The early bird catches the ... traffic free run into Goodwood. Having driven all the old Fords I got up at sparrow's with the aim of using my carefully honed back route to the circuit before the cones and closures were in place. Job done.
Why the circuit and not the hill? I needed to register for the honour of being the first to drive the official PH BMW M4 up the hill. Yes, the one you all specced. And a very good job you all did too - it looks fabulous and everyone from BMW seems very impressed with the way it's turned out. Joining me for the honour of driving it were PH competition winners Cameron Milne and Matt Orman
Megane Trophy-R joins throng at Moving Motor Show
This being Moving Motor Show day rather than full Festival of Speed I was a little apprehensive about the run, this being a brand new car, there being more restriction in place and the additional pressure of being laden with fancy cameras for a whizzy all-angles video. That would basically capture any cock-ups in 360-degree glory.
As usual with Goodwood, the pressure is on to 1) make it look good and 2) really, really not bin it. Really not.
My plan for achieving the first and avoiding the second was a spectacular departure off the line and then a play it safe run up the rest of the hill, an MSV instructor alongside to make doubly sure. Surreptitiously I managed to turn all the M4's settings up to 11 and disable the DSC. Off the line I held it on the brake, hit the throttle and hoped for the best. After a little stutter there was a huge flare of revs, a reassuring sound of howling tyres and a nice little slither from the back end maintained through second and third. "You sneaked that one past me..." said my chaperone, swiftly engaging the DSC back on for the first turn. Job done though and we quickly caught the car in front and meandered up the rest of the hill.
Back at the Moving Motor Show base I clocked the Megane Trophy-R and saw it was being driven by 'ring lap man Laurent Hurgon. Gratifyingly he'd seen our coverage of the Trophy launch and seemed to be enjoying his first ever Goodwood. You can see him in the 5 Maxi Turbo and Megane throughout the weekend.
Right, time to drive that Fiesta I was supposed to have been in yesterday.
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