June 27, 2016
BMW Vision Next 100
Over the weekend, automakers worked at full throttle to leave a lasting impression on attendees to the United Kingdom's Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The Goodwood Festival ran from June 23-26 and drew an average attendance of more than 100,000 each day and boasts hundreds of vehicles from the motorsport world. The ties to the racing world materialize in the appearance of top drivers and Formula 1 stars and their vehicles, but brands also use the festival to debut their latest vehicles and find other ways to make impressions, including high-tech offerings.
"I am delighted with the experiences Jaguar Land Rover offer to visitors at the Festival of Speed," said Lord March, founder of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. "The passenger rides are thrilling, gravity-defying and make a genuinely exciting addition to the action.”
Full throttle
The “Central Feature” installation of the Festival of Speed was an installation celebrating BMW’s 100th anniversary. A large sculpture at the festival features the BMW 328 Mille Miglia Roadster, the V12 LMR that one Le Mans and 1999, and the 1983 Formula 1 Brabham-BMW BT52.
Goodwood Central Structure featuring BMW
To complement the sculpture, BMW brought a lineup of classic vehicles to the festival, as well as concept cars from the brand’s Vision Next 100. Sister brand Rolls-Royce was also present, showing off its recent Black Badge vehicles (see story) in the festival’s hill climb.
Jaguar Land Rover upped the ante as well, filling a 3000 square-meter stand for the UK debut of the F-Type SVR, radio controlled F-Type vehicles for the family and virtual reality experiences letting attendees test their skills alongside Land Rover BAR.
Furthering their dedication to make Goodwood the brand’s primary automotive festival, stunt driver Terry Grant will drive the F-Pace on two wheels during the hill climb.
Jaguar Land Rover at Goodwood Festival
The ties to the racing world materialize in the appearance of top drivers and Formula 1 stars and their vehicles, but brands also use the festival to debut their latest vehicles and make other impressions.
Audi was yet another brand taking a maximalist approach, debuting nine new models, including the Q2 compact SUV that marks new territory for the brand and the Q7 e-torn, its second plug-in hybrid. Keeping with the “full throttle – the endless pursuit of power” theme, Audi also displayed its most powerful racing vehicles.
Audi supplemented its vehicular lineup with star power, bringing in Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason to stand alongside drivers of the brand’s past and present.
Aston Martin took a less theatrical approach, debuting its one-off GT12 Roadster, driven by the brand’s own chief creative officer.
Rolls-Royce Black Badge Goodwood
McLaren was also on hand to showcase its new 570S Sprint for the first time and the P1 GTR, whose 986 bhp makes it the most powerful McLaren ever. Heritage vehicles will round out the brand’s lineup, paying homage to past racing victories.
Mercedes took a similar approach, with Mercedes-AMG debuting the GT R and the 2014 F1 W05 Hybrid. A selection of historic race and road cars dating back to 1906 was also on hand.
Another lap
For BMW, Goodwood is one stop on a larger tour to showcase its vision for the next century.
German automaker BMW is marking its centennial not only by looking back, but also by looking forward.
On the morning of March 7, the BMW Group Classic building opened its doors to journalists for the first time and gave a press conference detailing its centenary, with a celebration and multimedia of the brand’s history and accomplishments following later that afternoon. Rather than contenting itself with prior achievements, however, the brand’s milestone motto is “The Next 100 Years,” and a series of events, publications and technological advancements will help the brand maintain its status over that time period (see story).
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