Rolls-Royce test drive
$ 118 cones, disappeared snow, prankster instructor, ram train and other stories about how we tried to skid the car for $ 870
"Press from the heart, do what you want!" - shouts the instructor, who an hour ago drove journalists in a group at a speed of no more than 60 km / h. Now we are left alone, and he seems tired of being too cautious on the serpentines of the Slovak mountain resort of Strebske Pleso. “You Russians are good at driving on ice, so don't be shy. Have you ever had a rear-wheel drive Lada? ”- either jokingly, or seriously, he clarifies. There was, but the cost of an error was then measured in figures of a completely different order.
I am driving a Rolls-Royce Ghost that costs at least $ 388. with a motor with a power of almost 344 hp and rear-wheel drive on a completely icy road. The V600 engine has such a thrust shaft that the rear wheels easily slip into slippage even on dry asphalt, and one can only guess how this colossus would drive on ice without the help of the stability control system. But from the inside, everything looks very decent.
The sedan gently pulls away from second gear and accelerates very gently, it seems completely oblivious to the force of pressure on the accelerator. We are almost not talking about the inclinations of the stern to the side, the electronics instantly suppresses any vibrations and gently, but persistently makes the car go strictly in a straight line so confidently, as if there is still some cunning additional drive. Although physics cannot be fooled, and when starting up a hill, the sedan has a hard time - the speed grows barely, and the catching up crossover increases more and more persistently in the rear-view mirror.
The solidity and grandeur with which the Ghost is gaining momentum in such conditions instills respect even in those around him. A gentleman does everything sedately and politely, and there is no place for fussy maneuvers in this world. But the real world is brought back by the whistle of the train, which jumps out from behind a turn on a modest narrow-gauge railway and crosses the road. Hit the brakes, the Ghost barely crouches on the front end, somewhere far ahead, the ABS crackles, and the car stops softly but firmly a meter before the passing train.
“The train runs here about five times a day,” the instructor calmly comments. "And this is the first time I see him this close." Thin. Having missed the train, the sedan passes the rails as if they were not there.
On the empty airfield of a small airfield in the city of Poprad, cones are placed: a snake, a high-speed turn of almost 90 degrees, a rearrangement and a straight line for testing the maximum speed. More precisely, three kilometers of runway asphalt. A couple of days ago there was snow here, but today it will do without drifting - the weather, it seems, does not want an expensive limousine to be used for other purposes. The same cannot be said about the organizers, who just wanted to prove that Rolls-Royce is quite suitable for winter use.
Four-wheel drive for the British is a matter of ideology. For many years it was believed that Rolls-Royce cars were good clean with a classic layout and did not require a more sophisticated drivetrain. But the mega-crossover of the brand is already on the way, the power is growing, and the British will come to all-wheel drive one way or another. In the meantime, they offer to seriously try what is - in winter, they say, neither snow nor speed should be a problem.
The snake on the Wraith coupe - the essence of the same five-meter Ghost in a more stylish design - the instructor suggests to go at a speed of 40 km / h, immediately hinting that it is possible faster. Indeed, it is possible if the hands are able to quickly turn the huge steering wheel, and the eyes feel the dimensions well. The main thing, like with any other car, is to look where you want to go, and not to hypnotize a distant figure on the hood with your eyes. We already know about tenacious brakes that can stop a car weighing 2,5 tons in a couple of meters.
Turning at a speed of 90 km / h Wraith passes like a normal passenger car, adjusted for weight and the delicacy of the stabilization system - somewhere below the brakes can crunch briefly, but the trajectory will remain unchanged. And the shift at 120 km / h seems to be something from the category of fantasy: a short hit on the brake, entering the corridor, stabilization by the steering wheel, and you can continue acceleration in a straight line.
“Each Rolls-Royce cone costs one hundred thousand euros, because the driver of this car cannot have the right to make a mistake,” the instructor jokes again. In just 15 minutes, he will ask to drive and depict a spectacular "penny" on the asphalt - just as easily and naturally.
The short-wheelbase Ghost sedan is not much different from the Wraith coupe in terms of technique and dimensions, and performs the proposed exercises with the same ease. The differences are that psychologically it is more difficult to throw this colossus between the cones and perform a high-speed rearrangement, and landing in the driver's seat is far from sporty. It is also impossible to make the habits of the car more driver-like - there is no mode switch here, the electronic assistants are not turned off, and instead of the sports algorithm of the box, there is only the Low position, which makes the power unit only slightly more responsive.
The long wheelbase Ghost is even more challenging as it is heavier and has an infinitely long stern. The speed of maneuvers decreases, but in this case everything is very decent. Especially the stability, thrust and comfort with which the Ghost picks up top speed. To accelerate to 260 km / h, the sedan needs about half of the runway, but if the plane starts to lift off the ground at this speed, then Rolls-Royce, on the contrary, clings to the asphalt with all four. The perfection of aerodynamics is best evidenced by the comparative silence with which the same car rushes past an onlooker at maximum speed - Rolls-Royce remains extremely comfortable not only for the passengers inside.
There is no specific answer to the question of who may need all this in reality. The winter workshop on Rolls-Royce cars is akin to training for Range Rover owners who will never find themselves in the conditions offered to them at the equipped proving grounds. The buyer should know that he paid a ton of money for more than just the best leather, 600 hp. and the famous nameplate. This is a corporate party for their own people, which helps to get to know each other better and strengthen the relationship. Rolls-Royce can drive quickly, safely and even in winter. If, of course, anyone needs it at all.
