Sense of occasion

Alan Judd

Wednesday, 24th September 2008

The first Rolls-Royce I drove was a 1960s Shadow, across the Cairngorms on the glorious A939 to Tomintoul.

In the back there is business-class leg-room and, behind those wide C pillars, first-class privacy. If I sat absolutely upright in the raised but non-adjustable rear seat my hair just brushed the roof (it doesn’t in a Volvo S80), yet relaxation soon comes in a car like this. A button to operate the rear doors spares passengers ungainly stretching.

The drive is an enduring sense of occasion. You expect quietness (though aircon is audible), smoothness (despite 21-inch wheels) and seamless changes from the six-speed auto, and naturally you expect effortless power from the 6.75 V12, but nothing quite prepares you for the combination of light, precise handling at all speeds, impeccable road manners and serious performance. Doubtless the 50–50 weight distribution, space-frame aluminium chassis and composite panels have a lot to do with this, but every aspect of the car feels well-engineered, from the substantial bonnet catch to the 15-speaker Lexicon audio system. In response to customer demand, gear selection is no-nonsense reverse-neutral-drive-park. The only niggle was windscreen reflections of the console.

Cost? £313,500 upwards, so if you need to ask you can’t afford it. Mpg? Don’t be silly. The point about this car is that, before driving one, I couldn’t make up my mind about it. Now I can. It’s the best Rolls-Royce since the Silver Cloud and I want one.