To Infiniti and beyond at Goodwood

LUXURY Japanese car maker Infiniti gave the UK public something to savour at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, with a high-octane combination of well-known faces and high-speed timed runs up the famous hill-climb.

Christian Horner, team principal of Formula One team Red Bull, took turns at the wheel of the 568-horspower Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge prototype, sharing driving duties with professional racer Sébastien Buemi.

Members of the public queued for access to the road-going Q50 range, which was also on offer for hill-driving duties, and some were even treated to a turn in the FX Vettel Edition: a chunky SUV with handling and performance tuned with the direct input of four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel.

In a surprise move, Infiniti invited multiple championship-winning trials rider Dougie Lampkin to strut his stuff on the brand’s Goodwood stand. Always a crowd favourite, Dougie pulled off some amazing stunts – some of which called for extremely brave volunteers.

“The Festival of Speed attracts some of the world’s most passionate enthusiasts – exactly our sort of people in other words,” said Infiniti Europe Vice President Francois Goupil de Bouillé.

“To be able to share this event with them, and introduce for the first time in Europe the Q50 Eau Rouge running prototype, was brilliant.”

By Press Association reporter