Star power
From Derek Bell to the Iron Dames and international pop icon Dua Lipa, Porsche arrived at Goodwood with famous names aplenty – but it was still the cars that topped the bill, with the latest-generation 911 GT3 and Cayenne Electric prototype stealing the show.
First-class passenger:
Iron Dames’ Karen Gaillard with Porsche ambassador Dua Lipa. Gaillard gave the singer-songwriter a passenger ride up the hillclimb in the one-of-a-kind Dua Lipa Rennstall 911 GT3 RS.This July, Goodwood’s sun-baked lawns and famous 1.16-mile hillclimb played host to Porsche for the 2025 Festival of Speed, offering visitors a celebration of performance, heritage and innovation. Across four days, Porsche showcased its latest road and motorsport offerings, supported by drivers including Porsche ambassador Mark Webber, Karen Gaillard and Sarah Bovy of the Iron Dames, and Gabi Jílková of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team.
The hillclimb was the scene of several key dynamic debuts, including the latest-generation 911 GT3, which combines track capability with everyday usability, and is available in rear-wing and Touring configurations. The 911 GT3 RS, equipped with the Manthey Kit, highlighted Porsche motorsport-derived aerodynamics and chassis performance, showcasing the engineering that links the road car to its racing counterpart, the 911 GT3 R.
On site:
Porsche drivers Gabi Jílková and Mark Webber.
Colourful:
The Chip Hart Racing-liveried 911 GT3 R.The latest 911 GT3 Cup car brought the spirit of the Carrera Cup GB series to Goodwood when it featured in the highly competitive ‘timed shoot-out’ final on Sunday afternoon. In the hands of Porsche Cars Great Britain Junior James Wallis, the GT3 Cup achieved a top-three finish with a time of 46.73 seconds.
The all-new Cayenne Electric prototype also made its first public appearance, driven by Gabi Jílková. Blending SUV practicality with the brand’s signature handling, it demonstrated the Porsche approach to electrified performance. The Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package, boasting up to 1,034 PS (Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package: Electric power consumption* combined (WLTP) 20.8 – 20.6 kWh/100 km, CO₂ emissions* combined (WLTP) 0 g/km, CO₂ class A ) – the most powerful production electric Porsche to date – looked similarly impressive on the hillclimb.
Cup run:
Porsche GB Junior James Wallis drove the 911 GT3 Cup to third place in the ‘timed shoot-out’ final on the Goodwood hillclimb.
Hill charge:
The new Cayenne Electric prototype made its public debut on the hillclimb, driven by TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team development driver Gabi Jílková.
Dream team:
Sarah Bovy drove the Iron Dames’ Porsche 911 GT3 R all weekend.The Iron Dames, an all-female racing team founded in 2018 by Deborah Mayer, were also on hand to represent Porsche. The team’s mission is to empower women to compete on equal terms with men across disciplines including endurance racing, single-seaters, rallying and karting. In 2023, the team became the first all-female lineup to win an FIA World Endurance Championship race.
Starting this season, the slogan ‘Porsche X Iron Dames – because every dream matters’ expresses the new collaboration between Porsche Motorsport and the team’s initiative to promote women in motor racing. As part of a long-term partnership, the Iron Dames are competing in top endurance racing championships, including WEC, IMSA, ELMS and ALMS, with the Porsche 911 GT3 R.
‘To be at a beautiful event like this, seeing all of the fans, and seeing that we’re inspiring the next generation is absolutely incredible,’ said driver Sarah Bovy, who piloted the 911 GT3 R all weekend.
Pretty in pink:
The Iron Dames’ 911 GT3 R, with team driver Sarah Bovy behind the wheel.
Screen break:
Iron Dames drivers Bovy (left) and Karen Gaillard (right) take a breather between runs. The team won the opening round of the 2025 European Le Mans Series at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with the 911 GT3 R.Bovy’s teammate Karen Gaillard drove a Rennstall 911 GT3 RS with a livery created by Grammy-winning pop star Dua Lipa. And she did so with some precious cargo in the passenger seat: Dua Lipa herself, the Porsche ambassador having stopped by to experience the hillclimb as Gaillard’s ‘trusty sidekick’ (in the star’s own words). The Dua Lipa Rennstall 911 GT3 RS has since been auctioned for 365,000 euros, with proceeds benefiting the singer’s Sunny Hill Foundation. Over the weekend, Gaillard could also be seen driving another unique 911 GT3 R, decked out in the livery of the fictional Chip Hart Racing customer team, as driven by Sonny Hayes (played by Brad Pitt) in Apple Original Films’ F1® The Movie.
Novelty:
The Cayenne Black Edition on the Porsche stand.The current-generation Cayenne was represented in the form of the Cayenne Black Edition – a new special edition combining performance and elegance with enhanced comfort. The Black Edition is available with three powertrain variants, and in classic SUV and Coupé body styles. Exterior details in high-gloss black, such as the Sport Design front apron, mirrors and model designation badge, emphasise its exclusivity. Inside, the cabin comes with elements finished in brushed-black aluminium, and a list of standard equipment that includes Tinted HD Matrix LED headlights, a BOSE® Surround Sound System and 21-inch wheels with coloured Porsche crests. The new Taycan Black Edition also made its debut, sitting beside the Cayenne Black Edition on the Porsche stand.
There was another Goodwood debutant at the Porsche Café Le Mans: the 963 RSP. Inspired by the historic road-registered Count Rossi 917K, and that car’s famous ‘road trip’ from Stuttgart to Paris in 1975, the one-off RSP has a 4.6-litre twin-turbo V8 with 680 PS, unique bodywork, and a bespoke leather and Alcantara interior.
Out for the Count:
On the menu at the Porsche Café Le Mans was the 963 RSP – a one-off road version of the Le Mans prototype built for motorsport legend Roger Penske, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the ‘Count Rossi 917K’.The Festival of Speed enjoys a global reputation, and in support of this, the Porsche Cars GB PR team hosted over 100 members of the media from around the world across the four days of the event. Journalists had the opportunity to test-drive six generations of 911 Targa – on loan from the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart – on the country roads around West Dean College, and delve into the stories behind the brand. Guests could also travel into the Festival riding in a Cayenne, via an off-road route that not only beat the traffic but also demonstrated the capabilities of this sports car of SUVs. The route also showcased the beautiful West Sussex landscape of the South Downs that surrounds Goodwood. And insights on the design tradition of Porsche were shared with students and visitors to the College, who could admire both the 911 Targas and a historic 904 GTS displayed on the lawns.
Anniversary:
Porsche celebrated 60 years of the 911 Targa at its Festival of Speed ‘media camp’, based at nearby West Dean College.
Porsche heaven:
The main Porsche stand is a familiar landmark to Festival of Speed visitors – a chance to see the current Porsche range alongside classic models, plus hundreds of stunning cars brought along by Porsche Club GB members.Back on the main Festival site, a celebration of Porsche legend Derek Bell proved to be another weekend highlight. Goodwood paid tribute to the British driver’s incredible Le Mans 24 Hours record (five wins, four in a Porsche) with a parade on the hillclimb and a special Goodwood ‘balcony moment’ for the man himself.
But, of all the Festival’s attractions, none was more striking than the display next to the Porsche stand, where more than 250 Porsche Club GB members parked their own cars. From early 356 cars to modern production models, it was a memorable sight – one of many during a Festival of Speed that reminded every visitor of all that’s great about Porsche.
