We’ve heard about the new Hispano Suiza cars for a while now, but not many people out there have actually been able to see this car in real life, let alone being driven at speed, and that is exactly what happened during its official debut at the 2022 edition of the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 23, we all know the FOS is one of the largest and most important automotive events in the world, so seeing the iconic Spanish brand attending the event in the South of England, thanks to its partnership agreement with Michelin is just an amazing feat.
And Hispano Suiza didn’t just bring any car, they came to the Goodwood Festival of Speed with the Carmen, their impressive, albeit controversially styled 750kW electric hypercar that marked the return of the once-famous Hispano Suiza brand to the automotive world in 2019, being in a partnership with Michelin, it will be obvious Hispano Suiza opted to fit the amazing Pilot Sport 4S tires on this silver-painted beauty.
Luis Perez-Sala, Hispano Suiza Ambassador, and former Formula 1 driver, drove up Goodwood Hill for the very first time: “The hillclimb its very entertaining, full of fast bends and the slope is quite steep. The Carmen behaved very well, and I am looking forward to driving it again”.
If you have missed this outing today, fear not, just head over to Goodwood over the weekend to see this iconic hypercar taking part in the famous hillclimb twice a day, driven by Spanish driver Pérez-Sala, expectations are that over 100,000 spectators will attend the Goodwood Festival of Speed over the next weekend and they will be able to admire the Hispano Suiza Carmen in the Michelin Supercar Paddock.
Some background on Hispano Suiza from the official press release:
Hispano Suiza is a historic Spanish automotive brand owned by the Suqué Mateu family, now in its fourth generation. Hispano Suiza Automobile Factory S.A. was founded in Barcelona in 1904 by Damián Mateu, together with technical director and engineer Marc Birkigt, also a partner in the company.
Between 1904 and 1946, Hispano Suiza manufactured more than 12,000 high-performance luxury vehicles and 50,000 aircraft engines. Currently, with its headquarters, technical center and manufacturing plant located in Barcelona (Spain), it embodies a spirit that combines the pride of being a Spanish brand with a solid family legacy.
In 2019, the brand presented the Hispano Suiza Carmen, its new 100% electric hypercar, and a year later, it upped the ante with the Hispano Suiza Carmen Boulogne. In total 24 exclusive units will be produced.
In 2022, the first unit of Carmen Boulogne in the United States was delivered to collector Michael Fux.
Since its foundation, four generations of the Suqué Mateu family have preserved the brand, providing impetus and dynamism to maintain its significant heritage. Currently, Miguel Suqué Mateu, great-grandson of the brand’s founder, is at the helm of Hispano Suiza as its Chairman.
Hispano Suiza is part of the Peralada Group, which represents the pinnacle of luxury dining and entertainment through its global portfolio of casinos, restaurants, hotels, golf courses, vineyards, music festivals and marinas.
