The Moving Motor Show's most exciting cars
01.06.2011   -   Andy Goodwin
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With the British Motor Show now defunct, the Goodwood Moving Motor Show in association with Auto Trader has become Britain's alternative motor show, with an attendance list brimming with the world's biggest and best car manufacturers.

The event feels more intimate and exclusive than a regular motor show, and there's never any pomp or formality to proceedings. Even better, there are plenty of great cars to see - these are the five we'll be making a special effort to check out.

Ferrari FF
Part estate car, part coupe, the Ferrari FF has a profile like no other. The Ferrari FF offers the performance of a supercar - 651bhp V12, 0-62mph in 3.7secs while the 'FF' moniker stands for 'Ferrari Four', as this is the first production Ferrari with four-wheel drive. Prices will start around £227,000 when the first right hand drive examples start hitting UK shores in late September.

Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0
The 911 represents Porsche's frenzied dedication to refining and improving a singular ideal. This year, Goodwood will play host to the launch of the latest incarnation, the 911 GT3 RS 4.0. If you see it attack the hillclimb, be sure not to blink as the 493bhp, 4.0-litre flat-six will help the RS 4.0 hit 60mph in 3.8secs. Just 600 units will be produced worldwide at £128k a pop and Porsche has told all potential customers that they can have it any colour so long as it's Carrera white.

Nissan LEAF
The most significant car at Goodwood, with the LEAF Nissan is selling not just a car, but an idea. It represents a step-change in sustainable motoring as the first mass-produced, all-electric family car sold in three different continents. With a £25k sticker price (even after the government plug-in car grant) it's not cheap, but when electric cars reach a critical mass, the LEAF and its imitators will become much more affordable. Throw in zero car tax, congestion charge exemption, reduced servicing and maintenance plus an average 'refuel' costing just £3 on the national grid, there hasn't been something this good value since the 10p Chomp.

Goodwood for MINI
The car to launch to a new partnership between MINI and Goodwood is the £45k MINI Goodwood, first revealed at May's Shanghai Motor Show. Limited to 1,000 units, it features a bespoke interior hand-crafted by Rolls-Royce. It's costly, but with the recent arrival of cars like the £50k Aston Martin Cygnet and £30k Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari, there's clearly an appetite for super-luxo superminis. This is every inch a mini Rolls-Royce that celebrates the very best in British luxury and craftsmanship. We would if we could.

Morgan Threewheeler
You may look in vain for logic or consistency. A V-twin motorcycle engine is bolted onto the front end of a diminutive frame that's sheathed in aluminium. We're not sure how it'll handle, but we're massively excited to find out. Morgan built 30,000 Threewheelers between 1909 and 1953 in Malvern, but that was decades ago. The only explanation we can offer today for such a crazy automotive offering is that the owners must be more than a little unhinged. Still, with a £30k price tag and a 0-60mph time of 4.5secs we celebrate its creation.


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