Real horse power

GulfWeekly's sales manager Susan Tealby stepped out of her hired jalopy and into the lap of luxury as she joined the Euro Motors' Rolls-Royce Motor Cars 'Charisma Tour'. It was a tough assignment but someone had to do it ... driving three rollers around Bahrain in one day

AS I am only small, a mere 5ft 1inches tall, I had to push quite a lot of buttons to adjust my seat after I stepped into the fabulous Phantom Drophead CoupŽ, the first of my charismatic Rolls-Royce dream machines.

Fortunately the extremely knowledgeable Philippe Leclercq, Euro Motor's marketing manager, was close at hand to ensure I was set for my tour travelling in a style I'm sure I could get well accustomed to, if given half the chance.

Once I started moving, I soon realised that this was driving heaven, the steering light but firm, the car so powerful that I was able to outrun an articulated lorry trying to cut me up at the Sitra roundabout.

The Phantom Drophead CoupŽ has a 6.75-litre V12 engine. One of my three male passengers admitted afterwards that he was slightly nervous at first, but told me he did not need to have been worried because I was actually a 'very good' driver.

I may be a slightly-built female but I know my way around four wheels. I am proud to be able to say that I have driven cars (and trucks) all over the world, some of them much larger that this Rolls Royce ... although none of them as easy to manoeuvre or as enjoyable to drive.

The steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedals are aligned with the exact centre of the driver's seat for maximum driveability.

The gear change was also incredibly user friendly, being attached to the steering column, so you do not even have to look down to move from neutral, reverse or drive. Even leaving it in parking mode was a pleasure; you simply pressed a button on the dashboard and the job is done.

The interior of this car was also exceptional, everything was flawlessly presented and sitting behind the wheel was a total driving experience.

And, the experience had only just started.

The next car I jumped into was the Ghost, a 6.6-litre V12 engine, slightly smaller than the Phantom, but fantastic to drive, graceful and smooth with a seemingly endless surge of power.

We found an empty stretch of highway and I was able to put my foot down. At the flick of a switch, the 'head-up display' meant that you didn't have to take your attention off of the road as driving-related information, such as speed and directions, were projected directly on to the windscreen in front of you.

This proved to be an important asset because you feel as if you are travelling at 20ks when in reality you are hammering along the road hitting 80!

The Ghost will effortlessly propel you from 0 to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds.

Motoring enthusiasts have described this model as a 'driver's car' because it handles beautifully, the acceleration is phenomenal and you barely notice going over bumps in the road ... a very smooth ride indeed.

To all you ladies out there, I felt that the Ghost was the ultimate drive and would look particularly good in the school car park or outside Alosra. This car is more compact than the Phantom, it was easy to drive and held the road beautifully.

My triple treat ended with the Phantom CoupŽ, which had the same specifications as the dynamic Drophead.

This car reminded me of the last time I was driven in a Rolls Royce in my home town of York. In the past I was always the passenger, never the driver.

Every year I used to go to York Races - Ebor Week. We called it the Ascot of the North.

I used to cruise around York in a metallic-blue Rolls Royce, going to the after-race dinner parties, then on to Ziggy's night club .

I am sure a number of readers will have seen the recent play at the British Club entitled 'Ladies Day', which was all about a trip to York Races. We used to get dressed up too, wear big hats and generally have a good time. We'd pay extra to get into the County Stand, where you could spend your time in between races 'people watching' and spotting the celebrities.

Just out of interest to all you historians out there, 'Ebor' stands for the old Roman name of York, Eboracum which means Yew Tree as York was once covered in Yew trees in Roman times. The word York comes from the Viking 'Yorvik' as we were invaded by Vikings after the Romans had invaded us. We were also sacked by Robert the Bruce! History lesson over.

The full day event enabled me to explore each of the models distinct character and driving dynamics. The drive event started at the Euro Motors showroom in Sitra, stopping at the Royal Golf Club during the course of the day.

Zayed R. Alzayani, managing director of Euro Motors, hoped the Charisma Tour would provide his guests with an exclusive opportunity to experience the world's 'pinnacle luxury, automotive brand' first-hand.

It did not fail to deliver.

In the duration between January and October 2010, Rolls-Royce sales in Bahrain increased by 138 per cent in comparison to the same period in 2009, a testament to Euro Motors' strong performance.

It was an amazing opportunity to experience three outstanding automobiles that in my opinion epitomise the modernity, styling and technological sophistication of the 21st Century Rolls-Royce.

As for price, it's clear to say it depends on the specification of the chosen model commissioned. Whatever, the journey will be priceless.

For further details, contact Euro Motors on 17750750, or visit the Sitra showroom.