Jaguar entered into it and won the ‘Most Spirited Getaway’ Award for the second consecutive year at the launch of the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The honour, won last year by Touring Car driver Anthony Reid in an XFR, was won at the 2012 event by Alex Buncombe at the wheel of an XJS TWR owned by JD Classics.

The  award is light-hearted and presented to the driver judged to have made the most exciting, crowd-pleasing departure up the notorious Hill.

The car, a 1984 Jaguar XJS TWR and chassis 005 of just seven produced was previously driven by Win Percy. It made a suitably dramatic start as the combination of slick tyres and a 485bhp, race-specification V12 and side-exit exhaust system ensured a visual and aural spectacle.

It was joined on the Goodwood Hill by the iconic Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-8/9 run by Don and Justin Law – the latter aiming to once again set the pace at the 2012 running of the event having completed the run in just over 44 seconds in previous years.

The 2012 Festival of Speed takes place between June 28 and July 1 with crowds expected to number in excess of 180,000 over the three days get you tickets early.