Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph is coming

By Russell Williamson

GENEVA: The launch of the new Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph was one of the most eagerly awaited of the Geneva show.

The first new Rolls-Royce for 18 years, and only the ninth all-new vehicle in the company's 92-year history, it was an event that had the world's assembled motoring media vying for viewing space on the oversized stand.

At precisely 1 p.m. the taped sounds of Big Ben sounded through the Palexpo halls calling all to attention.

An adaptation of Let the Bright Seraphim, from the oratorio Samson by Handel, performed by members of the Royal College of Music heralded further activity before being joined by the voice of soprano Joanne Lunn.

The angelic figure of Deborah Bull, principle dancer with The Royal Ballet, London, hovered and weaved about the covered car in a piece choreographed by Ashley Page, also of the Royal Ballet, invoking the essence of the Seraph.

The Seraph, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is "a celestial being of the highest order, associated especially with light, ardor and purity".

As the musicians moved into an abridged adaptation of Copeland's Fanfare to the Common Man the purple velvet covering slid slowly off the silver car.

The music reached a crescendo, the car rose and swirled on its platform high above the awe-struck crowd before settling down in a blaze of lights and music.

With barely a word spoken, the event was over and the world had a new Rolls-Royce car to dream about.

Did someone mention a car?

For the record, the new Silver Seraph uses a BMW-supplied 5.4- liter V12 engine that generates 240kW at 5000rpm and peak torque of 490Nm at 3900rpm.

Drive to the rear is via a five-speed automatic transmission and the steel monocoque body sits on double wishbone suspension front and rear.

Equipment levels are about as good as they get.

The new car is almost the same size as the Silver Spur, the car it replaces.

Not surprisingly, the styling bears all the Rolls-Royce hallmarks, both inside and out.

The interior is wood and Connolly leather.

Rolls even invested millions into new machines that enable workers to curve the wood veneers it uses on the dash.

Some carmakers have been doing this for years with plastic "wood" but now it's possible with the real thing.

In true Rolls fashion, owners of these cars rarely traveled in the front.

It was accepted that the best way to travel in a Rolls-Royce was as a passenger in the back.

Those brash enough to want a "driving experience" bought a Bentley.

Now, however, that is no longer true, for according to Rolls- Royce, the Silver Seraph is a car that a driver can enjoy.

The new body is built to the same high standards that Rolls used to apply to its engines, so it has a solidity that brings the best out of the all-new suspension.

Antilock brakes on large ventilated discs and Automatic Stability Control help keep the 2.3 ton, 5.4m vehicle on track via 16-inch alloys wrapped with 235/65 whitewall tires.