Goodwood Festival of Speed: Day One

Try driving a car off a show stand at, say, the Geneva Motor Show, and you’ll be swiftly pursued by an angry Swiss policeman. Try it at Goodwood and you’ll be directed towards the start line and told to get a move on.

This is what the first day of the Festival of Speed is all about. Since the actual British Motor Show was dropped a few years back, Goodwood has been the place to see shiny new cars in the UK. So the Festival is now stretched over four days, with today – the first day – devoted to the Moving Motorshow.

It’s a chance for people to actually have a go in new cars, rather than stare at them on show stands while bored girls in dresses stand in the way. At the bottom of the hill is a big marquee with a road through the middle and exhibition stands either side, which serve as bus stops as drivers jump in and out. Early risers found themselves aboard BMW M4s, Aston Rapides and Peugeot RCZ-Rs, among other things. Those who arrived late were admonished with a drive of the Dacia Sandero Stepway.

Essentially it’s a warm-up act for the main show, which gets going tomorrow when they fire up the noisy stuff. So while people squabbled over keys, we had a nose around the quieter corners of the site. Check out our gallery for a taster of what to expect over the next few days, including the customary epic sculpture, which this year reaches right over the house like a massive rainbow. Lovely.

Oh, and if you’re heading down, look out for the bronze trophy shaped like Clarkson’s face, recently awarded by Top Gear magazine to a certain manufacturer from Woking. Let us know if you spot it…

Should there be any fiery issues when the mighty Bloodhound SSC goes for the 1000mph land speed record, they’ll be dealt with by this Supacat

Fancy a go in an electric Defender? It’s up here. Dare you

Peugeot’s 270bhp RCZ-R heads up the Hill

Here’s the BMX and motocross track

Look out for Webber’s new wheels by the posh Porsche enclosure

Good news! Crowd goes wild for the mighty Dacia Sandero Stepway

This year’s sculpture, featuring a couple of Merc Grand Prix cars, sweeps right over the house

It’s Clarkson’s trophy face!

A man prepares some tyres in the F1 paddock. Looks like they might get through a few sets. Bring on the donuts…

The Top Gear simulator, bringing mild nausea to a stomach near you

The winning Audi E-Tron, fresh from Le Mans. And still wearing bugs, rubber and oil

Behold… the Mustang pickup!

Ten points to the first person who correctly identifies this car and translates the message…

Ford stand features built-in helter-skelter thing

BMW M4 heads up the hill…

…followed by a someone in a Fiat

Remote-controlled racing in the BMW area

Vintage AA bike on standby for inevitable breakdowns

A Rolls Royce Pegasus engine, usually found in Sea Harriers and other airborne things

You can make up your own joke for this one

Bulldog stunt plane, not to be confused with a Chipmunk (which is also a stunt plane, just not a wobbly-faced caninel)

You have been warned

Last week, Nissan showed us pics of the Vision Gran Turismo. Today, it unveiled a full-size model. Good, innit?