McLaren is turning the Goodwood Festival of Speed into its own personal showroom, and they’re bringing some seriously heavy metal. Forget a polite wave from the balcony; the Woking crew is set to unleash a ground-breaking new hypercar, celebrate a historic Le Mans victory, and generally remind everyone why they are champions and challengers of the highest order.
Meet the New Boss: The W1
The headline act, the one causing all the fuss, is the global public debut of the McLaren W1. If you’re wondering about the name, it signifies the third coming in McLaren’s holy trinity of ‘1’ cars, taking its place in the celestial garage alongside the legendary F1 and the game-changing P1™. Think of it as the impossibly cool and ridiculously powerful new member of the world’s most exclusive family reunion, and they’re all showing up at Goodwood.
So, what’s under the bonnet? Or, more accurately, what’s powering this new land-missile? The W1 packs an all-new V8 hybrid powertrain that sends a staggering 1,275PS (that’s about 1,258 horsepower for the metrically challenged) exclusively to the rear wheels. To ensure all that power doesn’t simply send you into low-earth orbit, the W1 employs “groundbreaking active aerodynamics,” including Formula 1-inspired ground effect aero to suck it to the road. McLaren promises “sensational power delivery, authentic theatre and pure driver connection,” which is PR-speak for “it will try to rearrange your internal organs while making you grin like an idiot”. Fancy one? Tough luck. All 399 examples have already been allocated, so the rest of us will just have to enjoy it from afar.
Happy 30th Anniversary, Le Mans!
As if debuting a new halo car wasn’t enough, McLaren is also throwing a massive 30th-anniversary bash for its legendary 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans victory. Dusting off a true icon, the actual race-winning #59 McLaren F1 GTR will be making a rare dynamic appearance on the hallowed Goodwood Hillclimb. And in a glorious touch of fan service, it’ll be piloted by JJ Lehto, one of the original drivers who wrestled it to victory three decades ago.
To cash in on—ahem—commemorate this milestone, there’s also a new 750S Le Mans special edition. Limited to just 50 units, it features a new High Downforce Kit from McLaren Special Operations (MSO) and pays homage to the F1 LM road car, which itself was built to celebrate the Le Mans win. It’s another beautiful machine most of us will never own, but we can dream.
The Best of the Rest
McLaren’s paddock space is set to be more crowded than a Boxing Day sale. The fantastical Solus GT, a single-seat, V10-powered track weapon that weighs less than a tonne, is back for a third year. This is the car that won the Timed Shootout Final in 2023 in a “spectacle of noise and speed,” and this year a unique customer-owned version will be showing off what MSO can do when the brief is “make it extraordinary”.
Rounding out the display are the 750S and Artura MCL38 Celebration Edition supercars, which toast the McLaren Formula 1 team’s 2024 Constructors’ Championship win, plus a nod to a decade of the thrilling ‘LT’ (Longtail) models.
In short, if you’re heading to Goodwood between July 10-13, the McLaren House is the place to be. They’re not just showing cars; they’re showcasing a legacy of speed, innovation, and creating things that are achingly cool and impossibly fast.
