that is Friday’s action covered. Come back for Saturday and video highlights soon.

July 5, 2012 | Categories: GFoS | Tags: Audi, BMW, BRM, Bugatti, Chevrolet, Dacia, Ferrari, Lancia, Mercedes-Benz, Shelby, Skoda | Leave A Comment »

ESM – Goodwood FoS Photo Blog #1 Thursday

Whilst the Festival of Speed “proper” doesn’t begin until Friday, Thursday plays host to the Moving Motor Show event. Designed to let the public get up close and personal with a range of new cars from Skoda and SEAT to Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari. Of note were the BMW M5′s which seemed to rev and crackle for fun, and sheer awesomeness of five Audi R8 V10 Spyders tearing up the hill one after another.

Thursday is also the quietest day of the Festival of Speed, with not all garages and paddocks full with cars. The number of spectators is also lower, giving the early bird the chance to get close up with the vehicles on site without wading through a wall of elbows.

ESM arrived on Thursday in sweltering humid conditions at around lunchtime. Once the tent was up and somelight refreshment taken onboard, we set off to explore. Below is a pictorial summary of what we found:

: ESM’s no expense spared accomodation for Wednesday night in lovely, lovely Luton.

: Following a Ferrari 360 Spider through rural West Sussex en route.

: ESM’s base of operations for Goodwood.

: Priorities were set fairly early on in proceedings. We did bring our own ice though.

: Racing seats, lots of rich, red leather. Whatever could it be?

: A Land Rover Defender. Obviously.

: The rather beautiful Jaguar C-X75 concept.

: Rather stylish classic Mustang

: Another attractive classic Mustang

: I would not get tired of sitting in this interior.

: Morgan Aero SuperSport; classically British.

: Morgan Threewheeler; classically British and mental.

: Koenigsegg Agera R – “only” 1,100 bhp.

: Bentley EXP 9 F concept SUV. To be honest, despite the controversy, I actually quite like how it looks.

: The demonic looking Audi A1 quattro.

: Orangey goodness; the new Audi RS4.

: 1 of the 337 Toyota 2000GTs produced.

: Crazy rat-rod pickup truck. Exposed fuel tank in the back means no smoking whilst driving!

: Lexus LFA. Ten cylinders, three exhausts and aerodynamically styled indicators.

: Ferrari’s latest drop-top; the 458 Spider

: Bugatti Veyron Vitesse. The ultimate expression of this hypercar.

: The slightly more “normal” Veyron Grand Sport.

: Looking evil in matte black, the Mercedes C63 AMG Black Edition

: Alfa Romeo 155 V6 TI – 480 bhp and a rev limit of 12,000rpm! One of my favourite tin-top racers.

: Is it a bird, is a plane? No, it’s a 1981 Zakspeed Ford Capri; driven at Goodwood by Klaus Ludwig

: Coolest Carlton ever? TS6000, packing a 6.0 V8 Chevrolet engine with 600 bhp. This car took the 1988 Thundersaloon series.

: Gerry Marshall’s infamous “Baby Bertha”. A Vauxhall Firenza with a 5.0 litre V8.

: An altogether different form of power. Nissan’s all-electric Leaf Nismo RC.

: The brawny Nissan GT-R GT1.

: The #3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Silverado from NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series. It’s 700 bhp is overshadowed by the 850 of Jesse Jame’s Trophy Truck lurking behind.