LEPAS to make UK public debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed
- LEPAS to make UK public debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed
- Brand will showcase its L8 premium SUV in the First Glance Paddock
- ‘Cat woman’ racing driver Sasha Brunton will pilot the L8 up the famous Goodwood Hillclimb twice each day
- Festival takes place weeks before L8’s official launch and arrival in UK showrooms
- L8 available in two distinct trim levels – Essence and Elevate
- Essence offers comprehensive suite of tech, safety and comfort features from £34,900 RRP OTR
- Elevate models add luxury and refinement from £37,900 RRP OTR
London, 25th June 2026
New energy car brand LEPAS will make its UK public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026, showcasing the L8 premium SUV before its official launch later in the month.
The design-led carmaker will give festival goers an early glimpse of its flagship model when it appears in the festival’s First Glance Paddock between Thursday July 9 and Sunday July 12.
The crowds will also have the chance to see the L8 in action as LEPAS’ own ‘cat woman’, pro-racing driver Sasha Brunton, pilots it up the famous Goodwood Hillclimb, twice each day, wearing a specially commissioned leopard print race suit and helmet. The name LEPAS is a fusion of the words ‘leopard’ and ‘passion’ and the brand’s design language is heavily influenced by the big cat’s beauty, elegance and athleticism.
The wider public will have to wait weeks before the model arrives in LEPAS showrooms – more than 50 of which will be opening across the UK in the next few months.
Ray Wang, Managing Director of LEPAS in the UK, said: “We couldn’t have picked a better or more exciting event at which to finally introduce the UK public to the LEPAS brand and to showcase our first model, the L8 premium SUV.
“The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an event of global significance in the automotive calendar and one of the highlights of the summer in Britain. We can’t wait to be there and to properly begin our journey in this country.”
He added: "The L8 is just the beginning of the LEPAS story. We have two more models – the L6 C-SUV and L4 B-SUV arriving soon, with a choice of either a highly efficient plug-in hybrid or a fully-electric powertrain, followed by an all-electric L8 and then more to come.
“We also have dozens of showrooms opening nationwide in the next quarter, with around 100 dealers up and running by the end of 2027, so it’s safe to say that people will be hearing a lot more from LEPAS.”
Designed from the wheels up for Europe and enhanced for British roads, the L8 will be offered in two distinct and appropriately named trim lines. The first, ‘Essence’, offers everything the modern driver needs, with outstanding levels of technology, safety and comfort. Meanwhile, ‘Elevate’ models add everything the modern driver could possibly want, with in-car luxury and refinement taken to the next level for a truly high-end experience.
Prices for the L8 PHEV Essence begin at £34,900 RRP on-the-road, while the L8 PHEV Elevate starts at £37,900 RRP one-the-road.
Both variants are powered by the state-of-the-art LEPAS Super Hybrid ecosystem, featuring a highly efficient 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine mated to a Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT), electronic gear selector and a next generation 18.4kWh battery which can be DC fast charged from 30% to 80% in as little as 20 minutes.This powertrain can deliver a combined range of up to 745 miles, a pure electric range of up to 56 miles and a highly efficient combined fuel consumption of up to 403.5 mpg. CO2 emissions are just 21g/km, qualifying the L8 to drive free-of-charge in London’s ultra-low emissions zone (ULEZ). * A fully electric L8 will follow in 2027.
*Figures according to WLTP test cycle