Once again, another Festival of Speed has come to an end. Ferrari fans will have numerous memoirs on which to reflect before next year’s event kicks off. Many stunning Ferraris, both classic and modern, were on display this year, turning a lot of fascinated heads. The Prancing Horse’s enthusiasts were excited to see so many of the current range cars, not least witnessing the UK debut of both the California T and the 458 Speciale. Not one, but two fantastic LaFerrari’s were on display for the first time in the UK, together with a very special one-off car from the company’s Special Projects division.
The spectacular California T made its first UK appearance at the Festival of Speed this weekend. Spectators crammed into the Michelin Supercar paddock to catch a glimpse of the first Ferrari since the iconic Ferrari F40 to be powered by a Turbo engine. Also being unveiled was the 458 Speciale, Ferrari’s new mid-engined V8 extreme sports car that was recently awarded the title of Best Performance Engine of 2014 and Best Engine Above 4.0 Litres by Engine Technology International magazine. The 458 Speciale was seen making a blistering run up the famous Hillclimb, with a very special driver at the wheel: ‘Atty’ Lennox, Lord March’s daughter, who was left astounded by the capabilities of the car.
Another amazing Ferrari making its UK debut at Goodwood was LaFerrari, Ferrari’s new hybrid supercar which boasts an incredible 6.3-litre V12 engine with 800 CV and a unique hybrid system that offers the driver an additional 163 CV at all times. LaFerrari is the latest limited series car from the Prancing Horse with only 499 examples being made and it promises to be the most iconic Ferrari of the modern era. Of the two LaFerraris at Goodwood this year, one of them is owned by Jay Kay, lead singer of Jamiroquai.
Ferrari Fans were also treated to the sight of a truly unique one-off car, produced by Ferrari’s Special Projects division; the F12 TRS, which also participated in the dynamic demonstrations taking place on the fabled Goodwood HillClimb. Based on the F12berlinetta, the One-Off car was developed at a client’s request as an extreme, two-seater, open-top sports barchetta. One of the initial inspirations for the project was the 1957 250 Testa Rossa; in fact, the F12 TRS is Flavio Manzoni and the Ferrari Style Centre team’s modern, innovative take on that legendary car’s spirit and pays homage to it in its moniker.
Ferrari was represented by Scuderia Ferrari at Goodwood, with Kimi Räikkönen, Ferrari’s official F1 driver, joining John Surtees in the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of his F1 Championship title. Kimi and John respectively drove their Championship-winning cars – Räikkönen his F2007 and Surtees a 1964 158 F1. Pedro de la Rosa, Ferrari’s official F1 test driver, also attended, giving fans a demonstration of the 2009 F60 Formula 1 car: a very special occasion to relive the Italian company’s great history in Grand Prix motorsport. Throughout the weekend Pedro was also seen mixing with the crowd and signing autographs for the many Prancing Horse fans who flock to this truly great event every year.
