A Rolls-Royce is a British club on wheels. However, the vehicle is actually not designed for testing on ice. Our author still dared to do it in Norway – he got a little dizzy at times.
Was that just a quiet crack? I'm standing on a frozen lake right now. Below me and the crackling layer of frost: up to 20 meters of water. Next to me: an incredibly expensive Rolls-Royce Ghost. The sedan with a few extras costs over 400,000 euros. Norwegian winter around us, still real winter. Minus 20 degrees Celsius and closed ice sheets with a light covering of snow. Instructor Ola Bakke Pedersen assures that 60 centimeters of ice is enough to play on ice and snow with a luxury sedan.
Tisleifjorden is a lake at 819 meters above sea level near Tisleidalen (Oppland), the village of Ulsak and the ski resort of Hemsedal in northwestern Norway, a three-hour drive from Oslo. The 13.54 square kilometer body of water is used to generate electricity in summer and as a playground for locals and tourists in winter. The Tisleifjorden ice rink is a professional ice rink, a base for training emergency vehicles and professional drivers. A Norwegian company has been offering driving safety training here for almost 30 years, mostly for police officers, rescue workers and the fire department, but also professional customers such as driving instructors and dealers. Individual groups are rather rare.
Seven prepared ice rinks with a total length of 16 kilometers are available for driving, practicing and drifting. The ice thickness is measured manually every day using ice drills, and every evening employees prepare the sheets using special equipment. The routes are designed so that pilots can take the turns as rhythmically as possible, sometimes with sharp turns, but also with gentle turns and low snow walls to cushion them. Even in the event of a slip, no sheet metal should bend cold. Good to know, because with a Rolls-Royce that would quickly cost a few tens of thousands of euros.
Rolls-Royce found the idea of sliding over the ice with their vehicles quite charming – and showing that the cars can do more than just look good and be comfortable. Of course, the British cars also drive well and safely on snow and ice. What is surprising, however, is how easily an almost three-ton vehicle can be balanced through an obstacle course.
But it takes effort. In the first few meters the ice cracks under the tire spikes. Ola Bakke Pedersen tries to calm you down after the theoretical introduction and gives tips on how to drive on slippery surfaces. “Try to drive smoothly, without hectic movements, then driving on the ice will be like an elegant dance,” explains the Norwegian. Luckily he doesn't know how I dance.
The 5.5-liter V12 with 563 hp could now accelerate the 5.5-meter-long Brit to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. But on slippery surfaces, the traction control reduces the power as soon as you look at the accelerator pedal. The Rolls only reaches 90 km/h with a lot of effort and even more patience. A few snowflakes blow over the slippery surface as Ola gives the instruction to brake hard. And we notice the weight. And the ice cream. And wait. Wait. Wait. The Rolls only comes to a stop after more than 115 meters. Lesson learned: When it's slippery, emergency braking takes an incredibly long time.
As we continue on to the next exercise, the wind whips against the side of the car, pushing it slightly to the side. Driving on ice always means being careful, gentle on the accelerator and steering smoothly. Matching the interior. Soft leather surrounds the body, the dashboard is made of finely carved wood, and the clocks majestically pass on their information. The shoes sink into the centimeter-high carpet, the seat heating is at level three and the heating is at 23 degrees. The rigid chassis exudes the stoic calm and security of Windsor Castle.
After a few hours, the Ghost feels as homely as an armchair in front of the fireplace, while outside the wind whistles against the mighty body and cools the air to below minus 5 degrees. Winter here lasts from November to the end of March. “Today it is like spring, in the harsh winter we reach temperatures of up to minus 20 degrees,” says Ola. Then the ice cover swells to 80 centimeters and carries up to a few tons. How calming. I alone sit in almost three tons. I no longer think about ice, snow or other bleaching, destructive influences, and I no longer think about all the water under the tires when driving on the ice.
Snow sprays to the side, I turn quickly but not hectically and just stay on the gas in the curve. At first it takes a lot of effort because I feel the impulse to slow down. But the Rolls would slow down and even rotate around its own axis. “Instead of waiting for the slide without accelerator, you have to accelerate at the apex of the curve with all-wheel drive so that all four wheels grab the ice and the car is stabilized for the direction,” explains Ola after the first lap and gives further instructions . “Stay calm, don't rush, relax and enjoy the ride.” I try. Over and over again. From the fourth round onwards, Ola thinks it looks pretty clean – and so do I. But: wasn't that just another quiet crack?
