Renault will parade its amazing breadth of creativity at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed, with a wide-ranging array of competition cars of extraordinary variety, and a series of concept cars that shine a glamorous light on the brand’s dazzling future. A celebration of Renault’s 37-year long commitment to Formula 1, highlights of Alpine’s mighty motorsport history and an impressive display of concept cars are part of the company’s substantial presence at the Festival in 2014.
– Renault’s creative drive is amply demonstrated by landmark vehicles from its sporting 115-year history, including the sensational 1978 Le Mans-winning Alpine A442B, the 1977 Groupe B Alpine A310 rally car, the enormous and extraordinary-looking 1926 Renault 40CV ‘des records’, a 1902 Renault Type K that was one of the world’s earliest racing cars, four Formula 1 show cars and the Formula E Spark-Renault SRT_01E. The F1 cars include Alain Prost’s carbonfibre chassis’d RE40, which won four times during the 1983 season, almost netting him the championship.
– The creative force around Renault right now is showcased with a truly arresting array of concept vehicles and the production models that have sprung from them. These cars are part of the ‘Renault, designed for life’s colourful journey’ theme that is driving the company’s impressive product creativity today. They include the Twin’Run concept and the exciting, all-new rear-engined Twingo that it inspired, which makes its first UK appearance at the Festival. Also displayed are the DeZir and the Clio that grew from it and the Captur crossover in both its concept and production forms. In addition, there’s a design studio model of the intriguing Frendzy and the full-size version of the colourful and cleverly configured R-Space concept. Equally diverting are Renault’s truly original all-electric ZOE supermini and Twizy.
– Drivers include René Arnoux, Oliver Webb (fresh from his podium with the Alpine A450 in the LMP2 class at Le Mans last week), Michel Leclere and Julien Piguet
– Goodwood will also host the UK debut of the new Mégane Renaultsport 275 Trophy-R driven by Laurent Hurgon who set the record lap time for a production front wheel drive car at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in just 7’54’’36 in May with this car.
Goodwood: Racing through time and a country house garden
Renault has long been an enthusiastic participant in the Goodwood Festival of Speed, appearing on six consecutive occasions from 2001 to 2006, before making a comeback in 2012 after a five-year break.
Held in the grounds of Goodwood House, an elegant and historic country residence nestling amid England’s picturesque South Downs, the Festival provides the startling sight of racing cars charging through its bucolic grounds, the house’s driveway turned into a dramatic, challenging and rather beautiful hillclimb venue.
Racing cars and Goodwood have been synonymous for decades, the first motorsport event occurring in 1936 when the ninth Duke of Richmond organised a hillclimb through the house’s grounds. World War 2 brought this pursuit to a close, but also saw the construction of a nearby airfield whose perimeter road would eventually be turned into the famous Goodwood circuit. The first race was held in 1948 and the last in 1966, and when the Charles Gordon-Lennox, the current Earl of March and a major car enthusiast was prevented from reviving races at the circuit, he decided to stage his own Festival of speed in the grounds of Goodwood House. The first event attracted 30,000 visitors, and it now draws 180,000, many considering it the finest motoring event in Britain.
Besides the hillclimb there is also a concours d’elegance, a pavilion of concept cars and technical exhibits of the future, an air display, events for younger visitors and much more. A highlight of the event remains the paddock, where fans can stand mere inches from some of the most famous racing cars in history and better still, meet their drivers.
The 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed will take place from Thursday 26 June to Sunday 29 June.
