Goodwood: Where Speed Stars Big and Small Come to Play

With indoor auto shows taking a long break for the summer, automakers still find ways to put on a show, like at the prestigious Goodwood Festival of Speed a couple of hours south of London in the U.K.

This event was founded in 1993 by Charles Gordon-Lennox (who later became Duke of Richmond) in order to bring motor racing back to the Goodwood Circuit. Since he did not have the necessary permit to host a race there, he instead hosted it on his own grounds. 

The 30th edition took place this past weekend and, for the first time ever, all Saturday activities had to be cancelled due to strong winds. Still, there were plenty of exciting new models for visitors to marvel at, as usual.

Hyundai grabbed most of the attention on the first day with the announcement of the 2025 IONIQ 5 N, a high-performance, track-oriented electric crossover with output that can go as high as 641 horsepower. Consequently, 0-100 km/h acceleration is achieved in just 3.4 seconds, Hyundai claims.

It’s coming to Canada next year, so we’ll have other opportunities to talk about it. For now, we’d like to focus on a trio of lesser-known car companies that also know a thing or two about big-time speed.

McMurtry Spéirling Pure

McMurtry Automotive is a small British automaker that aims to become one of the top names in the world of performance and motorsport. Last year, it made history by setting a new all-time hill climb record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed—in its competition debut, no less. Debuting in 2023, the Pure is a track-only variant of the fully electric Spéirling with production to be limited at 100 units. All of them will weigh no more than 1,000 kilograms and generate 1,000 horsepower. Beyond its Batmobile looks, the Spéirling’s unique nature comes from a fan-powered downforce system that sucks air from under the car, similar to the Brabham BT46B that won the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix and was later deemed illegal by the FIA.

Hispano Suiza Carmen Boulogne

Headquartered in Barcelona, Hispano Suiza is a Spanish car brand you’ve probably never heard of, and yet it has over 100 years of history. The Carmen is a fully electric hypercar now available in a special edition called Boulogne that will have a 24-unit run. The first one was delivered in the U.S. last year. The carbon fibre chassis is complemented by a number of copper accents both inside and out. The all-electric powertrain, meanwhile, delivers 1,100 horsepower and 0-100 km/h sprints in 2.6 seconds.

Czinger 21C V Max

Czinger showed the 21C V Max which, unlike the corner-craving and downforce-obsessed 21C, focuses on top speed. Under the exquisite Golden State of Mind orange body (the tuning company is based in Los Angeles) is an electrified, twin-turbocharged V8 that produces nearly 1,250 horsepower and 0-100 km/h sprints in two seconds. The scissor doors are equally impressive. Czinger claims the 21C V Max can go from 0-400-0 km/h in 27 seconds, faster than a Koenigsegg Regera.