Any serious advice on driving a RR

singist

singist

singist

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In a couple of days I get to drive (1 day trial) a Rolls-Royce Phantom belonging to a young business man (26) who is looking to hire a full time driver; the problem is that I've never driven one.

I've been driving for over thirty years and hold a clean license but don't want to appear to be a total novice (even though I am with RR): I was going to try to ring a local dealer and explain my situation to to see if they might let me sit in one and 'play' but can't find one in the Leeds area so it's to the interweb!!!

I hope to get a little while to acclimatise myself before driving him around but any tips or hints from anyone who knows anything about RR Phantoms whould be appreciated.

I gather that the driver's seat adjustment is made from within the centre console but I'm used to manual seats so advice please on what buttons change what etc.

They also use a version of the iDrive that BMWs have so advice on that too please.

Basically, I'd really like to get the job so I need to create a good impression and not look a total ****. The guy is easy going, I'm told by his PA and I'm sure he will not expect me to be an experienced RR driver but any help would be gratefully received.
 
obligatory "they are large" post, but it sounds like you are more asking for information on its gadgets than actually driving one, i imagine not many people can help on this one! :o
 
RiPz said:
obligatory "they are large" post, but it sounds like you are more asking for information on its gadgets than actually driving one, i imagine not many people can help on this one! :o
Click to expand...

Yeah, aiming it shouldn't be too bad. :D
 
excellent sounding job fella :D

cant help on advice other than be polite, have a clue how to use the sav nav via idrive and thats about it :D
 
plenty of pics on google of the interior / driving cabin etc. i know it's not great and you've probably already scoured them, but worth posting anyway..?
 
I'd pop over to PistonHeads to see if anyone there can help. I'm sure someone will be able to provide you with some information about the RR, as theres probably more people there who have driven one or even own one.
 
If you're going for a driving job like that, the key word is smooth. no harsh acceleration, braking or cornering, the sort of person who pays someone else to drive a rolls for them really doesn't appreciate it :)
 
Dolph said:
If you're going for a driving job like that, the key word is smooth. no harsh acceleration, braking or cornering, the sort of person who pays someone else to drive a rolls for them really doesn't appreciate it :)
Click to expand...

^ This, the car is designed to be eleqent and subline as possible, you must make pace but not make the passenger feel rushed, the V12 and autbox has be design German styel to help this.

And yes, make an account on PistonHeads and post in http://pistonheads.com/gassing/forum.asp?h=0&f=23
 
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I would go upmost smart and only speak when spoken too.

If he is so busy he cannot drive himself I imagine he uses the time in the car to work/place phone calls.

Best of luck getting the job.
 
Yup get on Pistonheads. One of the guys on SXOC who works in the RR factory took a Phantom down to Le Mans last year. I think he told his boss he was off to Le Mans so they lent him a press car or one of their test mules....

Best of luck, sounds like an interesting job.
 
Got a little info from Pistonheads, ta.

I rang RR cars HQ and asked if there was a way to download the handbook and the very nice man emailed me a quickstart guide and some other stuff which was just what I needed.

Just need to get the itinerary from his PA now (sneaky) and try to work things out so that all runs smoothly.

He no longer drives because he's banned; he has a porsche too so maybe he's a bit heavy with the right foot. Anyway, I look forward to an interesting day and hope not to bend his Phantom. ;)

fingers crossed.
 
Isn't there a RR dealer in Harrogate? iirc there's a Bentley dealership and a Lambourghini (probably wrong though...) so may well be a Rolls dealership, or the Bentley may have a Rolls in stock.

If not there will shirley be a few 'prestige' dealers with RRs that may let you have a sit in them and poke around

Hell of a job though I must admit, was chatting to a guy in Calais after the Monaco Grand Prix who had driven one back and it was incredible looking! Put me well and truly to shame in my diesel leon! (not to mention the SLR, DB9's, Bentley's, Murci's, 911's which were in convoy with him...)
 
OK, done my trial and he wants me back for Sat' so couldn't have been that bad!

It's a different world, I tell thee! ....... talk about class! ..... I only knew that it had fired up when I saw a couple of guages move!!!

Managed not to bend it and only took a couple of wrong turns (no time to prog' the iDrive piece of ****) so all went reasonably well.

Thanks for your help gents, I may have got the job!! ...... we'll see how it goes.
 
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