The Finest Dawn
What relevance does a Rolls-Royce have to the average Singaporean I asked myself... Perhaps none, perhaps a lot. As Singaporeans, we love our hawker food, always understated, but so full of flavour and character. Ever seen a queue outside a popular food stall, when someone walks off with a bowl of wholesome goodness, we turn to look, knowing that there is something good in there. How could something this understated and simple be this good?
The double layered fabric roof opens and closes in perfect silence, in just 22 seconds, and can operate at speeds of up to 50km/h.
Drive with the roof up, and find that external road noises do not penetrate into the cabin, something we are not used to, when driving with a convertible.
Included with the Dawn is a 12-speaker sound system, delivering optimum sound to all occupants, as an option, you could opt for the Bespoke 16-speaker setup, which includes with two sub-woofers in the boot… Now where did those more expensive remastered CDs of mine go.
Push on the start button, and hear the starter motor crank up the 12 cylinders, and that is really it, you can hardly hear that gem of a twin-turbocharged 6.6 litre V12 engine.
With a grand 563bhp, and maximum torque of 780Nm from just 1,500rpm, delivery is effortless, and even below its peak 1,500rpm, there is easily enough torque to move the Roller in start-stop situations without the V12 ever showing signs of a struggle, with unspooled turbocharges.
Mated to an 8-speed ZF transmission, the unit is actually satellite-aided, utilising GPS data to plot your gearshift patterns way ahead of the journey, based on the driving style of the driver.
While gearshifts are seamless, it is the way that the engine delivers its monster torque, in such large amounts from so low down, that engineers had never considered placing shift paddles behind the steering wheel, as it would almost not matter which gear the transmission would be in initially when giving it the beans.
For those in need for quicker response, “Sports” mode, in Rolls-Royce’s understated style comes in the form of a “Low” mode button on the shifter stalk located on the steering column…. And that simply is it! Plunge your foot down on the throttle, and feel your back and behind slip further into soft Bavarian leather, while the Roller leaps to life, being able to hit 100km/h in just 5.1 seconds.
Even with the suspension lowered, the Dawn never displays a harsh ride, instead, the car still chooses to waft over just about anything the winding roads may throw at it. Take it through a series of tight corners, and you’d be mildly reminded that the Dawn is after all a cruiser, and not a sports car, with the front end ploughing in ever so slightly, before all two and a half tonnes of Rolls-Royce majestically takes the turn with ease. Steering feel is excellent, even with the added leverage from that larger than life steering wheel.
It is after all a treat for the eyes, the exterior styling does not shout, but rather it whispers its greatness which defines the Dawn. Simple, yet elegant, and on the inside, every inch of a bespoke interior can speak volumes about the owner.
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