- Photo: Motor Magnet

Redefining What A Rolls-Royce Can Do

In what was a world first, I was invited by Rolls-Royce South Africa to sample all five cars in their current model line-up

In the world of motoring, there are certain manufacturers that play certain roles. Porsche plays the role of the meticulous and precise surgeon, Lamborghini plays the role of the mad and drunk relative who doesn’t really know what the word ‘subtle’ means and Ssang Yong plays the role of that one guy that nobody really wants to be around. Then we get to Rolls-Royce. For pretty much the whole of the company’s existence it has played the role of the elegant, subdued and courteous butler whose main aim is to deliver you to your destination with your heart having fewer beats per minute than when you departed.

Now, though, Rolls-Royce wants to change that perception of their cars and, as such, I was invited by Rolls-Royce South Africa to attend what was a world first – a media event where all 5 cars in the current Rolls line-up were to be tested. The aim was to demonstrate how they have managed to rewrite the rules about what a Rolls-Royce can do. So, we were to take part in a few activities that you wouldn’t normally think to do in a Rolls-Royce.

Sliding on a skidpan with a Wraith and a Ghost

The task at hand was to drive around a set gymkhana course around a skidpan. The particular Wraith I played around with was a lovely Charles Blue Black Badge edition. Now, I had two options: I could either be sensible, leave the traction control on and try to set the fastest time, or, I could turn all the safety gubbins off and probably make a small accident. Naturally, I chose the latter. Considering not many people have, or will, turn the traction control off in a Rolls and spin up the tyres in the wet, I was very satisfied with my choice – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I am almost sure of. Make no mistake, the Wraith and Ghost are by no means dynamic cars, but the Wraith Black Badge is probably the closest to a ‘sporty’ Rolls you can buy and that is why they chose that particular car for the skidpan.

Why the Ghost too? Well, seeing that you can actually get the tail out on a car that weighs north of 2 tonnes it was reason enough for me. Considering they both each weighed almost as much as Westminster Abbey, body roll was to be expected in a tight and twisty handling course and with their very light steering, you weren’t always entirely sure where the wheels were pointing. But, let’s just put it this way, there aren’t many cars that would get you around that course more comfortably. The rules were certainly re-written on this occasion!

Off-roading in the Cullinan

The Cullinan was by far the most impressive car of the day. Despite the enormous bulk of the thing, it really does impress when you put it in an environment only about 1% of Cullinan owners will ever take it to. Doesn’t that make the British SUV rather redundant then? Well, probably. But it is certainly nice to know that your multi-million Rand (multi-hundred thousand Dollar) car can cope rather well when the going gets tough. On standard tyres, there was no point during our off-road escapade where you felt you were asking the car to do something it didn’t. Only once you go up some steeper gradients and the vast bonnet towers above you with the Spirit of Ecstasy flying ahead do you remember how big the car actually is. The 850 Nm of torque that the car possesses ensures the effortless nature of how the car goes about its duty. Moreover, it also allows you to really get a move on when you decided to give it some poke on tarmac.

I think that is what surprised me the most. It is most certainly a Rolls-Royce, but whereas all previous models ensured luxurious comfort on the road, the Cullinan ensures that experience off the beaten track as well.

Testing the suspension in the Phantom VIII and Dawn

At the testing facility where the event was held, the Phantom and Dawn Black Badge were used to demonstrate the ride quality on a very rough piece of road designed specifically for that purpose. I was asking myself why we were doing this activity in the Dawn Black Badge as well. I mean, this was where the Phantom would clearly be better. But then I remembered Rolls-Royce were trying to rewrite the rules here. Despite the Black Badge also being a more ‘sporty’ car, it dealt with the rough terrain exceptionally well. In fact, the only thing that indicated that we were on this rough patch was the noise of the tyres rumbling underneath us.

But let’s not beat around the bush here, the Phantom is the epitome of what luxury is in the automotive world. Rolls-Royce is probably the only brand in the world where they ask themselves, “Can we add any more weight here?”, not just for the sake of making the car heavy, but indeed to make it more comfortable. The Phantom simply wafts along on what feels like a river of custard and, of course, external noise is minimised to such an extent that falling asleep in the back (and even in the driver’s seat) would be a doddle. The interior is of a higher quality than most people’s living rooms. Plush headrests, plush carpets and adjustable rear seats make this the best mobile lounge out there. Does anything shout out “I’ve made it in life” more elegantly than the Phantom? I don’t think there is.

My final thoughts

So, was importing the cars all the way from England to South Africa for two weeks’ worth of trying to re-write the rules worth it? Absolutely. Sure, cruising about in utter silence and comfort is what Rolls-Royce is best at, but they are capable of so much more. We need more Rolls owners to push the boundaries of their cars, have a little play with them and not simply sit in the back and tell Jeeves where to go. If anything, the whole experience showed me that a Roller can be enjoyed in the driver’s seat as much as in the rear ones.

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Comments (3)

  • I desperately want to take a Cullinan off-road.

      2 years ago
3