Emma Gilmour

Emma Gilmour is a rally driver from Dunedin, New Zealand, widely regarded as the fastest female rally driver in the world, and the first woman to compete in Global Rallycross and the first female factory driver for McLaren Racing.

EARLY YEARS

Growing up in Dunedin with a mechanic father and grandfather meant Emma Gilmour spent her childhood elbow-deep in engines before most kids figured out what a carburetor was. Her dad, Alistair Gilmour, ran the family mechanics business, and young Emma was right there helping him build go-karts, learning the inside and outside of vehicles the way other girls learned ballet positions. It was the kind of childhood that left grease under your fingernails and horsepower in your veins.

But here’s the twist: before Gilmour ever got behind the wheel of a rally car, she was a competitive equestrian. She spent most of her early years in eventing—the horse-riding discipline that combines dressage, cross-country, and show jumping—representing the Otago-Southland region in New Zealand’s development program. Speed, precision, and a hefty dose of adrenaline? Turns out those skills translate beautifully from horseback to rally stage.

It wasn’t until her early twenties that Gilmour gave rally driving a proper go, though some accounts suggest she didn’t pursue it professionally until her thirties. Either way, she took to it like the proverbial duck to water. “Like horse riding, I was in love with the speed and that buzz of adrenaline you get as you dance the car from corner to corner,” she said. “It’s very addictive!” No kidding.

In 2010, Gilmour bought Gilmour Motors—the family’s Suzuki dealership in Dunedin—from her parents, adding “small business owner” to her growing list of credentials. Balancing a full-time gig running a car dealership with international racing isn’t for the faint of heart, but Gilmour has managed to juggle both with the same smooth aggression she brings to the track.

OTHER INTERESTS

Outside of racing, Gilmour runs Gilmour Motors and serves as a MITO Ambassador, advocating for women in trades and the automotive industry. Her passion for getting more women into hands-on, traditionally male-dominated fields is as genuine as her love for rallying. She’s not just driving cars—she’s paving roads for the women coming up behind her, proving that you can sell Suzukis by day and dominate rally stages by night.

EARLY SUCCESS

Gilmour’s professional rally career kicked off with a bang. In 2008, she teamed up with UK co-driver Claire Mole for the WRC Rally of New Zealand, finishing 16th overall—not bad for an early outing on one of the world’s toughest stages. The following year, she and Mole placed second overall in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship, announcing loud and clear that this Kiwi wasn’t just along for the ride.

Between 2010 and 2012, Gilmour became the bridesmaid of the New Zealand Rally Championship, finishing runner-up three consecutive years. “Second place is old news,” she said at the time, “so this year, my goal is to win a championship round.” She made good on that promise in 2016 when she became the first woman ever to win a round of the NZRC at the Rally of Canterbury. Barrier? Smashed.

In 2014, Gilmour crossed the Pacific to become the first woman to enter the Global Rallycross Championship, driving a Hyundai Veloster Turbo for Rhys Millen Racing. She reached the finals in Las Vegas and the semi-finals at X Games, finishing 13th overall with 62 points in her debut season. From day one, people took notice of her smooth yet aggressive driving style—a reputation that’s followed her ever since.

By 2015, she’d picked up the FIA Women in Motorsport award and the QMMF Cross Country Selection, further cementing her status as a driver to watch.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2008: 16th overall at WRC Rally of New Zealand with co-driver Claire Mole[1][2].
• 2009: 2nd overall in Asia Pacific Rally Championship with Claire Mole[1][2].
• 2010–2012: Three-time consecutive runner-up in New Zealand Rally Championship[1][2][4].
• 2014: First woman to compete in Global Rallycross Championship; finished 13th overall with Rhys Millen Racing, reaching finals in Las Vegas and X Games semi-finals[1][2][4].
• 2015: Won FIA Women in Motorsport and QMMF Cross Country Selection[2].
• 2016: First woman to win a round of New Zealand Rally Championship at Rally of Canterbury[1][2].
• 2021: Competed in two Extreme E events with Veloce Racing, including Greenland round[3].
• 2022: Joined NEOM McLaren Extreme E as first female factory driver for McLaren Racing; finished 7th overall with 46 points and earned a podium finish at the season-ending Energy X-Prix[1][2][3].
• 2023: Competed in Extreme E with McLaren, finishing 13th overall with 44 points; earned podium at Scotland round partnered with Tanner Foust[1][2][3].

INSPIRATIONS

Gilmour’s earliest inspirations were the men who raised her around engines: her father Alistair and her grandfather, both mechanics who taught her to respect machines and understand their language. “Growing up around cars—my dad Alistair was a mechanic—it’s no surprise that in my thirties, I’ve ended up becoming a rally driver,” she said.

But perhaps no figure looms larger in her professional imagination than Bruce McLaren, the legendary Kiwi who founded McLaren Racing. When she signed with McLaren for Extreme E in 2022, the connection felt almost fated. “Coming from New Zealand, I never ever imagined racing for motoring royalty like McLaren, with fellow Kiwi Bruce McLaren having started the team,” she said. “It still feels a bit like a fairy tale for me to be there representing such an iconic brand.”

REPUTATION

Emma Gilmour has earned her stripes as one of the most accomplished rally drivers in the world—and the fastest woman in the sport, according to widespread industry consensus. Her smooth yet aggressive driving style has turned heads since day one, and her string of firsts—first woman in Global Rallycross, first woman to win an NZRC round, first female factory driver and podium finisher for McLaren—has broken barriers with the subtlety of a handbrake turn.

“I’m also widely regarded as the fastest female in the world, which I love because I think it inspires other women,” Gilmour said. And she’s not wrong. Media coverage has consistently highlighted her pioneering role, with a tone that’s equal parts admiration and respect. Peers see her as genuinely competitive against world-class talent, not just a token female driver.

Her time with Veloce Racing in 2021 had its challenges—two crashes in two events isn’t exactly the debut anyone hopes for—but she came out of it stronger. “It’s made us a really close-knit team,” she reflected. “We’ve been through the challenges and we’ve come out stronger.” When she moved to McLaren in 2022, she was ready. “I felt more comfortable… I learned a lot with Veloce… really nice warm up,” she said, before helping McLaren make history.

Competing in Greenland during her Veloce stint was a career highlight. “Such an amazing place… surreal experience… unusual terrain from sand dunes to rocks, to jumps,” she said. It’s that mix of grit, enthusiasm, and technical skill that makes Gilmour both formidable and magnetic.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

As of 2023, Gilmour’s most recent competitive outing was with McLaren in Extreme E. She continues to run Gilmour Motors in Dunedin and serves as a MITO Ambassador, championing women in trades and the automotive industry. While her current racing schedule and team commitments beyond 2023 aren’t publicly documented, one thing’s certain: Emma Gilmour doesn’t do second place anymore—and she’s not done making history.

References:

Wikipedia: Emma Gilmour
MITO: Ambassador Emma Gilmour
Extreme E: Emma Gilmour on her Extreme E journey
Now To Love: Emma Gilmour shares her drive to succeed
Saxton Speakers: Emma Gilmour