Autograss Action Is Coming to Japfest Goodwood

If you like your Japanese car action loud, sideways and completely unpredictable, you’re going to want to make a beeline for the Live Action Arena at Japfest Goodwood.

We’re bringing something a little different to the arena, with an Autograss demonstration led by Kenny Smith. Expect lightweight, high-revving Autograss cars to put on a proper show, with plenty of wheelies, donuts and sideways action as they demonstrate just what these unusual machines can do. The Autograss machines taking part are powered by Japanese motorcycle engines, giving them a seriously impressive power-to-weight ratio and the kind of high-revving soundtrack that should feel right at home at Japfest.

What is Autograss?

For anyone unfamiliar with the sport, Autograss is one of the UK’s great grassroots forms of motorsport. At its heart, it’s all about small, lightweight cars racing around oval tracks, with competitors battling for position on loose surfaces. The sport has developed a huge following across the country, with a strong emphasis on accessible competition, ingenuity and getting out there and racing. Cars are built specifically for the job, and because they’re relatively simple and lightweight, the action can be spectacularly close.

While traditional Autograss is about racing, the Japfest Goodwood demonstration is all about putting on a show and that means you can expect the cars to be pushed in ways that will have the Live Action Arena crowd watching closely. From two-wheel antics to tyre-smoking donuts, this is Autograss with the entertainment dial turned up. And if the sound of those Japanese bike engines has you wanting more, there’s another attraction you’ll want to check out while you’re at the show…

Don’t Miss the Japanese Bike Display

The Autograss demo ties in perfectly with another celebration of Japanese engineering at Japfest Goodwood: our Japanese bike display. Japanese motorcycles have produced some of the most iconic engines and machines in automotive and motorsport history, and the display is the perfect place to get up close to some seriously cool two-wheeled machinery.

So, whether you’re there for the JDM cars, the bikes, or simply the live-action spectacle, make sure you get yourself to the Live Action Arena. Japfest Goodwood – 3 October 2026.

And trust us: when those Autograss cars fire up, you’ll know about it.