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The Goodwood Festival of Speed is the premier automotive gathering in the world, showcasing some of the rarest, oldest, wildest, and also loudest cars and motorcycles. But every now and then, something truly special graces the 13th Duke of Richmond’s driveway. This year, that’s freaking Lightning McQueen.
Unfortunately, Mr. Ka-Chow isn’t actually competing for a time up the hill, meaning his presence is purely for entertainment. And, well, I have to admit, seeing it lined up alongside some serious race cars at the starting line is definitely entertaining. I’m sure there are some serious car folks who think this is dumb, but hey, you shouldn’t take life so seriously.
As the commentators explain, when the original Cars movie came out in the summer of 2006, it was a huge cultural movement for cars and motorsports. Pixar did a great job with all the references, the cars, the racing storylines, and the stars/voices behind the characters. I mean, it featured Michael Schumacher for Pete’s sake.
You can watch Mr. McQueen’s drive up the hill here or in the video embedded below, but you have to fast-forward to 2:58.00 to see it. Or, you can watch all the other cool cars that went up before and after it—like Kimi Antonelli in a neat Mercedes.
And if you’re curious about McQueen’s real-life aero performance, then you wanna read this.
2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed Live Stream
As deputy editor, Jerry draws on a decade of industry experience and a lifelong passion for motorsports to guide The Drive’s short- and long-term coverage.
