After the usual huge iceberg called Rolls-Royce, after the swing door, parading all unashamedly luxurious inside the car, after sailing ships with a lovely Eleanor as a figurehead figures strange and surprising to see a two-door coupe, created not for passengers impressively sprawling on the back seat, and sharpened by the driver with the skills race driver seated at the wheel of a small «Rolls-Royce» ever.
In a sense we can say that the creators of this car came in the wake of modern owner who, becoming younger and more active, and wished to drive from behind the wheel bored for many years in a chauffeur's cap to drive the car himself. In some — but not anymore, because in fact the ideology of the «Rolls» there are still many decades ago, when in 1938 entered the market two-door Rolls-Royce Wraith. He, however, immediately had grown four-door version of «limousine», but as the coupe has existed for a long time, has appeared in several versions, including the famous post-war body Silver. However, there is also the Phantom Coupe, but now it's about him.
Wraith — not just a spirit or a ghost in the gothic culture, this is the spirit, which is of death or immediately after it. I would like to think that such an interpretation seeks to emphasize «incorporeity» of the most luxurious car brands in the world, which has been more than a hundred years, it stands apart from all the other automakers, and possession of «Rolls Royce» can be considered the pinnacle of material wealth and material success crown.
I trembled, sitting behind the wheel of this car? Absolutely. The first desire was to take the door handle using a cambric handkerchief, so as not to stain the brilliant and sparkling surface. But in the absence thereof, I wiped her fingers on the safe side of himself and opened the door.
Yes, it's a real «Rolls-Royce», and he opened the door as it should be — back. Behind this technology is a long story, with its motives and complications, and in fact in the XIX century the door only on the crew and were arranged: plowed rear hinges for the convenience of passengers. In the «Rolls Royce» is done more for the convenience of the driver — it's easier and faster to open the door of his passenger, without leaving behind the wheel of the car and the compartment it is just a tribute to the principles.
At one time, such doors are called suicidal, they were even prohibited — the probability of opening a door for the speed of air flow was very high, the engineers had to invent a mechanism to prove its reliability. In general, this classic coach-door, they know what our great-great-grandmother in crinolines and the great-great-grandfather in military uniforms with gold braid.
Incredibly uncomfortable it would be to sit behind the wheel is the «spirit», and then squirm in his seat in vain vain attempts to reach the handle to close the door. Understanding that such a car so can not be arranged — because here everything for VIPs, which is for including the driver — made me think, and then I remembered that once, when something in another life, I skated on the «Rolls Royce», and I know that there is a special button for the occasion. And — voila! — Really left of the driver on the dashboard buttons are located close doors.
He moves off incredibly smoothly, in spite of all his impetuous and powerful V12 to 632 horsepower. However, it all depends on the degree of pressing the gas pedal — if you want the full power of the engine compartment can move this boulder from a place with such a dynamic that is even slightly dark in the eyes and the body evenly and not weak in the seat presses! Oh.
Rolls Royce Wraith accelerates to 100 km / h in 4.6 seconds, but his speedometer is electronic bridle. More than 250 km / h it will not allow you to accelerate.
Heavy and powerful, great and imposing sight, two-door coupe — my passion. A coupe with a V12 under the hood of a silver — the same passion, but I'm afraid that a pipe. However, the price of a new Wraith in Russia is just 20 million. That is, it is 5 million rubles cheaper new Ferarri 488 GTB. «Rolls-Royce». CHEAPER.
But I do not know. There are some things in life are not for everyone. It's like immortality. Like flying in space. As the Nobel Prize. Or be born in Monaco. And Rolls-Royce. Sometimes it is missing the fact that you went on it and did it consciously. I do not know what this would be like, but it seems that you climbed the highest mountain in the world. That is, in the automotive world is probably the extreme limit, beyond which there is nothing else. And when you realize this car, you seem to know the whole world, and then everything else takes its real extent. And it does not occur at the level of knowledge of the technical characteristics of the car, or tactile sensations of materials in the cabin, not at the level of knowledge, and at the cellular level by the sixth or seventh sense by the spirit.
I noticed that, as a rule, near the «Rolls Royce» little people become silent. It seems like a museum. More directly still reach for smart phones to take a picture. Just because he's handsome. Even huge «suitcase» Phantom, even on the basis of the extended still handsome sharkskin their beauty, but what can we say about a relatively small coupe Wraith!
He moves slowly, slowly, but it's quiet and powerful movement of a trained body. Its traditional wide-angle muzzle he holey space, like an athlete who breaks through the wall of shoulders to continue their journey. This should be followed by a narrow torso and fried food, with a sloping roof, as if the entire body of the ejector forward. Another tribute to the modernity of steel frameless glass at the door, which add lightness appearance. It is elegant and surprisingly proportional.
For some reason we expect from such large vehicles clumsiness and awkwardness. But no. Whether it's, say, Chrysler 300C, obviously once painted with the claim for Rolls-Royce, it would be natural and understandable. But this car, even in its most grandiose in size guises surprisingly collected and fry in motion. And it is unclear as having been at one time on the track autodrome Moscow Raceway Ghost II struck me as the accuracy of their reactions, and suddenly a clear trajectory when cornering. Of course, it can not be compared with the super sports car, but a lump he miraculously agile.
The same applies to the Wraith — or «Flight» — if you utter his name with a Russian accent. Deciding to deploy it on a two-lane road, I was struck by the fact that it is impossible to make a single movement — and not have to «tyrkat» it back and forth to fit into the limited travel.
In addition, Wraith installed Satellite Aided Transmission, using satellite navigation data to predict the expected terrain and the type of track. She moved here from the Audi A8 and is used to select the characteristics of the early movement. So on a rough road in the vehicle self-perception has not changed.
Lever on the steering column to the right, I Enables Drive. 8-speed transmission coupled with depressed gas pedal to the floor gives the car the necessary dynamics, and still, after testing the power wants to go back to a smooth driving mode. Because everything in the car helps to relax, everything is expensive, exquisite, but without pathos nouveau riche. Aristocratic. In addition, with their glasses in the cabin reigns almost complete silence can not hear any sound, even the rustling rubber seems to have disappeared somewhere. We're just sailing.
Lowered glass — and sounds burst into the cabin, and here, in a country golf club «Skolkovo», where I spend recording, the sounds of nature a bit, but they want to listen and absorb. Therefore, I have a multimedia system is switched off, and in fact there found 18 (!) Speakers total power of 1300 watts. You can arrange and disco. In addition, the central part of the console is decorated with a screen size of 10.25 inches, which will provide all the necessary information, and to communicate with the system, you can use voice commands.
Sit yourself, talk to the spirit of the car and relax. The most time to think about life and about themselves. For the «Rolls Royce» you already have. Do I need anything else?
... And yet the «spirit.» He alludes to us that things are not forever? Do not we seek to grasp the pursuit of illusory happiness? But being inside such a vehicle, having a «Rolls Royce» in the garage, and you can think about eternity. For all worldly things you already have...
