Goodwood Festival of Speed: day one

Funny to think that essentially, the Goodwood Festival of Speed is like playing in your best friend's back garden. Only with added burnouts, oodles of corrective lock and the wail of a thousand splendid supercars. Yep, this is a very Top Gear garden party.

Which is why we're out in force at this year's annual extravaganza in Lord March's palatial grounds. One of the BMW instructors who rode shotgun during TG.com's run up the hill in an M6 - more on that later - summed it up nicely when he said: "He's a nice chap to let us tear about on his lawn".

As you know, this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Festival of Speed, and it's shaping up to be an absolute scorcher, not least because for once, the weathermen might actually be right about the sun. Though regardless of the weather, there's no denying the sheer goodwill of the show goers, all effusive and eager to talk shop.

There's Porsche's epic tribute to its venerable 911 - which celebrates 50 years of production - along with Aston's continuing year-long celebration of its centenary, a gaggle of the finest, coolest Martini racers in history, a brace of new cars making their debuts (including the Le Mans-inspired Jaguar ‘Project 7'), lots of Formula One cars (and stars) and of course, the finest supercars... in the world. One of which was a bronze-coloured Ferrari FF that set about tearing the hillclimb a new one. Suffice to say, hearing that V12 being shown the impolite side of an extended throttle pedal made a lot of people very happy indeed.

As mentioned, we're there all weekend, so click through for the highlights from Goodwood: Day One. It's like a film series, only with less rubbish payday sequels and more gratuitous horsepower. Feel free to title the series yourself below, only don't go for the Terminator franchise, because we don't like the implications of a Goodwood: Rise of the Machines...

Words: Vijay Pattni
Photography: Rowan Horncastle

The 911 shoots for the stars in front of Lord March's pad. Imagine him on MTV's Cribs...

It's the Wacky Racers!

A garden party wouldn't be the same without a gang of Lamborghinis rocking up with bottles of Super Unleaded...

This is a Very Cool Porsche 911

Bentley's beastly Le Mans racers

Did we mention that Martini cars are chuffing cool?

The Mercedes-Benz W196 racer has got its eye on you.

1938 Phantom Corsair, or ‘The Flying Wombat'. Forget that, we're calling it a 1930s Batmobile.

This is an expensive lawn.

The Mercedes-Benz C111 is a gullwinged burst of orange.

Jaguar's Project 7 makes its Goodwood debut. Read the full story here

Peugeot's Onyx concept soaks up the Goodwood sun. Best not to touch that copper, then...

McLaren F1 in Gulf livery. TG had a mini crisis to bring you this picture

McLaren Is Watching You. OBEY

Some more Porsche goodness

Inside the Festival of Speed, there is a dedicated Beach of Land Speed...

...including the Sunbeam 1000hp (the big red one) and the Golden Arrow (the big, err, golden one)

The actual Vuhl supercar. Like it? Read the full story here

Well, it wouldn't be a supercar show without one of these, would it? We'll give you a minute to yourselves...

...actually, have another minute on us

Three chaps, dodgy hair, surrounded by cars... this is a bit familiar

This isn't a 1954 Fiat Turbina prototype. It's a 1950s Batmobile.

OK OK, it is a 1954 Fiat Turbina prototype. But imagine it in black with Adam West inside, and you get the picture...

The OSI Silver Fox isn't a prototype originally displayed at the 1967 Turin motor show. It is a catamaran.

The Peugeot T16 Pikes Peak record-obliterator poses in the shade with its brothers. Fear this tent.

We'll give you another moment to yourselves.

Corvette racer isn't soft, but it is strong, and very, very long.

Hmmm, this 21.7-litre Fiat Mefistofele looks a bit familiar. Oh that's right, because it once spat oil and water into TG.com's face in Italy a while back...

Polestar Volvo screams up the hill...

...ditto the Ferrari FF. Want more Goodwood? Stay tuned to our FoS section for more updates.