Rolls that will definitely get you to the church on time!

along in this car you really feel like someone special and, unlike RollsRoyces of the past, this one is all about the person at the wheel. The company are successfully targeting younger owners with cars like the Dawn Black Badge, which is much more a driver’s car with all that performance.

The brakes are also new and an inch bigger in diameter than the regular Dawn’s, the steering has been ‘quickened and engineered for more feedback’ and there’s an entirely new exhaust that emits a ‘menacing’ bass baritone when required.

We pressed the Dawn into service for a more traditional role, with the car ferrying a delighted bride and groom in style and at speed from the church in perfect drop top sunshine recently, where it was a big hit with younger members of the congregation reflecting the changes Rolls-Royce have made to its image with cars like this.

There is still the craftsmanship and fine details - like the ‘art deco’ instruments, retracting ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ bonnet mascot and retro air vent controls (still the same as my old 1973 Roller) but brought bang up to date with the latest infotainment, safety and car monitoring systems and design features such as vibrant orange inserts in the interior with new aluminium-threaded carbon composite trim, those eyecatching ‘carbon alloy’ 21-inch wheels and the famous lady on the bonnet - now in deep polished black chrome to match the exhaust tips, grille, and boot trim.

A heads-up display and all around camera system are on the standard kit list, which is way to long to include here, but one feature of note is the ‘power meter’. This sits where a revcounter would be in lesser cars and shows the remaining available power as you drive along - very cool.

Colleagues have given me some stick over this car claiming only millionaires and lottery winners will be interested, but the fact that our nearest dealer in Cheshire is amongst the top ten in the world for sales and the fact that RollsRoyce has just announced 200 new jobs at its head office and manufacturing plant in Goodwood, West Sussex (bringing the total workforce to over 2,000 for the first time), shows the demand for such super-luxury vehicles is growing.

Rolls-Royce also recently announced strong half year sales, up 13 per cent compared to the same period in 2017, and it expects high demand for Black Badge variants of its Dawn, Ghost and Wraith models. They also report a ‘strong order book’ for the new Cullinan unveiled in May. First customer deliveries of the first ever all-terrain Rolls-Royce are due in the first quarter of 2019.

So after a few days of total luxury it was back to the real world when the Dawn had to be handed back. Better make sure I do the lottery this week!

More information at www.rollsroyce.co.uk