Goodwood
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This EV is basically an RC car hit with a growth ray
If you’ve ever wanted to point that ole’ growth ray at your childhood toys, UK-based The Little Car Company has got you covered. The organization has built an adult-sized version of the Tamiya Wild One RC car that took the kid world by storm back in the 1980s. This is a fully electric vehicle with eight swappable battery packs that add up to an advertised 124 miles of range.
Take a first look at Formula E’s new Gen3 car in action
Take a first look at Formula E's Gen3 vehicle on a track at England's Goodwood in the form of the Mahinda M9 Electro, with Nick Heidfeld at the wheel.
Watch VW's electric race car smash a 20-year-old Goodwood record (updated)
VW clearly wasn't satisfied with setting the electric car record for the hill climb at 2018's Goodwood Festival of Speed. The automaker's ID.R racer (driven by Romain Dumas) returned to this year's festival in grand style, setting a hill climb time of 41.18 39.9 seconds -- fast enough to break an overall hill climb record that had been set 20 years ago by Nick Heidfeld in a McLaren MP4/13 Formula 1 car. That was no mean feat given its lower power (500kW versus an equivalent 574kW). You can see the achievement below.
Lightyear One is a long and expensive solar-powered statement car
The Lightyear One is long. Really long. The length and sloping roof make sense, though, once you realize the entire vehicle is powered by the sun. Together, the roof and hood offer a staggering five square meters of integrated solar cells underneath a safety glass which, the company promises, is strong enough for a clumsy adult to walk on without making dents. I wasn't able to test this claim at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, unfortunately. But early in the morning, before the car-loving masses had shown up, I was able to sit and truly admire its unusual profile for a while.
Honda's e Prototype is designed to delight you
There's only one word that accurately describes the Honda e: adorable. The pop-out door handles. The compact wing mirrors that are actually tiny cameras. The simple, oval-shaped front that houses the Honda badge and two bright, circular headlamps. From every angle, it's just freakin' cute.
VW's electric Pikes Peak racer is now the champion at Goodwood, too
VW made good on its promise to conquer Goodwood's Hillclimb with its pure electric race car soon after tackling Pikes Peak. The I.D. R Pikes Peak was the fastest vehicle to take on the legendary ascent at the Festival of Speed, finishing the climb in a brisk 43.86 seconds -- as you'll see in the video below, driver Romain Dumas outpaces the competition almost immediately. It's the first electric car to win the Festival's shootout, and certainly the fastest EV in the competition. Second place was also an EV -- Nio's EP9 was slightly slower at 44.32 seconds.
Watch a self-driving car complete Goodwood's legendary hill climb
Want a hint of how the automotive zeitgeist is changing? You only need to look at the just-ended Goodwood Festival of Speed. Roborace has carved out a small niche in history with the first self-driving vehicle to successfully complete Goodwood's famous hill climb, where vehicles have to tackle a gradual 300-foot ascent that includes narrow hay- and brick-lined passages. It wasn't a flat-out assault, but the attempt (which was preceded by a practice run) went off without a hitch -- which you can't say for the other autonomous contender at the festival.
VW eyes Goodwood record with its I.D. R Pikes Peak electric racer
Hardly content with shattering the all-time record at Pikes Peak, Volkswagen wants its I.D. R Pikes Peak electric race car to be the one to beat on other tracks. It's taking the racer to the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the south of England this week, with designs on setting not only the electric car record at the Goodwood Hillclimb, but perhaps the overall benchmark too.
Nissan's 'Gran Turismo 6' concept car crosses over into reality
Nissan has just revealed that its 2020 supercar design of the GT-R created for Gran Turismo 6 has now become an actual, full-sized 2+2 car. The virtual game car was introduced last week, and the actual glass-and-steel model drew admiring gapes when it was revealed at Goodwood, England today (see the video below). That's no doubt because of the radical styling, which includes a four-wheel drive chassis, active suspension, ventilated hood and that carbon fiber front splitter. We're not sure if the real McCoy is even driveable, but you'll be able to get behind the wheel of the game car on Gran Turismo 6 sometime next month.
Drayson Racing's B12/69EV sets new Goodwood record, electric cars move further up the grid
Speed and cars go together like jam and sandwiches. Relatively speaking, electric vehicles, have still been slicing the loaf, while their fossil-fueled cousins slather on the thick, fruity speed. Things are changing though, as eloquently demonstrated by Drayson Racing at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. The EV set a new race record for an electric machine, coming in at 53.91 seconds on its second run. So, while the 850 horsepower B12/69EV came 11th overall, it does show that the capabilities of the emission-less engines are making ground. With the recent record at the Nürburgring also tumbling, perhaps it's time to reassess your motoring lunch bag.
