Ferrari and Aston Martin's bespoke creations drew the crowds at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed (FoS) but it was Bugatti and Mercedes that stole the show.

As is the case most years, Ferrari was voted the festival-goers' favorite marque. And while it brought with it several cars that had never before been seen in the UK, including the 458 MM Speciale, a bespoke commission based on a standard 458 Speciale, it was the German, French and English firms that really impressed this year.

Aston Martin came with a truly bespoke car, the Vantage GT12 Roadster, an open-top, carbon fiber-clad take on the company's most ferocious coupé. Its owner also paid a further premium on its already premium price to ensure that no other Aston client can ever ask for something similar.

Bugatti arrived with the Chiron, which is one Guinness Book of World Records adjudicator away from being confirmed as the world's fastest production car, thanks to its 1500PS and 420km/h top speed.

"As the most powerful and fastest production super sports car in the world, the Chiron embodies the motto of this year's event like no other car in its class," said Wolfgang Dürheimer, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. "We are pleased to be able to present the Chiron at this highly traditional event as its UK premiere."

Just 500 examples of the multi-million-dollar hypercar are scheduled for production, starting this fall, and the first 200 spoken for.

However, it was Mercedes that potentially stole this year's show with the Mercedes-AMG GT R. A direct competitor to the Porsche 911 GT3 in terms of thrills, spills and track-friendly performance, it was put through its paces by everyone from Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes-AMG to reigning Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton.

"With the Mercedes-AMG GT R, we're extending our GT family with a new top model. We have never put so much technology and material expertise into a series car," said Moers.

And it isn't hyperbole. The new coupé does set a new standard for Mercedes. Its 4-liter twin-turbo V8 outputs 585hp. The car is rear-wheel drive via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and, thanks to active rear-wheel steering to keep the rear from overtaking the front at higher speeds, the car can hit 100km/h in 3.6 seconds on its way to a 318km/h top speed.

But the tech doesn't stop there, the body features active aerodynamics. A carbon fiber panel under the body moves upwards or downwards to manage airflow, making the car stick to the road at higher speeds.

But perhaps best of all, unlike so many special or more potent automotive editions, Mercedes has no plans to make the car in restricted numbers.

Expect the car to cost around $200,000 when it goes on sale towards the end of the year.