I admit the title may be a little over the top but it’s not every day you get to ride and drive a Rolls-Royce. Two models were made available by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars – Manila (RRMC-M), a Ghost Series II and a Wraith, for their ‘Drive or be Driven’ event. For the uninitiated, the Ghost is a full-size luxury car — just a notch below the legendary Phantom — and it comes in two trims, standard and extended wheelbase. The Ghost Series II has new LED headlights (that now come with anti-glare technology) and are now framed much better by daytime running lights. There’s not much on the body as explained by Rolls-Royce Asia Pacific’s Brendan Mok, save for the ‘wake channel’ that runs right along the hood, which is the marque’s nod to its aircraft heritage, and the waft line along the sides to make it look more robust. But to be honest, it was hard to even look past the shiny pantheon grille and its famed hood ornament, the renowned ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’. Seats are now improved with thigh support and depth adjustments. VIPs get in easily with rear suicide doors that open to the most opulent cabin you’ll ever see, and to think this is just a stock unit. Remember that each Rolls-Royce can be customized from the seats, to the headliner, and even down to the size of cupholders. The only limit is your imagination and of course, your budget. There are two second row seats, both four-way adjustable, with a soft pillow right on the headrest. Legroom here is nothing short of business class level. Stretch, cross or even spread your legs, that’s no problem at all. It doesn’t come with footrests but again, just have one installed after purchase. Once nestled in your seat, worry not about reaching out to grab the door and close it. Just press a button on the C-pillar and the car will do the rest. A big part of the cabin’s theme is circles, from the air vents, gauges, knobs, each of the 18 speakers, and the Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller. That theme can also be found on our other ride, the grand tourer coupe Wraith. This two-door (suicide style also) comes with a slender two-tone body starting from the recessed grille all the way to its fastback tail. Four people can still be accommodated in the cabin that’s just as lavish as the Ghost but in a sportier way. Both are powered by a 6.6L V12 engine but with different outputs. The Ghost has 570 PS and 820 Nm of torque and the Wraith (the most powerful of all Rolls-Royces) has 632 PS and 820 Nm of torque. While both are very well endowed under the hood, these two have different driving demeanors. The Ghost, with its new front and rear struts and steering gear, is more dignified and accelerates more purposefully. The rush is immediate but gentle and sans the rudeness that comes from other big displacement engines. Barely a peep was heard and nary a bump felt in the cabin, which exemplifies the Rolls-Royce ‘magic carpet ride’. Sound-proofing is so good that you’ll barely hear its own horn, or tiny bit of road harshness from the 19-inch wheels. The Wraith’s drive is the more aggressive of the two. Its steering wheel is thicker, it’s lower (compared to the Ghost) by 50mm and has a rear axle wider by 24 mm for better handling. As powerful as the drive is, it felt so pure from behind the wheel and extremely confident on the road. Part of this is due to dampers that make constant adjustments based on calculations done every 2.5 milliseconds from sensors all around it. Its suspension has been tweaked to minimize body roll and it was so good that the ride up the twisties to Tagaytay, the straightaway through Mendez, and back down was so good it was more gliding than driving. The supposedly five-hour drive turned into an eight-hour event thanks to road congestion. No one complained about the traffic. How can you when you’re in a car so expensive — the Wraith is P35 million and the Ghost Series II (extended wheelbase) costs P40 million — other people southbound on SLEX were snapping photos of it like it was a movie star. Some 20 units have been sold by RRMC-M since 2013, which is not surprising since Rolls-Royce only sells some 3,000 to 4,000 units worldwide annually. What is surprising is that none of the Rolls-Royces sold here have been made to order. I guess it only shows that even without commissioning a bespoke unit, and even in the midst of a horrific traffic jam, each Rolls-Royce is already custom-built to put you in the throes of Ecstasy. By Eric Tipan