Rolls-Royce Can't Control The Sun And Moon, But Perhaps It Doesn't Matter
Rolls-Royce can do an awful lot. If you throw enough money at it, you can have a ridiculously lavish bespoke car built from scratch. The Goodwood-based company can also take a vehicle that weighs around 6,600 lbs and give it enough oomph to go from 0-60 in 4.4 seconds. All while maintaining a level of comfort and luxury you'd expect in a limousine. But the legacy British automaker can't do absolutely everything.
Given that the 2024 Eclipse was a close to once-in-a-lifetime thing in North America, and Rolls does have an eclipse-themed Black Badge version of the ghost, the company had the idea to fly a bunch of people out to Canada–the Niagara region to be exact–where they would hopefully get a good glimpse of the eclipse from a spot on the path of totality. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter who or what you are, nature doesn't really care. The sun, moon, and clouds are going to do their thing either way.
But there was a little unexpected magic around the whole event, and that was echoed in the drive back to the hotel when things went a bit wrong again.
Even Rolls Royce can't engineer the weather
As with several other spots on the path of totality, the weather was a bit of a gamble in Southern Ontario. When we set off that morning, the chances of it being moderately cloudy instead of totally overcast were around 50/50.
During the scenic drive down, there was a hope that the clouds would thin, shift, or at least part enough to give us a glimpse of what was happening above them. Unfortunately, despite an astrologer's best efforts to explain what was going on, there wasn't a ton to see directly above us.
The two cars on display, a Rolls Royce Ghost and its electric Spectre sibling did look pretty good against the brooding gray skies — but there is the feeling that they'd have looked a lot better with a once-in-every-few-centuries celestial event taking place just behind them. It's close to 400 years before this particular part of the world will see another total eclipse, and with any luck it won't be too cloudy that time around.
It was still a major spectacle
Even though the sun was well hidden behind the moon and clouds, the event was still quite strange and unique. The whole of the "360-degree sunrise" could be seen, with brilliant shades of blue, red, and yellow ringing the horizon.
Things went very dark, and a few birds (or possibly some drones) got incredibly confused. That confusion spread to the humans on the ground, too. It's amazing how much sunlight affects the human body. Your conscious mind knows what's happening, but to your subconscious, it's 3 p.m., then suddenly it's around 10 p.m., and then it's 3 p.m. again. It's an odd feeling, almost akin to a mini jetlag.
After a few minutes, things started to brighten up again. Then we got a small glimpse of the sun with a little of the moon over it amongst the clouds. It wasn't quite what we hoped for, but it still feels like something worth talking about.
There's also the fact other cars are on the road
The eclipse wasn't the only quasi-apocalyptic event that afternoon. On the way back to the hotel we encountered the sort of traffic that makes LA at rush hour look like a sleepy village on a Sunday afternoon. It was like that part of a disaster film where the protagonists ditch the car and make off on foot, because everyone in a major city decided to get out at the same time. It turned a one-hour drive at highway speeds into a three-hour crawl, with the speedo rarely making it into double figures. Worse still, since the gauge was in km/h, we were essentially moving at a walking pace for the bulk of it.
To make matters worse, the sky cleared right up. The Sun was our in force sans moon, almost like it was taunting us. I don't think celestial bodies understand the concept of smugness, but if they do then that big exploding ball of gas was certainly having a chuckle to itself as we idled along. Still, despite the gas-hole up above and the traffic all around, things were surprisingly pleasant inside the luxury EV.
The Spectre is a very pleasant place to be
The Rolls Royce Spectre is a very endearing place to be, even if you are crawling along at five miles per hour. As with Rolls' other vehicles, a lot of effort has gone into the interior. Every surface is clad in leather or some variety of wood. Where there is plastic, it's nicely done, though you need not have plastic at all if you want to throw enough money the automaker's way. The proprietary sound system is also more than enough to keep you entertained. Pop some tunes on, and you can try to mentally transport yourself from the gridlock hell you're currently living through.
If you come to a complete halt, you can crane your head back and enjoy the star-studded header above you. Rolls' fiber optic canopy even has a bit of a party trick in the form of "shooting stars" that randomly beat a path across the car's roof. It's a neat little touch, and little touches are what set vehicles in this class apart.
If relaxation is your goal, then allow me to point you towards the massage seats. Several settings are available, so you can go for a particular part of your back or just have a full-body thumping. Their vigorousness can also be adjusted, so those who like a light rub and those who like a moderate deep tissue job should both be satisfied. There isn't a full-on " hospitalize me" setting like some high-end massage chairs have, but given you're supposed to be driving, that's probably for the best.
The performance is a weird burden
Rolls' luxury electric coupe has some legs on it. Get your foot down with a bit of clear highway ahead of you and you and you'll be pressed back into the seat as the front end lifts and the Spectre takes off like a large, land-based power boat.
In heavy traffic, you're aware of what the car can do but are tauntingly unable to experience it. Even when things break up ahead, you have to be wary as it could slow down again, or someone could decide to switch lanes, and you may end up with a half-million-dollar scrap pile. So, you're compelled to show restraint, not that the car itself is happy with that. It feels like a dog pulling on its leash: It wants to be free, it wants to run. The Spectre may be just as bored as you are.
If it wasn't capable of going 0-60 in 4.4 seconds and hitting a top speed of 155-ish miles per hour, you wouldn't be as bothered. But it can be extremely fun to drive when you get the chance. Not having that chance is a bit of a downer.
The future is looking bright
While driving a Rolls can be fun, having someone else handle that side of things while you get comfy is arguably the best option — especially in heavy traffic. The driver's aids do an okay job,but you do still have to pay attention to the situation at hand. You can't just lie back and watch a movie, or mess around on your phone, or stare longingly out of the window. Chauffeurs do exist, and if you have Rolls Royce money, then you may well also be able to afford a human to drive the thing for you on certain days. However, a more accessible option is on the market.
As with basically every other automotive manufacturer, Rolls Royce is developing a full self-driving system. The 103EX concept alluded to it, and the vehicle was designed to be everything a Rolls Royce could be. Just a very pleasant environment to be in, no matter what the conditions. So with any luck, there'll be a time one day soon where you can press a button and have a nice relaxing nap every time you encounter gridlock. Then you can wake up and enjoy the car at its best once a machine has taken care of the boring part.
You can also see an Eclipse in a Rolls Royce, possibly
Never one to miss a custom opportunity, Rolls-Royce's broader fascination with the eclipse was a nod to the Black Badge Ghost Ekleipsis: a limited edition version of the Ghost sedan with several eclipse-themed features. That includes special paint, orange accents, a unique fascia, and a header that will form into a corona-like sphere for just over seven minutes. That's about as long as a total eclipse will last on Earth, if you're in exactly the right spot at the right time. Hopefully, without any cloud cover.
Statistically, you may be more likely to see a total eclipse in your lifetime than see a Black Badge Ghost Ekleipsis. Only 25 of the vehicles have been made, and they're all privately owned. Still, if you do spot a Ghost with copper-flecked paint, bi-colored seats, and an actual diamond on the dashboard mimicking the diamond ring phase of the eclipse, you'll know what you're looking at. And you can safely stare for as long as you want without risking permanent retinal damage, unless there's a hidden bonus feature Rolls has kept very quiet about.