If you’re expecting nothing but muscle cars here, you’re in for a shock. When it comes to performance and racing cars, powerful V8s from the Land of the Free make for a popular choice, used in cars of all shapes and sizes at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019. Here are some highlights.
Nissan GT-R
We begin with the beguiling Irish drifter who goes by the name of ‘Baggsy’. While his wheels of choice resemble the very-Japanese Nissan GT-R, he only needs to fire it up for us to realise it’s had a heart transplant. How does 1,200hp of twin-turbo GM LSX V8 sound to you?
Ford Mustang GT500
Now here is some authentic American muscle, albeit with a splash of sophistication. Yes, it has over 750hp from a supercharged V8, but the Mustang GT500 also has a twin-clutch gearbox and clever aerodynamics. It’ll still rip fat elevens, though…
Ultima RS
Ultima’s new model is a sharp-looking update for 2019. The famous track supercar manufacturer has always been a fan of GM’s LS V8. This new car gets the latest supercharged LT4 lump from the Chevy Corvette Z06.
Penske PC22
What powers this Penske CART couldn’t be further from the LT4, but it’s still a Chevy V8. This turbocharged 2.6-litre unit screams to 14,000rpm. Famous drivers include Emerson Fittipaldi and Nigel Mansell. Even Ayrton Senna tested one.
Ford Mustang GTS 1
Mustangs are a common sight at the Festival of Speed, but no two are the same. This GTS 1 is a case in point. No, it’s not a NASCAR. It’s an IMSA racer in GTS 1, the successor to the famous GTO class. The road-going variants of the fourth-generation Mustang aren’t best-loved, but this is an absolute weapon.
Jeep Cherokee Trackhawk
The Jeep Trackhawk is one of the most powerful SUVs you can buy. This Cherokee truck features the supercharged 710hp V8 from the Challenger Hellcat. Because that’s exactly what a family 4×4 needed.
March-Chevrolet 707
Can-Am racing no longer exists. The cars were too powerful (a Porsche reached 1,500hp), too fast and it was cancelled over safety fears. This is a March-Chevrolet 707 Can-Am car uses a big-block Chevy V8.
Holden Commodore VL SS
The Aussies are well-known V8 lovers and Holdens have been putting Chevy V8s to good work for years. This one is a 1980s Commodore racer and doesn’t it just look the business?
De Tomaso Pantera
Back in the supercar-sphere, a timeless model from a name that’s only now coming back from the dead. The De Tomaso Pantera pairs a meaty American V8 with Italian supercar wedge design. It’s still the pinnacle pin-up for some.
McLaren M8D
The McLaren M8D is perhaps the most famous of the Chevy V8-powered Can-Am cars, not least because Bruce McLaren sadly died in an M8D just a few miles up the road at the Goodwood motor circuit in 1970.
Buick Regal NASCAR
It wouldn’t be an American V8 list if there wasn’t some NASCAR goodness, would it? And they don’t get much cooler than an ex-Richard Petty Buick Regal, driven by Petty himself at the Festival of Speed.
Twisted Land Rover Defender
Another V8 hiding in plain sight is this Defender, modified by Twisted. Under the bonnet, in place of an old Ford Transit diesel engine, is a Chevrolet LS V8.
March-Chevrolet 717
Because Can-Am. Here’s another big block monster and the successor to the 707. These things never fail to drop jaws when roaring up the hill at Goodwood.
Chevrolet Monte Carlo NASCAR
In the NASCAR class, the Monte Carlo comes second only to Petty’s Regal for coolness. It’s an awesome throwback to the 1990s – this car is now 20 years old.
Ford Mustang RTR
We end as we began, with a rip-snorting drift car. The Mustang RTR takes the pony’s V8 to roaring new levels. Vaughn Gittin Jr, your car is absolutely terrifying, but we love it.