Every so often, as the sun starts to stretch over the English countryside, the gates of Goodwood Motor Circuit in Chichester open for a little ritual known as Breakfast Club. The concept is simple: turn up early, grab a coffee, and wander among some of the most impressive cars ever built, all for free. Each event has a different theme, and this past Sunday was Supercar Sunday, a chance for the high-horsepower crowd to show off their pride and joy.
Thanks to a triple alarm strategy (and one bleary-eyed, half-hearted scroll through Instagram), I climbed into my more modest set of wheels (my trusty neon green Volkswagen Lupo) and set off for the track. The roads felt unusually alive, as if the local petrolheads had synchronised their starts. It’s a strange thing to hear the distant howl of a V8 as you merge onto the A27, but it certainly helps blow the morning fog from your mind. A few convertibles were already making the most of the sunshine, their drivers probably squinting through the early light, but grinning anyway.
Arriving at Goodwood, the first thing that hits you is the atmosphere. There’s a unique buzz to these mornings, a mix of caffeine, engine fumes, and the general crackle of excitement that comes from being around that much horsepower. The car park itself is a mini show in its own right, filled with everything from meticulously kept classics to modern hot hatches and the odd project car, still sporting a few scars from its last track day.
Once through the gates, the scale of it really sets in. You’ve got row upon row of supercars, some so flawless they look as if they’ve been unwrapped that morning, and others proudly showing the patina of years spent actually being driven—complete with stone chips, heat-blemished exhausts and the occasional worn seat bolster. It’s a reminder that, for some owners, these cars are more than just weekend toys, they’re the real deal, living up to their original purpose.
The variety is impressive, too. Modern hypercars from McLaren and Ferrari share the tarmac with old-school icons from Jaguar. There’s a certain magic in seeing them side by side. It makes you appreciate the sheer range of ideas and engineering that go into building a car capable of being called a ‘supercar’.
Of course, you get the odd eyebrow-raising moment – like spotting a Lotus Elise cheekily tucked into the supercar lineup or a heavily modified Nissan GT-R that sounds more like a jet fighter than a road car. But that’s part of the fun. No one’s too precious about it, and the mix keeps things interesting.
What struck me most, though, was the clear passion of the owners. These cars aren’t just investments to them but pieces of their personality, kept in pristine condition not just for future profit, but because they genuinely love them. It’s a level of care that’s rare these days, and it’s why events like this are such a treat. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they talk about their car, and the owners I chatted with had a sort of quiet, knowing pride. They’ve seen trends come and go, models rise and fall, and still believe that nothing quite matches what they have in their garage.
As the morning stretched on, the crowd grew, and the noise levels rose with it. Every now and then, someone would fire up their engine, drawing a ripple of head turns and a few approving nods—the automotive equivalent of a peacock unfurling its feathers. It’s a small, harmless bit of showmanship that you come to expect at these events.
Eventually, I wandered back to my little Lupo, which, despite being slightly lost among the high-priced metal, started on the first turn and was easy to find due to its Hulk-like nature. It’s a different kind of satisfaction, I suppose, a reminder that you don’t necessarily need a V12 or a badge with a horse on it to enjoy driving. But I’ll admit, the thought of picking up another few jobs to finance something with a bit more bite did cross my mind… One day I’ll drive a Jaguar e-type through winding roads. But until then, I’ll keep showing up, camera in hand, wallet firmly in pocket, and dreams of supercar ownership just about in check.
