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Goodwood Festival of Speed cancels Saturday events due to weather

The Goodwood Festival of Speed will not hold events as planned Saturday for the first time in its 30-year run due to concerns over high winds, the organizers announced late Friday. Concerns over the potential for damage to temporary structures prompted the late cancellation after a long Friday of (appropriately?) dreary British weather promised to worsen ahead of Saturday’s competition.

Saturday ticket holders will be refunded, event organizers said, and Sunday’s events will go on as planned. The full announcement from the Duke of Richmond and the Festival of Speed Team follows.

It is with deep regret that we have taken the decision that the Goodwood Festival of Speed will not go ahead tomorrow (Saturday 15 July 2023). After consulting meteorologists, health and safety experts and other key stakeholders, we have taken the decision to close the event site due to a severe wind warning in the Goodwood area.

On-site safety is our highest priority and the forecasted high winds will pose a serious risk to various temporary structures across the site. We politely ask that you do not travel to Goodwood or attempt to access the site.

This decision has not been made lightly and His Grace, The Duke of Richmond, along with the whole Festival of Speed team, are deeply saddened that we will not run the event on Saturday for the first time in its 30 year history.

The event will resume as planned on Sunday.

Please note: Sunday is a sold out day. Anyone with a Saturday ticket will not be able to access the site. All ticket holders for Saturday will be communicated with in the coming days regarding a refund, and we ask that customers requesting refunds please do not try to contact the ticket office over the weekend.

Please pass this message on to any other ticket holders in your group.

Thank you for your understanding – further updates will be provided via email in due course. If you are camping over the weekend, you are welcome to stay in the campsites. Please be careful during the high winds and consider taking down gazebos and awnings, securing tents with additional pegs or demounting during the peak wind period. If you have any problems, please keep in touch with Goodwood through our campsite managers in the office.

July 14, 2023 / Comments Off

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2022 Bentley Continental GT Mulliner steps to the top of the line

The shifting in the lineups coming out of Crewe continues with the reveal of the Bentley Continental GT Mulliner. The English luxury maker introduced the most recent GT Mulliner two years ago when there were still a 626-horsepower standard W12 and a 650-horsepower GT Speed. With the GT Speed now the only W12, the introduction of the indulgent Azure trim “for those prioritizing wellbeing and on-board comfort,” and the arrival of the coming V8-powered S models, the new Mulliner steps in at the head of the pack. Starting from the bottom, the current Continental Range is the V8, Azure, S, Speed, and Mulliner.

What does a buyer get with the flagship Conti? The GT Speed chassis dressed in Mulliner jewelry and coachwork. The 6.0-liter W12 makes 650 horses and 664 pounds of twist, clocking 3.5 seconds from standstill to 60 miles per hour, acceleration unwilling to relent until 208 miles per hour. Dynamism at less furious speeds benefits from adaptive dampers, an electronic limited-slip differential on the rear axle, all-wheel steering, and brake-based torque vectoring.

The cosmetic package is effectively handed down from the previous version, which we can’t find fault with. The double diamond matrix grille stands proud up front, wearing either bright chrome or the Mulliner Blackline Specification gloss black. The are also specific 22-inch Mulliner wheels, satin silver mirror caps shrouding Mulliner welcome lamps, and illuminated treadplates.

The interior picks up unique three-way colorways that rearrange the way primary, secondary, and tertiary colors are split throughout the cabin. Mulliner offers eight standard combinations all lashed up with diamond quilting, paired with 88 choices in Piano wood veneers and heaps of thread options for the contrast and accent stitching. Gauges in the digital instrument cluster have been designed with a technical finish to go along with the diamond milling on the center console. Even the occupants’ feet get treated to floor mats edged in complementary piping. Overhead, roofs without the panoramic glass get trimmed with indented hide, roofs with the glass top get smooth hides.

For now, the Continental GT V8 Mulliner remains available. The new model debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed along with the S trim and the first historic Blower Continuation, called Blower Car Zero, and it can all be livestreamed here.

June 24, 2022 / Comments Off

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Pagani Automobili at Goodwood Festival Of Speed 2021

It’s been about a week since the doors at the 2021 edition of the famous Goodwood Festival of Speed closed for the public, and all those supercars, hypercars, race cars, and classics have been taken back to their owners or company headquarters, and while we haven’t seen too much publicity about it, Pagani Automobili SpA was also present this year, with two impressive cars.

And Pagani has some celebrations to do this year, it has been ten years since the Huayra was introduced in 2011, a concept inspired by the philosophy of Leonardo Da Vinci and still a key part of Pagani Automobili’s DNA. The hill climb circuit was actually taken on by an amazing-looking Huayra BC, the famous competition uphill where F1 drivers, celebrities, and guests hurtle up the track at break-neck speed, I’m sure we’ve all seen Shmee150’s multiple videos on him being a passenger in several cars for the hill climb.

From the press release: The Huayra Roadster BC, a car designed for the track but developed for the road is a record-breaking vehicle: with a time of 2:23,081 minutes, it actually set a new world record for road-legal cars during the validation tests on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. Plenty of painstaking work went into the aesthetics of the vehicle, involving almost obsessive attention to detail, in order to create a Pagani road car with unique styling, able to transmit the superlative driving experience of a roadster in a powerhouse of technology weighing just 1,250 kg.

But an even more interesting Pagani was displayed on the “Cartier Style et Luxe” Concours Lawn during the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Huayra 760 VR, a bespoke build for a very special client, who was actively involved in the design and development of this one-off, in co-operation with Pagani’s design team, the customer will receive an exclusive Huayra with bespoke details and using materials from aviation, the Huayra 760 VR is a testament to Pagani’s commitment to creating the best of the best while satisfying even the most demanding owner.

July 17, 2021 / Comments Off

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Rimac Nevera at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2021

Rimac Automobili just posted a video of their amazing Nevera at the 2021 edition of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, they had the dark grey car on display at the Michelin Supercar Paddock, and that car would also be taken onto the hill climb circuit, both with clients and journalists in the passenger seat, this car first arrived in the UK for some private VIP events together with H.R.Owen in London.

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A second, white Rimac Nevera with blue accents was shown on the ‘Electric Avenue’, a part of the Goodwood show exclusively dedicated to all-electric cars, and the Nevera hypercar drew a lot of attention at both parts, this two-minute video shows some of the highlights from Rimac during the four-day Goodwood event, as the doors have closed now, the Rimac Nevera continues her global voyage, next stop will be Spain.

July 12, 2021 / Comments Off

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Victory for the McLaren 720S GT3X in the Timed Shootout Final.

The famous Goodwood Festival of Speed closed its doors on Sunday, but not without an amazing victory for the McLaren 720S GT3X, taking the win at the top of the leaderboard of the Timed Shootout Final with a time of 45.01 seconds, over a second faster than the runner up from the competition. The impressive McLaren 720S GT3X has been developed by the motorsport division at McLaren, the McLaren Customer Racing department was able to create a special race car that didn’t need to adhere to regular racing regulations like the 720S GT3 that has to comply with FIA GT3 rules.

For the 1,210 kg GT3X, the hand-built, 4.0-Liter V8 twin-turbo engine delivers 720 PS, but has 30 more PS available at the push of a button, without having to deal with regulations, the 720S GT3X is a true performance-optimized evolution of the bespoke GT3 racecar. The aerodynamically optimized body has been developed using ‘Computational Fluid Dynamics’ (CFD) combined with F1 wind tunnel testing, which allowed McLaren Factory Driver Rob Bell to put down this amazing time at Goodwood.

Do keep in mind this amazing McLaren 720S GT3X can’t be ordered at a regular McLaren dealership, you will have to turn to one of only 11 official McLaren Motorsport Retailers worldwide, as part of the purchase and ownership package, McLaren Automotive can provide dedicated technical track support for each owner. This program is carried out by the customer support engineers from the in-house McLaren Customer Racing division – the team that has designed and developed the model alongside the 720S GT3 global customer race program.

But McLaren came along with several more cars aside from their black 720S GT3X, for instance, McLaren Chief Test Driver, Kenny Bräck took the wheel of a stunning gold painted McLaren Elva for several stints on the hill climb circuit at Goodwood, something the thousands of visitors convenience as the highlight of their visit, seeing the cars on display in the Supercar paddock is nice, but seeing those priceless exotics and hypercars being driven at speed during the hill climb is why Goodwood became the largest event of its kind.

And McLaren had yet another highlight at Goodwood, the brand new McLaren Artura made her dynamic debut at this year’s Festival of Speed, the bright blue Artura was also driven hard during the hill climb, but also drew a lot of attention at the McLaren stand in the paddock, joined by a GT, a 765LT and a 620R, the latter two being piloted by Bruno Senna.

“Winning the Timed Shootout Final was the perfect end to an excellent 2021 Festival of Speed for McLaren. Rob Bell drove magnificently, showcasing the outstanding capabilities of the 720S GT3X to great effect in mastering the challenging Goodwood Hill. And with so many of our cars on display and in action – including the all-new Artura making its public dynamic debut and the remarkable Elva – this was a wonderful opportunity to meet customers and fans face-to-face once again and celebrate all things McLaren.”
Mike Flewitt, CEO, McLaren Automotive

July 12, 2021 / Comments Off

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Maserati MC20 at speed in Goodwood

We already knew Maserati would be bringing their new supercar, the MC20 to Goodwood for the Festival of Speed, but seeing the bright blue finished, production-ready MC20 taking on the famous hill climb circuit at Goodwood is still an amazing sight for the thousands of car fans that gathered at the largest event of its kind in the UK.

The 27th Goodwood Festival of Speed is the chosen venue for several supercar builders to have their new car celebrating its dynamic debut, yesterday we already published the article on the Lotus Emira, today Maserati joins the list of dynamic launches with their blue finished MC20 that joined the Supercar Run for the 1.16-mile course.

Over the four days of the Goodwood event in West Sussex, the UK, the Maserati MC20 will be seen in action multiple times during the aforementioned Supercar Run, but also as a static display at the Supercar paddock, the MC20 was unveiled in 2020, hence the MC20 name, but it took Maserati nearly two years to finetune their first mid-engine supercar for the road.

The Maserati MC20 is made around a carbon-fiber monocoque that keeps the overall weight at only 1,500 kg, the Formula One derived V6 engine created in-house has been named the Maserati Nettuno, and she’s proudly on display next to the car at the Michelin Supercar Paddock for visitors to admire.

Maserati also brought their performance saloon to Goodwood, the impressive Ghibli Trofeo, finished in Nero Ribelle, and they also took it onto the hill climb circuit, roaring its 580 hp V8 engine that propels the four-seater to 62 mph from a standstill in as little as 4.3 seconds, and while this Ghibli and the Quattroporte are built at Grugliasco (Turin) at the Avvocato Giovanni Agnelli Plant (AGAP), the stunning Maserati MC20 is produced in Modena, at the historic Viale Ciro Menotti plant.

Both the Maserati Ghibli Trofeo and the Maserati MC20 will be in action during the four days of the Goodwood Festival of Speed during the Supercar Run hill climb, after which both cars will be driven back to the Michelin Supercar Paddock to be admired by the countless visitors.

July 10, 2021 / Comments Off

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Dynamic launch of the Lotus Emira at Goodwood

Lotus is actually celebrated as ‘Featured Marque’ at this year’s Festival of Speed at Goodwood, what a better way to have their latest sports car unveiled to the public for the first time at this very event, they even had to invoke crowd-control on the official Lotus stand at Goodwood because of the sheer number of visitors that wanted to see the Lotus Emira in real life, and literally, tens of thousands saw the dark finished Emira tackle the famous Goodwood hill climb circuit.

But Lotus left an even bigger impression when they had two cars for the ‘Lotus Moment’ parade held in front of the Goodwood house, complete with yellow and green fireworks, which happen to be the official Lotus colors, but I guess the organization and Lotus themselves didn’t quite expect how popular the new Emira would be, the Goodwood Festival of Speed opened at 7 am, and within minutes the Lotus stand got crowded.

They had to enforce a queueing system just to allow people onto the stand and talk about the new Lotus Emira, they could even put in an order for this milestone car from Lotus, because let’s not forget this will be the last gas-powered Lotus, so it’s understandable people are ordering this all-new British sports car now, the Emira was joined on the stand by an Evija all-electric hypercar, an Elise Sport 240 Final Edition and the track bike developed in part by Lotus Engineering for British Cycling.

Lotus is also the theme of the Festival’s “Central Feature“, the dramatic art installation which is always created directly in front of Goodwood House. Called the Lotus ‘Aeroad’ and viewed digitally via a smartphone app, the sculpture uses the latest augmented reality technology to allow users to watch four iconic Lotus cars speed through the air on a virtual racetrack. The app features an ‘at home‘ mode for those who aren’t able to come to Goodwood.

Some more photos of the amazing Lotus Emira during the Goodwood Festival of Speed:

Also note this amazing, gold painted ‘Prototype vehicle’, that also took on the hill climb circuit … smoking its tires:

July 9, 2021 / Comments Off

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Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport takes on the illustrious hill climb at Goodwood

After being canceled in 2020, this year we have yet another Goodwood Festival of Speed, an amazing venue in the UK that brings together the best of the best when it comes to supercars and hypercars … both classic, new, and prototypes, open to the public from July 8 to July 11, Bugatti just couldn’t be absent from the world-renowned motorsport event, set to be the largest of its kind, Bugatti will entertain the many visitors with no less than three different cars, and one of them will be driven by Andy Wallace, Le Mans winner and an official driver for Bugatti.

Two of the Bugatti will be static showpieces, but the 1,500 hp Chiron Pur Sport will be taken onto the Michelin Supercar Paddock stage every single day, but Andy Wallace will also take this yellow beauty onto the famous hill climb circuit during the event, where this limited edition Bugatti, only 60 units will be made, should feel right at home as the Pur Sport was specifically designed as the ‘most agile’ version among the Chiron series, extreme power and torque (1,600 Nm) to be taken onto winding and challenging roads.

With an acceleration figure of only 2.3 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h and a top speed of 350 km/h, the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport with her 1.9 meters wide rear wing will certainly bring joy to the public during these four days, this performance not only comes from the massive quad-turbo W16 engine but is also thanks to innovative, 3D printed titanium exhaust pipes with the addition of lightweight magnesium wheels that can be fitted with those famous ‘aeroblades’.

And let’s not forget the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport was named Robb Report’s Best Hypercar for 2021 only a few weeks ago … this is a true hypercar that will rarely be seen driven as hard as during the hill climb at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

As mentioned earlier, there are three cars from Bugatti at this year’s Goodwood FoS, and our review wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the amazing Bugatti Baby II, a 75 percent scale, all-electric Type 35 racer, highly limited to only 500 units as a celebration of their magnificent past, the original Type 35 was built almost 100 years ago, in 1926, and back then the car was created with state-of-the-art technology, just like the homage today.

To celebrate the company’s 110th anniversary, the Baby II is a tribute to Ettore Bugatti’s masterpiece, a car built together with Jean Bugatti for Ettore’s youngest son, Roland as a present for his fourth birthday, the new Bugatti Baby II is a rear-wheel drive, the all-electric model that can seat both adults and children … for additional safety the Baby II comes with a ‘Speed Key’ that will unleash up to 10kW of power and can push the Baby II to a top speed of 68 km/h.

But probably the ultimate evolution of the Bugatti Chiron is put on display behind glass, the stunning, white Chiron Super Sport that was created purely to reach the highest top speed possible as an ultimate grand touring car is present at Goodwood too, and the numbers are mindblowing, to say the least … an 8-Liter W16 engine, 1,600 PS, quad-turbocharged, 0 to 200 km/h in just 5.5 seconds, in a mere 12.1 seconds the driver can reach 300 km/h … and then we get to the top speed … 440 km/h!

Lengthened by 25 cm compared to the ‘normal’ Bugatti Chiron, the Super Sport brings the longtail design to Molsheim for improved stability at those impressive speeds, production of this ultra-fast hypercar will start soon with deliveries intended to happen by early 2022 … at €3,200,000 each … and that’s before VAT mind you.

July 9, 2021 / Comments Off

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Ultimae is the final Lamborghini Aventador

Automobili Lamborghini SpA unveiled their latest V12 flagship model, online at this time, but the actual car will make its official public debut at the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed, called the Ultimae, this car marks the end of an era, with its full name being the Aventador LP780-4 Ultimae, it will be the final Lamborghini Aventador model, and also the last NA V12 in Lamborghini’s history.

After making V12 powered cars since 1963 with the Lamborghini 350 GT, and a car the automotive world marks as the first supercar in automotive history, the Lamborghini Miura from 1966, the era of the NA V12 engine will end in 2022 when the last of the 600 Aventador LP780-4 Ultimae rolls off the assembly line in Sant’Agata, Bologna. Lamborghini will be making 350 units of the LP780-4 Ultimae Coupe and 250 units of the Ultimae Roadster, for the first time they unveiled both models at the same time, each of these cars will be individually numbered, shown on a plaque stating xxx/350 and xxx/250 respectively.

It seems Lamborghini got inspired by the likes of the Porsche 911 GT3 with Touring Package, where you get the brutal power of the GT3 but without the large wings … a kind of ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ look, understated but with extreme power hiding under those inconspicuous looks … and that’s exactly what this new Lamborghini Aventador LP780-4 Ultimae is, take the power from the Aventador SVJ, tune it a little to pump out 10 more hp, but use the Aventador S body without the ALA, Active Lamborghini Aerodynamics, and remove the rear wing.

The Lamborghini Aventador LP780-4Ultimae does come with the side sills and complete rear section of the Aventador SVJ, but the front bumper comes straight from the Aventador S, now with black painted sections and some ‘livery’ in color. And that’s also the case with the engine cover, which is the original unit we’ve seen from the original 2011 Aventador LP700-4, because the Ultimae doesn’t come with any ALA there was no need to have a newly designed front bumper, nor a bespoke engine cover … even the Roadster comes with the regular unit seen on the Aventador LP700-4 Roadster back in 2013.

For the Lamborghini Aventador LP780-4 Ultimae they did change the side sills a little, the intake that’s black on the SVJ version now comes color-coded to the rest of the body, but it does seem you have to go for either a black, a dark grey, or a blue lower section for the front bumper, side sills, and part of the rear diffuser … and the dark Blu Nethuns lower sections appear to be only available if you select the new Blu Tawaret … if you want your Ultimae to be all-out the same color you’ll probably have to convince the Ad Personam studio of your vision … and expect a hefty premium on the final invoice.

Lamborghini calls the rear section of their latest Ultimae a celebration of the SVJ’s track-oriented heritage, and they still call the rear wing part of the ‘active aero system’ as it can be set to three different positions from “closed” to “maximum performance”, and “maximum handling”, and there are even vortex generators created in the front and rear of the chassis’ underside … but it’s nothing like the ALA system found on the SVJ that works with flaps that could even open individually on the left and right of the car to improve handling in high-speed cornering.

“The Aventador LP 780-4 denotes the final, purest, timeless naturally-aspirated production V12 Lamborghini,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President, and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “It delivers the essential twelve-cylinder experience in terms of inimitable design, engineering solutions, and the most emotive driving experience, and is the definitive Aventador concluding an extraordinary era. It is the last of its kind: it delivers the maximum power and conclusive performance expected from Lamborghini’s current V12 engine, combined with our inimitable flagship’s design DNA. The Aventador was destined to become a classic from launch, and the Aventador LP 780-4 is the most beautiful expression of timeless design and technical solutions in a final edition: Ultimae.”

The Lamborghini Aventador LP780-4 Ultimae is the culmination of a continuing development over the last decade, it’s been 10 years since the Aventador LP700-4 took over the reign from the Murciélago, during those 10 years we’ve seen a total of 27 different models emerge from Sant’Agata using the Aventador carbon fiber monocoque chassis, from masterpieces like the Lamborghini Veneno, the Lamborghini Centenario, and finally the Sian, the first Lamborghini with a Supercapacitor to create a hybrid model, and let’s not forget the true one-off models like the 2012 Aventador J, and the two bespoke builds, the SC18 Alston and the SC20 … after more than 10,000 Lamborghini Aventador built over the last decade, the final curtain on this amazing supercar will fall next year.

Rumor has it the successor to the Lamborghini Aventador will be introduced in 2023, and it will be the first real production hybrid model from Sant’Agata, with the Sian being a very limited edition, the newcomer will officially be Lamborghini’s first car with electric power sold to the public, which will also mark the end of the aspirated V12 era for Lamborghini, this Aventador LP780-4 Ultimae will effectively be the ultimate Aventador, the most powerful yet, and also the last one using this kind of V12 engine, and while Stephan Winkelmann did confirm in a recent interview that the successor will still be a V12 engine, it will come with additional electric motors … will it be an evolution of the Aventador engine, or a new, smaller-displacement V12 unit isn’t disclosed yet.

The press release didn’t mention a price for this ultimate Lamborghini Aventador, but with the very limited production numbers, and the importance they are giving this end of an era model, chances are they will charge a premium over the outgoing Aventador SVJ, and make no mistake, this Aventador LP780-4 Ultimae might sell out quicker than you would expect, personally I think this model will be an instant collector’s item, for one because it’s the final Aventador … ever, but also because only 350 Coupe and 250 Roadster will be built.

If you put those numbers against a total of 600 Aventador LP750-4 Superveloce, 500 Aventador LP750-4 Superveloce Roadster, 900 Aventador LP770-4 SVJ, and 800 Aventador LP770-4 SVJ Roadster, this new Aventador LP780-4 Ultimae is a lot rarer, the only Aventador edition that’s even more exclusive are the 100 units each of the Aventador LP720-4 50th Anniversary edition coupe and Roadster, so I think despite the understated looks of this Ultimae, in ten or twenty years, this will be one of the most valuable Aventador ever.

July 7, 2021 / Comments Off

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The Rimac Nevera conquers London

We’ve only just announced the remarkable joint venture between Rimac Automobili and Bugatti Automobiles a few days ago, and now we have a brand new milestone for the Rimac brand … for the first time in history the Rimac Nevera left her home country, Croatia, and came to the UK, conquering London in complete silence, the 1,914 hp all-electric hypercar has no problem entering the Ultra Low Emissions Zone in the UK’s capital.

The first trip outside of Croatia for this amazing hypercar of the future was toward the only official UK dealership for Rimac Automobili, renowned H.R.Owen, a household name among luxury motorcars, being the leading dealer group combining makes like Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, BAC, Puritalia, and now also Rimac, with the H.R.Owen flagship dealership located in Mayfair since 1927 … they have a total of six showrooms in London alone, with five more in other counties.

It isn’t a coincidence the arrival of the limited edition Rimac Nevera, only 150 units will be built for the entire world, happens days before the Goodwood Festival of Speed opens its doors for the long-awaited 2021 edition, the Nevera will surely make an appearance at that famous show, perhaps even take a stint at the hill climb, possibly even setting some records keeping in mind it takes only 9.3 seconds to reach 300 km/h behind the wheel of this hypercar, a time most family saloons take to reach 100 km/h.

London is also the first stop for the Rimac Nevera, after that she’ll go to Goodwood for the Festival of Speed, but once that’s completed the Nevera will go on an epic global trip to make over 20 stops in the upcoming 8 months, while she travels throughout Europe before heading to Asia and later the United States to visit the worldwide Rimac dealer network and make an appearance at some of the most renowned events so people can see this amazing hypercar in real life.

Ken Choo, H.R. Owen CEO, said: “Since meeting Mate Rimac and the whole Rimac Automobili team two years ago, we have believed wholeheartedly in their vision. To finally now see the culmination of years of development, with the Nevera finally in our showroom and on the streets of London, is a very special moment. Led by the Group Chairman of Berjaya Corp Berhad, Vincent Tan, H.R. Owen has built a reputation for extraordinary attention-to-detail in customer service, just as Rimac has perfected every small detail on the Nevera. It’s the foundation for a great partnership between our brands.”

We already know the name Nevera is taken from a typical storm in Croatia, very powerful and charged by lightning … when the storm hits it will be with exceptional speed and potency, something the Rimac Nevera mimics perfectly … this hypercar can change from a comfortable Gran Tourer cruising with ease into a fierce performance machine on four wheels … in the blink of an eye. I sure wouldn’t mind seeing the Rimac Nevera in real life during one of the stops she’ll make.

July 7, 2021 / Comments Off

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Maserati MC20 comes to Goodwood

We have seen the new Maserati Halo Car being driven hard during testing on the track, after that, this Italian supercar wearing the famous trident was taken into the snow for cold-weather testing, and while no customer has received their Maserati MC20 yet, the car is finally finished and will make her official UK debut at the famous Goodwood Festival of Speed where none other than GT1 world champion in the MC12 and Maserati’s official test driver, Andrea Bertolini, will take a production version of the MC20 onto the iconic 1.16-mile hill climb course at Goodwood, over the four days of the Festival of Speed, visitors will be able to enjoy this new car twice a day in action on the hill climb.

The Maserati MC20 is the first model of their new era, combining performance with luxury once again, the MC20 comes with their in-house developed Nettuno V6 engine, twin turbochargers, and mid-mounted, this 630 hp beauty with Formula One sourced technology will propel this low supercar to 62 mph from a standstill in only 2.88 seconds, while a top speed of more than 202 mph is listed in the specifications, Maserati is so proud of this new V6 engine they are actually showcasing it at Goodwood next to the MC20 itself.

The 2021 edition of the Festival of Speed is a celebration of motorsport and car culture during which the Maserati MC20 will make its UK dynamic debut in the Supercar Run, the famous hill climb course, but this Italian beauty will also be shown statically on the Supercar Paddock, next to other supercars and hypercars from the competition, but I’m sure this new Maserati MC20 supercar that is produced in Modena, at the historic Viale Ciro Menotti plant, will draw attention to herself with ease.

July 2, 2021 / Comments Off

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Automobili Pininfarina debuts their Battista hyper GT

The Center stage at the Electric Avenue exhibition space during the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed will be taken by the brand new Battista GT, the all-electric hypercar created by Automobili Pininfarina in their attempt to lead the current automotive movement into the sustainable cars, be it high-speed supercars, hypercar, or luxury cars, as Bentley is also heavily investing in the latter category, Pininfarina took on the hypercar segment first with their impressive Battista GT which will be shown to the public at this year’s Goodwood FOS for the first time.

Automobili Pininfarina brings over 90 years of Italian icons in their legacy, some of the most beautiful, and fast Italian cars found their origin in this world-renowned design house, now they are getting ready to unveil the pinnacle of EV in the form of a luxurious car made from sustainable materials that boasts an amazing design while housing a pure-electric powertrain so there is zero emission from this Italian beauty.

Per Svantesson, Chief Executive Officer, Automobili Pininfarina, said: “We are excited to bring Battista to the iconic Goodwood Festival of Speed for the first time. This hyper GT and our future portfolio of luxury electric cars will offer the beautiful design and personalization opportunities one expects from Automobili Pininfarina, with thrilling performance enabled by zero-emissions powertrain technology and an array of sustainably sourced design features and finishes. Goodwood’s Electric Avenue is a perfect showcase for this vision of future luxury.”

The Battista GT prototype has been out on the harshest track throughout Europe during final testing, the unveiling of this stylish hypercar at Goodwood is a prelude to actual clients receiving their car later this year, Jardine Motors Group will be the London and southern UK retailer for the exclusive new model, customers will be able to get their Automobili Pininfarina Battista GT built to their exact specifications, both for exterior and interior finish.

The official debut of the Battista GT at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed comes after being selected for the Electric Dream award from the expert judges at Electrifying.com earlier this year and the Electric Hypercar of the Year prize at last year’s GQ Car of the Year awards, the Battista GT will be the most powerful car ever built in Italy, power output is listed at 1,900 hp with a torque figure of 2,300 Nm, this new road-legal hypercar is quicker than a Formula One car, 0 to 100 km/h takes less than 2 seconds, figures that are remarkably similar to the Rimac Nevera, which packs 1,914 hp and a massive 2,360 Nm of torque.

Similar to the €2,000,000 limited production Rimac Nevera, only 150 units of the Battista GT will be built, but the latter will come from the Automobili Pininfarina SpA atelier in Cambiano, Italy, thanks to a 120 kWh battery pack, this intimidating electric hypercar comes with a 500 km (310 miles) range between charges, and while the Rimac Nevera lists a top speed of 412 km/h (258 mph), Automobili Pininfarina just lists ‘over 350 km/h)

July 1, 2021 / Comments Off

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Zenvo at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

Finally, we are able to visit the famous Goodwood Festival of Speed again this year after the 2020 edition was canceled for obvious reasons, between June 8 and June 11 we’ll be able to admire some of the world’s most impressive supercars and hypercars, both as a static display, and in high-speed action on the impressive ‘hill climb’ session, and the best part perhaps … not all of the cars you can admire at the FoS are street legal.

The Zenvo TSR-S at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2019 – Credit Staledo

Ever since they showed the ST1 at the Goodwood FoS in 2015, Danish car builder Zenvo hasn’t missed an edition, so for this 2021 edition they are bringing the thunder from Denmark once again, not one, not two … but three different Zenvo will be shown at this year’s FoS, and while two will probably be just there for show, one of the limited edition TSR-S hypercars will race on the legendary Goodwood Hill with Zenvo’s own production manager, Alberto Solera, at the wheel.

The Zenvo TSR-S at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2019 – Credit Drew Gibson

Zenvo will put two of their impressive TSR-S hypercars for visitors to admire, with 1,177 hp from a twin-turbocharged 5.8-Liter V8 engine, the TSR-S can reach 100 km/h from a standstill in just 2.8 seconds, only 4 seconds later the tacho will show 200 km/h … the top speed for this amazing hypercar is electronically limited to 325 km/h, and keeping the car firmly down to the track comes courtesy of the patented Zenvo active Centripetal wing at the rear.

Zenvo TSR-S pictured at Goodwood Circuit May 2021 – Credit Philip Harbord

This very special, active rear wing will tilt upward under braking to act as an air brake, but much more impressive to look at is the angle of the wing that changes when the Zenvo TSR-S takes a corner on the track at speed to change downforce actively to the inner side of the car for minimal body roll … and it just looks cool too.

The Zenvo TSR-S at the Michelin Supercar Paddock at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2021

The absolutely stunning looking Baltisk Blå (pearl metallic blue) TSR-S will be shown inside the Michelin Supercar Paddock during the 2021 Goodwood FoS, the place to be for visitors to admire the most recent, state-of-the-art, most powerful, and record-setting cars from all over the world … supercar and hypercar heaven for sure.

But Zenvo is bringing a second TSR-S to Goodwood, their more recent Ishvid Perlemor (pearl metallic white) finished one with the plethora of clear carbon fiber parts, the car this intended to showcase at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show, but as that was canceled too, and just about every subsequent event, the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed will probably be a perfect possibility for many to view this car for the first time.

Angela Kashina, CEO of Zenvo Automotive, said: “Goodwood Festival of Speed is a highlight of our year – it presents a fantastic opportunity to spend time with automotive aficionados and car connoisseurs, and present our limited-edition vehicles. The world-famous event is one of the best stages to demonstrate our TSR-S, with onlookers getting the opportunity to hear its sonorous soundtrack as it performs. After last year’s absence, we are eagerly looking forward to welcoming both existing and new customers as well as enthusiasts to experience the Zenvo brand.”

But wait, there is more … all the way from Denmark, Zenvo will bring their TS1 GT demo car (the two TSR-S are already located in the UK at the time of writing), to be positioned at its team base near the Goodwood circuit. The TS1 GT also comes with a twin-turbocharged 5.8-Liter V8 engine and a sequential injection … power output in the GT is 1,104 hp at 7,100 rpm, but it takes 3.0 seconds to go from 0 to 100 km/h, and while that’s 0.2 seconds slower than the TSR-S, the top speed of the TS1 GT is higher with an impressive 375 km/h.

June 21, 2021 / Comments Off

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Special Report: My First Lotus Experience – Goodwood SpeedWeek

The cliches are strong when it comes to Lotus. ‘It handles like a Lotus’ and ‘the steering wheel brims with feel like in a Lotus’ are phases that have peppered reviews of supercars in magazines for decades. Goodwood SpeedWeek offered up the chance for me to, finally, put the claims to the test and drive a Lotus in anger for the very first time. Could the British built sports cars really live up to the hype?

First up was an opportunity to explore the glorious roads around Goodwood in an Evora GT 410 Sport. This is the less hardcore, more road focused Evora. That being said, it’s still plenty quick – as the name would suggest, there is 410 horsepower and 410Nm of torque on tap from the 3.5 litre supercharged V6. Adding lightness is the Lotus ethos and as a result, the 1,361kg Evora with a 6-speed manual transmission will hit 100km/h in 4.2 seconds.

Lotus GT 410 Sport

Our on the road initial impressions are that the GT 410 Sport feels small on the road, heading down narrow lanes in a car this size means that I felt confident in finding the limits without grimacing every time a car passed me in the opposite direction. The other overriding impression is made from the sensational exhaust note. The tone may be a touch too trumpet like, but every time the revs built so did the size of my grin. Chasing the redline is a joy, as is the gear change. The exposed linkage is a cool touch, but the real joy is in shifting that towering metal stick that rises from it. When you’re done with engaging the next gear and jump back onto the throttle, you notice something moving in the rear view mirror over your left shoulder. There is a window directly behind the driver and passenger which gives a view of the engine and the throttle linkage actuating the fuel to air ratio – a very neat touch.

Finally, there is the handling. Much like the gearshift, the steering is fabulous, as are the pedal weightings. Heeling-and-toeing takes some getting used to the as brake and throttle pedal are a couple of centimetres too far apart – the entire pedal box is a touch offset to the left, but it is not uncomfortable. The ride over the broken Chichester roads was a touch on the harsh side, but the road surface really was as bad as it gets.

Trundling back into the Goodwood Paddock, I was sad to hand the keys back, but my dejection was short lived as a Lotus Exige Cup 430 was waiting for me to hustle around the circuit. I’ve had the pleasure of driving a number of cars on track lately. From the McLaren 765LT to a Mini GP3, nothing has immediately felt as dialled in, yet entertaining as this. The mid-engined balance immediately feels sublime, the unassisted steering is a joy at speed and the pull of the 430 horsepower culminate in one of the friendliest and exciting track experiences I’ve had.

All of the feedback, from the base of the seat through to the steering feedback in my palms, is far more concentrated and communicative than any Porsche Cayman I have driven. A Cayman GTS 4.0 is the natural rival for the Cup 430, but the Porsche cannot compete when it comes to track day focus. I suspect that if you could only have one car to live with, the Porsche would be the obvious choice, but if you are looking for something better suited to learning a racetrack in, the Lotus has the Porsche on the ropes and that is not a conclusion I expected to be making. Bravo Lotus, believe the hype. Forget about the 2,000 horsepower electric hypercar race, the Evora and Exige are what Lotus and know for and do best.

Lotus Cup 430

October 18, 2020 / Comments Off

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Goodwood Speedweek: New Event Announced for October 2020

Goodwood Speedweek was recently announced to fill a deep void left by the cancellation of the the Goodwood Members Meeting, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and the Goodwood Revival.

Regular readers will know that the Goodwood events are among our favourites. Now Goodwood has announced a new event which can be enjoyed at a social distance!

Goodwood Speedweek will take place on 16-18 October 2020. It promises to replicate the magic of all three events ‘behind closed doors’.

Goodwood Revival 2019

The event will take place at the Goodwood Motor Circuit. Free from the constraints of putting on a spectator event, the event promises a greater variety of cars, new racing formats, and a new viewing experience.

Goodwood Speedweek will be available to watch through the Goodwood Road & Racing website with a promise that it will have interactive elements.

The event will include supercar demonstration runs, new car launches, next-generation technology from FOS Future Lab, and an online auction.

Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019

Expect vintage racing, Goodwood Gymkhana and a Rally Sprint event. The headline will be a SpeedWeek-exclusive Timed Shootout round the challenging 2.4-mile Goodwood Motor Circuit.

Goodwood’s Motor Circuit has never seen modern race cars set timed laps before. Its current lap record was set by Nick Padmore in a Lola T70 Spyder during the Bruce McLaren Trophy at the 2015 Members’ Meeting. That record is sure to fall.

Stay tuned for more information on the event and a link to the action!

August 20, 2020 / Comments Off

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Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019 – Celebrating Motorsport’s Record Breakers

We’re seasoned Goodwood veterans at this stage. GTspirit has covered the Festival of Speed for as long as I can remember. Quite possibly the greatest celebration of performance machinery in Europe, if not the world, it never gets old. This year’s event was themed “Speed Kings”. It was all about celebrating the biggest names in motorsport; the record breakers.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Goodwood setup, let us enlighten you. Goodwood Circuit (which is not where the Festival of Speed is held) began life as the perimeter track of RAF Westhampnett airfield. When World War II was over, the circuit began to be used extensively for motor racing. Some of the biggest names raced there between 1948 and 1966 when it officially closed.

The Festival of Speed takes place less than a mile away from the Goodwood Circuit. It was founded in 1993 by Lord March and plays on the heritage of the Circuit on a less competitive level. The centrepiece is a hill climb which winds its way from the front of the house to the top of the hill. The course is 1.86 km long and is shared by a huge variety of vehicles, Formula 1 racers, Le Mans cars, Drift cars and Rally cars.

Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019

What’s more, the event incorporates a Concours, a Forest Rally Stage and the release of brand new machinery!

This year’s event saw some notable new releases. Mercedes-AMG took the opportunity to launch the Mercedes-AMG A 45. Ford released a new track-only version of the Ford GT. De Tomaso stole the show with a stunning new concept car.

Alongside the new releases, we also got an opportunity to see some of the most iconic race cars. Our unanimous favourite? The V10 engined Ferrari Formula 1 cars driven by Michael Schumacher, one of the best known “Speed Kings”. Goodwood dedicated an entire category to the 50-year-old racer. Cars such as his Formula Ford 1600, Van-Diemen-Ford RF88, his Jordan-Ford 191 and his Benetton-Ford B191; the cars he cut his teeth on before moving to the prancing horse.

Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019

Schumacher wasn’t the only person to receive a celebration. March Engineering turned 50 this year, it had its own category, Mercedes celebrated 125 years in competition and it was Bentley’s centenary year. Then there was Aston Martin. Celebrating 70 years since its Goodwood Circuit debut, the British company paid for the centrepiece which sat at the front of the house.

One of the most popular categories was dedicated to the Porsche 917. It first raced 50 years ago. Goodwood’s collection of 12 examples represents one of the largest 917 gatherings in history. We even saw the famous Porsche 917K chassis 030 which was converted for road use by the infamous Count Gregorio Rossi di Montelera.

Away from the hill climb, the Concours d’Elegance drew big crowds. Seven categories displayed some of the most iconic cars of all time. Two categories stuck out. The “Cent Ans d’Avant Garde”, celebrating Avions Voisin’s 100th anniversary with a collection of quirky pre-war cars. The second was the “Like Father, Like Son” category celebrating “The Genius of Jean Bugatti”.

Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019

The former category was won by the stunning 1936 C28 Aerosport, while the latter won by the 1937 Type 57 SC Atalante. The overall winner of Best in Show was an Abarth 250 Monza.

The biggest news over the course of the weekend came from Volkswagen. The German brand had re-geared its Volkswagen ID.R race car specifically for the event. It made no secret of the fact that it wished to take the hill climb record. The time it had to beat was a 41.1 second run set 20 years ago by Nick Heidfeld in a McLaren MP4/13. Romain Dumas shaved 1.7 seconds, setting a new record time of 39.9 seconds. There was a feeling it could have gone faster but for the rain which disrupted Sunday’s timed shoot out.

July 14, 2019 / Comments Off

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De Tomaso P72 rebirth livens up the Goodwood Festival of Speed

A De Tomaso re-launch has two presumed starting points: Either a Pantera, the original automaker’s most popular model, or a crossover, because of the days we live in. When De Tomaso brand owners Consolidated Ideal TeamVentures (CIT) began promoting their effort earlier this year, they did so with what looked like a camouflaged Pantera. Yet execs said they spent years studying Alejandro de Tomaso’s history, vision, and products and spoke of making a much deeper impact than merely recycling a classic. They have proved their point at the Goodwood Festival of Speed with De Tomaso’s first new product, the P72. It’s the modern incarnation of a car CIT didn’t know existed before they bought the brand, the De Tomaso P70.

It’s likely hardly anyone beyond De Tomaso historians remembers the P70 (Car Design News has an excellent two-part story on it). In 1964, Carroll Shelby wanted to develop a race car to take on the big boys for the Can-Am series launching in 1966. Peter Brock had designed a car, Shelby had financing, the Texan only looking for a chassis and someone who could turn his Cobra’s 4.7-liter V8 into a lightweight, bored-and-stroked 7.0-liter. He called De Tomaso, who was working on his first road car and a 7.0-liter V8. The two men agreed to collaborate, but things didn’t go well. As the project fell behind and Shelby grew wary about De Tomaso’s interpretation of the design, and about timely delivery of the promised engine and five cars, he sent Brock to Italy to oversee the project. This offended De Tomaso, and the partnership dissolved soon after. Shelby’s withdrawal — he began working on the GT40 project — angered De Tomaso enough to finish the P70 with help from Ghia. The Argentine showed the car at the 1965 Turin Motor Show as the Ghia-De Tomaso Sport 5000, and reworked the chassis to serve his Mangusta road car.

Whereas the Apollo IE pays homages to the GT1 era from the mid-1990s, the “modern-day time machine” P72 celebrates the sixtieth anniversary of De Tomaso and the prototype racing era in the sixties. In the original vehicle, the P stood for Prototipi, the 70 stood for the expected 7.0-liter engine. The P represents the same today, but 72 stands for the number to be built. A small number, but multiples larger than the ten Apollo IEs headed for climate-controlled garages.

We mention Apollo because the same all-carbon chassis from the Apollo IE underpins the P72. Jowyn Wong, the man behind the Apollo’s design, penned the P72’s Le Man’s body and that captivating, wide open rear end. The interior looks like a moody dalliance between Spyker and Pagani, full of polished copper, diamond motifs on the stitched leather, on the shift knob above the exposed linkage, and the pedals, plus golden lighting. A row of analogue dials bespeaks the past and the future, the circular theme capped outside by the small round side mirrors.

The carmaker’s finalizing the specs, and hasn’t said what will power the final version. The Apollo IE uses a naturally-aspirated Ferrari-sourced V12, but based on De Tomaso’s history with V8s, don’t be surprised by a free-breathing and burly eight-cylinder. Pricing is expected to be around 750,000 euros ($842,000 U.S.). That’s a reasonable sum given the prices of low-volume custom vehicles today, exemplifying the last of De Tomaso’s six core tenets: Heritage, Passion, Racing, European Design, and World-Class Performance at Extreme Value. The company is taking deposits now, and with Miller Motorcars on board as a U.S. dealer, don’t be surprised to see the P72 here — at least, in photos — one day.

July 7, 2019 / Comments Off

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Watch the McLaren GT Do a Run at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

Beautiful Sights and Sounds

The McLaren GT made its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. This gorgeous grand touring car features a strong 4.0-liter V8 that makes 612 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. The car is able to utilize that power on the course at Goodwood for all to see. In the video included below, you’ll see and hear the car move through the course. It’s one of McLaren’s most elegant-looking cars ever, and the engine note is something wonderful to behold.

One of the reasons the GT sounds so good is because it has a bespoke exhaust system. While the engine itself isn’t all that different from the one found in other McLarens, the new exhaust gives it a distinctive and unique sound. This is exactly what you want from a supercar.

The GT also stands out from the rest of the McLaren lineup because it’s a straight up bigger car. The mid-engine vehicle is longer than any other McLaren. The car also has more luggage space than any other car, meaning it can be used as an everyday car. That doesn’t keep it from being fast, though. This car can do a 0-60 mph sprint in just over three seconds. It’ll do all the way up to 124 mph in just nine seconds. The top speed is 203 mph. You can view the GT getting down at Goodwood in the video below.

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July 5, 2019 / Comments Off

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Singer Vehicle Design Marks 10 Years in Business with Celebration at Goodwood

Yep, Singer Is a Decade Old Now

Singer Vehicle Design has been thrilling motoring enthusiasts everywhere for 10 years. The company is known for taking old Porsches, restoring them and then modifying them with extreme attention to detail. To help mark the 10-year milestone, the company will bring two cars to the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The company will bring the Dynamics and Lightweighting Study (DLS). The car was built in connection with Williams Advanced Engineering. Since the time that Singer debuted the car, it has continued testing and modifying it. According to EVO Magazine, Singer said the car has been “much abused.” The DLS will appear in a new red livery.

The company will also bring the Sussex commission to Goodwood. This car is a little more typical for the company. This car is used as a daily driver and track driven by the owner. The car will come in the Attack Grey color and feature ghosted stripes and lettering.

According to EVO, the company has a new car called the Mulholland commission. That car will unfortunately not be shown at Goodwood. If you can’t make it to Goodwood, head to the Monterey Car Week in California in August where Singer will also showcase cars.

June 28, 2019 / Comments Off

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De Tomaso Re-Born During 60th Anniversary Year – Debut at Goodwood!

Italian supercar manufacturer De Tomaso is set to make a return later this year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019. The Italian brand went into administration in 2005. Several attempts have been made to re-launch the brand since, however, these have failed to materialise. The latest re-launch follows the purchase of the rights in the De Tomaso brand by Ideal Team Ventures.

Ideal Team Ventures are the company behind the re-birth of Apollo Automobil. They have some experience in re-launching defunct supercar brands! The company appears to be financed by Hong Kong businessman Sung Fung Choi and lawyer, Neil Baylis who was formally involved with the re-launch of the AC Cars brand.

De Tomaso has some serious history behind it. The company was founded in 1959 by the Argentine-born Alejandro de Tomaso. De Tomaso was a race car driver, competing for two years in Formula 1 with Scuderia Ferrari and OSCA. The company he founded would later go on to produce cars like the Mangusta and the iconic Pantera.

The company attempted to re-launch in 2009 when it was bought by Gian Mario Rossignolo. That venture ended in disaster after Rossignolo and his son were convicted in Italy of fraud and embezzlement having failed to produce a single customer car.

The company has been re-born during its 60th anniversary year with the latest model set to debut at the Goodwood Motor Show 2019. It is code-named Project P for the time being and the story will unfold over coming months using the hashtage #DTprojectP. We will bring you further information as and when we know more!

May 15, 2019 / Comments Off

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