Quote:
Originally Posted by 360beast
As you know Alan I've worked and driven RR & Bentley's from the 1920's to the Bentayga in 2019.
They are quite literally the most boring cars I've ever driven, completely lifeless steering with no feedback, slow as sin until the turbo R. The fast ones like the Continental GT and Bentayga etc I couldn't find a nice driving position and have very limited visibility, they're very quick but it's delivered in yet another lifeless way that doesn't engage you in any way, there's no flare to it and the ride is crashy. Air suspension struts were becoming a common failure point when I left.
The arnage is the only car that's ever made me feel car sick WHILE DRIVING!!! The 70's onwards "wood" trim is just a veneer over plywood, they are incredibly thirsty, brakes can be interesting, especially those on the silver clouds/S type as they have a mechanical servo that doesn't assist very well at low speeds, nearly every single cloud or S type that came in needed brake work of some description.
If you want a car that's cheap and will be sold on after a year or so then I would recommend a Turbo R because atleast it's got some oomph behind it and steers okay. I would avoid the BMW/VAG cars as they're cheap junk and very expensive to maintain, even a basic service will set you back some serious dosh. You're probably going to end up spending on the hydraulic system in some way during ownership.
The silver clouds and S types are vile, I absolutely hated road testing them as I just seemed to constantly be sawing at the wheel trying to keep it straight, some had no seatbelts and those that do it's a lap belt so I didn't feel safe. They're just not a nice driving experience at all and I drove at least two a week so it's not just a couple of bad examples. I drove a Chinese eye S type that I was asked to road test, the customer didn't say the brakes were shot though so I went flying out at a T junction with the handbrake on and me stamping on the brakes as hard as I could, thankfully nobody was coming.
The only ones I genuinely enjoyed driving were the Bentley Derbys and the 1940's Wraith, both are manual gearboxes. Derbys are great fun as they are quite peppy motors. The pedals are very close together though so I had to drive them with no shoes on, might be a squeeze for you as I'm 6ft and you're taller than me.
Anyway just the late night ramblings with probably no structure at all of a very tired man with a beard  |
Whilst I agree with most of what is written, I cannot agree that S/Silver Clouds are vile. One man's meat is another's poison and all that, but I absolutely enjoyed my 33 years of Cloud ownership, both driving and maintaining it.
Rolls - Royce have never set out to make a driver's car, they are to be seen in and everything is designed around the passenger's comfort. the post war cars in particular were designed primarily for the american market - effortless freeway cruisers.
The braking system on the S/Clouds is a little unusual. They still used the mechanical servo fitted to all Rolls and Bentleys from 1907, this was driven from the gearbox and was only effective if the rear wheels were turning. Without the rear wheels turning there is no braking force on the front wheels. At mot time the brakes had to be tested by a Tapley Meter as it is impossible with a conventional brake tester. It can cause some amusement in tight spaces and manoeuvring at slow speeds as there is lag in the servo - effectively giving little braking effort.
Steering is designed to be vague - Rolls-Royce claimed it was to ensure that if the driver sneezed or made some other violent movement the car would continue in a straight line and not veer uncontrollably. When I first bought the Cloud I would fight to keep it on the straight and narrow, tightly gripping the wheel to the point of having white knuckles. I soon realised it was better to relax and let the car go where it wanted, just keeping a hold of the wheel sufficient to guide it in the general direction of where we wanted to go. It was also best to join the middle lane owners club as tramlining on the inside lane could be quite tiring on a long journey - even in relaxed mode.
The vast majority of S/Clouds didn't have seatbelts. Mine was factory fitted with 3 point static belts made by the Irvin Parachute Company and unusually also had 3 point rear belts.
All in all there is no better experience than having the view of the road framed in finest walnut whilst aiming the Spirit of Ecstasy - like a gun sight six feet in front of you - and purring along on superbly soft leather seats.
Incidentally, I do not suffer from travel sickness, but cannot ride in the back of a Shadow without feeling queasy, the ride is just too soft.