CAR REVIEW: ROLLS-ROYCE DAWN
You know those moments that just take your breath away? The ones that stop you dead in your tracks? The ones that make you think, “Wow, I am the luckiest person right now!” One of these moments occurred for me yesterday when I arrived at Delaire Graff wine farm in Stellenbosch for the launch of the new Rolls-Royce Dawn.
I have had so many “bucket list’ moments this year I fear I may start running out. This was certainly a career highlight! Rolls-Royce has always been one of those untouchable brands for me. It is undoubtedly the most luxurious car brand in the world and because it is a brand that doesn’t need to chase numbers and certainly doesn’t need marketing to sell it, it has remained unattainable. And let’s be honest, most of us can not afford one anyway, I certainly can’t.
This new Dawn is “The sexiest Rolls-Royce ever built.” I know many a motoring journalist and/or petrol head that may gasp at what I am about to say, but, well, I don’t care because there may be someone who agrees with me. From pictures of the Rolls-Royce Dawn I was confused by all the praise for its looks. I couldn’t help but think that if it were sporting another badge, say Mazda or Toyota or any manufacturer for that matter, that it wouldn’t look as good. It is amazing what brand image can do. But then, when I saw it in the metal and especially seeing it driving on the road, I was able to appreciate its unique beauty. It may still involve brand image, but I started to understand just how unique a Rolls really is. And this quote from Sir Henry Royce puts it all in to perspective for me, “Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better. When it does not exist, design it. Accept nothing nearly right or good enough.” Doesn’t that just say it all about this brand?!
This is the third convertible by Rolls-Royce in fifty years and many assume it to be a drop top version of the Wraith. But in fact, 80% of the exterior body panels of the new Dawn are newly designed. What it does take from the Wraith is a tuned version of the twin-turbo 6,6-litre V12 engine. What a beast! It produces 420 kW of power and a massive 780 N.m of torque. It may be a big car but this engine shoots the Rolls-Royce Dawn from 0-100 km/h in less than 5 seconds. It is the most effortless drive I have ever experienced. You don’t even realise you are above the speed limit, it feels as if you are gently cruising at around the 60 km/h mark and when you look down at your speedometer you realise you are hovering well over 120 km/h.
It is also the smoothest and quietest ride I have ever come across. It’s as if you are driving a luxury yacht on the a still dam. You do not feel any road imperfections and it’s as if the car is riding on air, you don’t hear a peep of tyre noise. Even with the roof down, the only thing you hear is the wind in your hair.
Speaking of the roof, Rolls-Royce Dawn engineers wanted to develop something no other manufacturer has been able to achieve, they wanted this to be two cars in one. So it looks good with the top both up and down. They even coined a phrase for what they wanted to achieve with the roof mechanism; The Silent Ballet. It opens and closes in 22 seconds at speeds of up to 50 km/h.
I can not even describe the comfort of the seats. It is something you have to experience in real life. I want my bed made out of these seats and I want my bedroom carpet to have the same feel as the flooring of the Dawn. Everything is soft to the touch, it’s not often you get to experience luxury of this level!
This magic carpet ride experience was one I shall never forget. At a cost of between R10 million and R11 million it certainly isn’t the car one could recommend, unless you are looking within that budget range. It’s an experience! It’s a car that is in a class of its own. It doesn’t need to be reviewed, it merely needs to be showcased. And if you will just bear with me as I say, “This was the Rolls-Royce moment of my career, the Rolls-Royce of launches and the Rolls-Royce of all experiences!” If you get my drift…