The coolest touring cars to see at 82MM

Ford Capri III 3.0S

Sporty coupés don’t get more more iconic than the Ford Capri – one of the first cars to offer a slinky body on simple underpinnings at a tempting price. The Capri is the all-rounder of the touring car world, faster and less skittish than the Austin Minis and Metros. It’s also cuter in corners and easier to handle than the likes of the Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro.  Will one win the Gordon Spice Trophy? Sadly, they will struggle to compete with the power of the stars and stripes muscle cars, but that won’t stop us from cheering it on. 

Rover SD1 3500

The UK never built a muscle car, but it would look like the Rover SD1 3500 if it had. Famously, Rover based its styling on the Ferrari Daytona with a long nose and a coupé-like rear. Under the bonnet, you’ll find exactly what you’d expect – an American V8. The V8 was a mothballed Buick design saved from the scrap heap because of its power and light weight. It’s a combination that should serve the Rover well on track, giving it forgiving handling and the power needed to play with the big boys of the Gordon Spice Trophy.  

Ford Mustang Boss 302

If the Rover SD1 is the UK’s idea of a muscle car, then the Ford Mustang is the muscle car all others are compared to. Predating the Capri, the Mustang followed a similar formula of simple mechanicals covered by a muscular body and carrying an attractive price tag – no surprise, it sold like steaming hotcakes. The Boss refines the muscle car formula, adding an aggressive body kit and a small block V8 that goes as well as it sounds – and it sounds very well. Expect to see a Mustang in the running for a podium.  

Chevrolet Camaro Z28

While the Mustang, with its flat face and bulky body, is the car equivalent of blunt force trauma, the Camaro Z28 is a slinkier, dare we say (visually) more aerodynamic affair. Under the sportier looks lurks a very similar format to the Mustang. The Z28’s 5.0-litre V8 is fed air by a backwards-facing air scoop that not only adds power but also makes this big machine sound utterly glorious, especially if you happen to be one of the lucky drivers sitting behind the wheel. Last year, a Camaro Z28 took third place in the Gordon Spice Trophy behind two Boss Mustangs. Could 2025 be the Camaro’s year? 

Mini 1275 GT

Touring car racing at Goodwood wouldn’t be the same without Minis. They may get annihilated on the straights, but the their featherweight and tiny wheelbases make them hilarious in bends as they seemingly spend most of the event going sideways, worrying their far more powerful rivals. The Minis lacked the performance to win the Gordon Spice Trophy in the past, but this year, it’s all change as they find themselves fighting in the Percy Win trophy for cars of 2.8-litres or less. 

BMW 323i

It’s not hard to see the remnants of the E21 BMW 323 in a modern BMW. The kidney grille and Hofmeister kink are there for all to see, and the classic’s twin pipes indicate that under the bonnet, you’ll find a purringly smooth BMW straight-six. The 323 has got to be one of the favourites of the Percy Win Trophy because it blends the handling of a mid-sized rear-wheel-drive saloon with the power and balance of a six-cylinder engine. Victory would be a fairytale ending for the only 323 competing in the Win Percy Trophy. 

Ford Escort RS2000

Fast Fords are nothing new now, but jump back 40 years and we were only just getting used to the RS1600 when this, the RS2000, came along. So-called because of its 2.0-litre engine, the RS2000 blended nimble handling and tight controls with a 2.0-litre engine at the front, driving the back wheels. The drivetrain made the RS2000 a legend of the rally scene, well able to sustain lairy powerslides on muddy tree-edged chicanes. We’ll soon find out whether it can carry that pedigree out at the Goodwood Motor Circuit. 

Mazda RX-7

One of the Win Percy grid stars will be the Mazda RX-7 that tributes Percy’s own car with the same yellow and blue livery that it wore for the first half of the 1981 season. It took Trevor Taylor almost a year to get the body of his RX7 to a reasonable standard, and he admits that the car still needs a couple of years of development before it can hit fighting form. Nevertheless, expect this RX-7 to put up a strong challenge thanks to its compact dimensions and lightweight and sorted chassis, which makes it a delight in the corners. Apparently, it feels like a go-kart compared to the Mustang that Taylor also races.  

Alfa Romeo GTV6

The Alfa Romeo GTV6 comes from when the Italian company’s cars drove as well as they looked, meaning this tightly styled coupé had rear-wheel-drive, with power coming through a rear transaxle for near-perfect weight balance. The heart of the car is its 2.5-litre V6 engine, which developed a decent shove and a noise to sell your children for. The looks, meanwhile, are classically striking – with headlights scowling from below a cowled nose and giant glasshouse – if not as pretty as some of Alfa’s other creations. 

Volkswagen Golf GTI

Whether the MK1 Golf GTI was the first hot hatch is up for debate. Some say the Simca 1100TI was actually the first, but the Golf perfected the breed. On the school run, it was dependable, economical and roomy, but with the kids safely deposited, it could turn into an absolute riot when you wanted it to. The VW’s combination of a souped-up engine, lowered suspension and uprated brakes meant the Golf was more than capable of taking on sportscars of the time. But how will it perform in the Percy Trophy? We won’t have to wait too much longer to find out…

The 82nd Members' Meeting will take place on 12^th and 13^th April 2025 and tickets are now available for Members and Fellows of the GRRC.

If you're not already a Member or Fellow and you'd like to enjoy all the racing, demos, and other exciting content at the Members' Meeting, you'll need to join the GRRC. Click here for more information or to join the club.

Photography by Joe Harding, Jayson Fong, Toby Whales and Dominic James.