The high-riding Defender estate is exactly the kind of car you’d expect to find on a property as stunning as the Goodwood Estate in England.
It’s easy to imagine the Duke of Richmond climbing aboard his British 4×4 to explore the neatly manicured grounds.
But today our Defender feels out of place, surrounded by a snarling pack of Skittle-colored supercars and flashy race cars adorned with spoilers and sponsorships.
Because this tour takes place during the Goodwood Festival of Speed, one of the world’s greatest showcases of high-performance cars.
My driver is Sarah Price, a champion racer who was on the podium at this year’s Dakar Rally.
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Our chariot is a V8-powered, twin-turbocharged Defender Octa converted into a D7X-R racing version to win the production class of the world’s toughest rally. Its luxurious interior has been replaced with raw carbon fiber, deep racing buckets, a re-angled driving position, and a targeted array of rally-inspired gauges and heavy-duty switches.
Waiting at the starting line is surreal.
The huge Defender looks out of place next to the tiny, fragile-looking hypercars waiting in the sun.
One by one, they disappear in clouds of tire smoke between hay bales at the start of the 1.86-mile climb up Duke’s driveway.
Then it’s our turn. As Sarah approaches the starting line, she sees the starting light. Seconds stretched into eternity. Then bam.
We’re leaving. The two-and-a-half-ton Defender roared to life as it attempted to break into Goodwood House. Price puts his foot down on the gas pedal as my stomach gulps at the brutal power of the Defender.
We then take to the straightaway where thousands of spectators line the track and all eyes are on the wild car carrying us up the hill.
The atmosphere washed over me like a wave, slowing down time, and it’s a feeling I can’t easily forget.
As the course narrows toward the top, the problem only gets worse.
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The Defender we sat in isn’t a nimble supercar, it’s a bull charging down a lane, and staying calm takes a lot of skill. Price relies on his extensive and varied experience to keep the situation under control. A leader in everything from rallying to motocross to powerboat racing, she knows when to harness the Defender’s power and when to play it cool.
The course squeezes between rock walls and hay bales, notorious for punishing the slightest mistake. Her racing line flirts with laser-like precision on the brink of disaster, eliciting a small squeal that could have come from the tires or from me.
I breathe a sigh of relief at the finish line, and our chariot snorts with delight as Sarah brakes and changes gears at the end of a successful run.
There’s a reason why every car lover and his dog wants to come to Goodwood. This is much more than “just another car show.” This 11,000-acre estate turns into one of the best automotive events on the planet every year, attracting fans from all over the world to see ultra-rare cars put to the test.
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It’s not about just competing and finishing the uphill sprint during tough times. This gives museums and collectors the opportunity to bring in historic models, championship-winning race cars and vintage classics to celebrate the wonderful world of automotive history.
At the same time, it also offers manufacturers the opportunity to reveal their latest metals, some of which are still shrouded in camouflage and whose secrets have yet to be revealed.
In the paddock, fans can get very close to their dream cars.
Taking center stage at the Jaguar Land Rover stand was the Defender D7X-R, driven by 14-time Dakar winner Stéphane Peterhansel. This one didn’t win, but it bears the scars of a brutal battle designed to push men—or women—and machines to their limits.
Like the Dakar, climbing Goodwood Hill is not a stunt. It’s a challenging piece of asphalt that commands a respect that I can only appreciate more having experienced it from inside the car.
If you ever have the opportunity to attend this incredible event, I encourage you to do so. This is a rare chance to experience ultra-rare cars, meet the people behind some of the most incredible cars, and experience an atmosphere unlike anything else in the world.
You won’t be disappointed.
Originally published as Inside the brutal V8 Defender rally car that conquered Dakar.