New Rolls-Royce ghosts into Perth
In the surest sign yet we in WA are loaded and love to spend our money on the finer things in life - well, some of us anyway - the most prestigious and expensive luxury car company in Australia has officially landed in Perth.
In a suitably lavish event held in the city, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Perth was officially launched with a number of models on display (plus ice sculptures, an aerial artist, jazz trio and more).
Luxury car dealership Barbagallo will look after WA's first Rolls showroom, on Scarborough Beach Road in Osborne Park. While many of us will never be able to buy a house which costs as much as the cheapest Roller - the $645,000 Ghost Saloon - dealer principal Vince Barbagallo said the marque had already been warmly received.
"We have been delighted to be able to represent Rolls-Royce in Perth, as the brand has gone from strength to strength, with a strong model range epitomising cool, contemporary luxury," he said.
"The Rolls-Royce Bespoke program, in particular, allows our customers to personalise their cars so they are highly unique."
Rolls-Royce has enjoyed a positive start to 2014, with the company saying its smaller Wraith model is attracting significant interest. It's worth noting, however, that at the ultra- top end of the market, where total sales are small, slight variations in sales can have a big impact on numbers.
Though it had only sold five vehicles in Australia this year to the end of March - with one in WA - this projects to 20 sales over the course of the year, up from the 16 sold in 2013.
It's not known how many vehicles the company expects to sell here - it says it doesn't forecast sales numbers - but Rolls-Royce Asia Pacific sales and marketing general manager Dan Balmer said a Perth showroom was a long time in the making.
"Our first Rolls-Royce customer in 2003 came from Perth and, prior to Barbagallo's appointment, we have had customers from WA," he said.
"So we are delighted to have a dealer in this State. The sheer geography of Australia means we need to have a dealer here to ensure our customers are well served. The timing is right - we just introduced Wraith to the market and it is appealing to a broader audience of potential customers who might not have considered a Rolls-Royce before."
Coinciding with the brand's launch in Perth is the fastest-ever Ghost arriving in Australia for the first time.
Dubbed the V-Specification, it is a limited-edition version of the Ghost Saloon which Rolls-Royce says "celebrates the effortless 6.6-litre Rolls-Royce V12 engine".
More specifically, it gets a 22kW power upgrade which sees the twin-turbo V12 pump out a whopping 442kW. Combined with 780Nm of torque, the two-tonne-plus beast will get to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds.
On the outside, 21-inch part- polished wheels are added and visible chrome exhausts are available as an option, while there is a choice of five paint colours: Graphite, Black Sapphire, Black Kirsch, Arctic White and Infinity Black.
You can drive one home for just $748,100, though each RR is bespoke, meaning prices depend on customer specs.
For a first-hand look at how decadent motor cars can be, also on display are other models with customisations such as ventilated massage seats, black- stained ash and stainless-steel pinstripe veneer, and "starlight" night lighting on the ceiling.
ROLLS-ROYCE LINE-UP
(Prices are drive away)
Ghost Saloon: $645,000
Wraith Coupe: $645,000 (as displayed $773,000)
Ghost EWB: $695,000 (as displayed $749,000)
Ghost V-Specification: $748,000
Phantom SWB: $855,000 (as displayed $1,027,000)
Phantom EWB: $990,000
Phantom Coupe: $995,000
Phantom Drophead Coupe: $1,075,000
