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Every so often, this job allows me the opportunity to take part in an once-in-a-lifetime experience, and this past weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit was one of those occasions.
As a youngster, I used to dream of actually seeing a Rolls Royce in the flesh, never mind actually driving one. Fast-forward to adulthood, and I found myself behind the bespoke wheel of not one, but two of these beauties.
The British luxury marque was holding a special event at the BIC to celebrate the launch of the Black Badge range, a makeover for the Ghost and Wraith which aims to give the models an edgier look to appeal to the younger demographic.
The sleek, dark beasts feature a more powerful engine and aggressive transmission, but it’s the foreboding, brooding exterior which is the real attraction here. We all secretly like the bad type, right?
Stepping into the car for the first time left me breathless. Settling into the driver’s seat and feeling the perfect leather stitching convulse in massage mode, I examined the old-fashioned dials and finishing on the dashboard.
What isn’t antique though is the carbon fibre panelling, stitched with aluminium to be lightweight yet classy. Neither is the amazing ceiling, punctuated by tiny fibre optic bulbs to simulate the night sky in a variety of constellations.
Anyway, enough about the car and more about the driving!
Despite going to the BIC more times than I can count and watching various events, I’d never had the chance to drive round the circuit. Sure, I’ve done thousands of laps on the Formula One video game, but never in real life. This was finally my chance!
After an agonising wait while the instructors went through safety rules and regulations, I eventually got to slip the baby into drive and hear the soft purr of the engine as it rolled down the pit lane.
Unfortunately, as each of these cars would take me about 300 working years to pay for one, we weren’t allowed to drive freely and had to follow in a spaced-out train behind a pace car.
Still, over a period of five laps in the Ghost, we gradually sped up and the purr became a roar as we opened the throttle and really put the vehicle to work.
Down the main straight, the sharp braking to Turn One followed by the chicane … onto the back straight and then the sweeping corners of the track’s final section … I’d been here before in my dreams, but this time it was actually happening.
Considering the bulk and weight of the car, it should really handle like a whale, but its smoothness was ridiculous. The car responded to every steer with glue-like traction, and the throttle picked up instantly. When it came to braking, a sharp press slowed the car rapidly but without the screeching or even rumble of an average road car.
For the second half of the session, I got to hop into the two-door Wraith, which was an even better experience. Slightly faster out of the blocks and with more of a guttural growl, this is about as sporty as it gets with a Roller.
Unfortunately, I time under the bright lights was running on and I only got three laps with it, but I can comfortably say this was one of the most exhilarating experiences behind the wheel of any vehicle.
It’s not only how its makers can fit so much luxury into one cabin that is so staggering, but how smooth the ride is. It barely feels like you’re driving at all, but rather gliding without vibration or bumps along the way, but still with the G-Forces that make driving it around a track so thrilling.
One day, I keep telling myself … one day!
Editor’s note: Keep dreamin’ Kristian. For more information about Rolls-Royce, contact Euro Motors on 17750750.
