The 2015 Cholmondeley Pageant of Power celebrated 'power on land, air and water’. Over the three-day event, an array of historic F1, Group B rally cars and a wide variety of other machinery from different eras were on display and put through their paces on the 1.2-mile sprint course. Notable cars included the 1994 Jordan 194 F1 car, previously raced by Rubens Barrichello and Eddie Irvine, which is powered by a 3.5-litre V10 engine. Sir Stirling Moss’s 1961 Monaco Grand Prix-winning car was in action, while the 1990 Camel Lotus 102 V12 and 1951 Ferrari 212 F1 cars also tackled the circuit. Group B rally machines from the fearsome 1980s era include the Lancia Delta S4, Metro 6R4 and a 1986 Audi Quattro S1. Luxury car manufacturer Bentley showcased its latest range of models and iconic classic cars, from the Bentley Continental GT and Mulsanne Speed to the legendary Bentley Blue Train, which Autocar featured last year. There were also numerous other retro racers in the form of Ric Wood’s Opel Astra DTM car, which was driven by Matt Prior last week, Wood's other 510bhp Ford Cologne Capri and a 1934 Maserati 8CM 3.0-litre V8, among others. Autocar’s 651bhp Ferrari FF long-termer was on display and tackled the Supercar category. In total there were seven categories: classic pre-war, Lotus, rally, pre-1966 sports racing and touring cars, supercar and trackday, post-1966 sports racing and touring, historic F1 and single seaters. Each class had two runs per day, with entrants competing to set the fastest lap on the sprint course over the three-day event. Gary Thomas set the fastest time of this year's event, with a 58.34sec lap in a 2005 Force PC. The current course record still stands at 55.29sec, held by professional racing driver Robbie Kerr at the wheel of a Radical SR8 RX in 2013. Kerr competed this year in a Radical RXC V8, but was unable to defend his crown, his best run being a 60.09 on the final day. The festival’s Concours event celebrated Lotus on Friday (read about it here), American muscle cars on Saturday and 1980s supercars on Sunday. Twelve-time FIM world trials bike champion Dougie Lampkin made his Pageant of Power debut, wowing crowds with his skills on two wheels. Other exhibitions worth seeking out were the Land Rover off-road experience, jet-ski racing on the lake, and the air displays featuring the Eurofighter Typhoon on Saturday and the Avro Vulcan on Sunday. Autocar’s supercar paddock was positioned right in the heart of the main area, displaying the latest high performance models in many forms from a variety of manufacturers. Click here to read Autocar's preview of the event. Get the latest car news, reviews and galleries from Autocar direct to your inbox every week. Enter your email address below:
