1999 Rolls Royce Silver Seraph | Retro Review

Are those Bugle Boy Jeans you're wearing?

[@inomad]

My Grandpa had one in 2000. I felt so damn cool when he would pick me up from school in it. I miss him and I miss that Rolls.

[@tmwall25]

RS - he drove it himself?!? no driver?!?!

[@MichaelOKeefe2009]

You must be lying. How would your grandpa own one? They're expensive.

[@GT6SuzukaTimeTrials]

Get a load of Richie Rich over here...

[@colinharrison5521]

Michael O'Keefe his grandfather was wealthy???

[@rggt6225]

@@MichaelOKeefe2009 YOU MUST HYDRATE WITH HATERRADE

[@ianboard3555]

The last really good looking Rolls.

[@InvestBetter.]

"The only things you'll be dodging in the real world are potholes and peasants!" Great line!

[@DIZAZZO]

Nothing feels more out of place then drag test, and slalom test of a Rolls Royce. But is awesome to see that.

[@jareknowak8712]

@blackandgold51 Russian Mafia.

[@fiber9m]

Should check out old episodes of top gear with Jeremy Clarkson racing powersliding and burnouts in a Bentley

[@aristotelisvenieratos6109]

It also looks like as it is used to a shock test video to show how a bad strut looks like

[@aristotelisvenieratos6109]

@blackandgold51 Luxurt though but still a car...

[@gedaman]

@@fiber9m Watch Jeremy Clarkson test the 2008 Bentley Brooklands. I think he shreds off the rear tires while doing powerslides.

[@Kingsammich2]

A lot of this was filmed on the road I live on. So cool to see this! Used to see Motorweek bringing all kinds of cars down our road to shoot.

[@eLMoney20]

My aunt had a Arnage back in the day. She let me drive it when I was 16. I felt like I was on top of the world! Cool cars!!

[@snakehandler87]

MORE RETRO REVIEWS PLEASE

[@saadqureshi7127]

And now it's worth 26k. lol gotta love depreciation.

[@luisprieto1262]

Still pretty expensive but someday it would be worth a lot more than that if its good condition

[@wholeNwon]

Or less and for good reasons.

[@wholeNwon]

@@luisprieto1262 You should live so long.

[@rodmunch69]

There's a 2004 Mercedes I was looking at in 2004, it sold for $118k at the time - I randomly remembered that and looked it up on Autotrader and there's one down the street for $7500. I'm so tempted to go buy it.

[@dcomputers]

20 years later it really is a price cut from 216k to 26k

[@karpetcm]

People forget tech goes a long way in just a year. This car wasn’t meant to produce tons of power, just decent power delivered smooth. So exhaust would also be heavily restricted and muffled to keep very quiet. Person who can afford this car most likely had a very fast car as well like a Lamborghini or Ferrari. So this would be a awesome daily driver in those days. Even though it’s very old now I bet if you still sit in it the quality would still amaze. I look at these as if it’s a old piece of furniture that some are still into just because of the craftsmanship and quality, that’s why it’s still relevant.

[@V8_screw_electric_cars]

It's not that very old lol That V12 could have 400HP but wouldn't meet any emmision standards that's the only reason it had "only" about 300 lol

[@karpetcm]

I did mention in my original post heavily restricted and muffled. Well aware of emissions I live in cali. This was many cars with big motors. They would restrict them.

[@rodmunch69]

@@karpetcm With a 5000lb car you're not drag racing the kid in a Honda, what you want that power for is when you're already at 50 and need to pass poor people who drive slow because they have nothing to do and nowhere to go, so that 50-80mph range is where this car is geared, that and it will pull hard right up to the electronic limit placed on it. Sort of like when I was a kid and we'd go and race, I had a 72 Cutlass with a 350 rocket, my friend had a 72 Gran Prix with a 454 - the Gran Prix was a huge boat of a car and I could easily beat him to 60, but around 60 his car's fat ass finally got moving and would just blow by me by 80mph and keep going until it ran out of gears. Same thing with a 2005 GTO I had, the thing had 400hp and off the line it was quick, but wasn't super impressive, but man, at 60mph if you floored it, it would throw you back in the seat like a rollercoaster and you'd be at 120mph before you realized it.

[@jehadhjaya2767]

It is true that this thing happened in the Lincoln Town Car, as it is supposed to produce more than 300 horsepower, but due to the controls to reduce exhaust emissions, the horsepower was reduced by approximately 30%, as the town car became only 220 horsepower, and the same thing applies to the Caprice and Buick Roadmaster, where it was The V8 5.7 engine produces only 180 horsepower, although it produces more than 300 horsepower in the Corvette, and even the Lincoln Navigator with a V8 5.4L DOHC engine is supposed to produce 385 horsepower, but the horsepower has been reduced to only produce 300 horsepower!!!

[@OffGridInvestor]

You can sit in a 1994 and they're like showroom quality. If kept garaged, these cars stay beautiful for years, even decades because of the high quality. This era has a single enormous aluminium casting that EVERYTHING on the dash is mounted to that stops rattles and squeaks on rough roads because it is all mounted on the one SOLID frame with nothing JOINED. They realised anything supporting or attached to something else is what causes rattles or squeaks.

[@theKevronHarris]

I love a Rolls-Royce in black with ceramic beige leather with black carpeting. 😍😍😍😍

[@bwxmoto]

I see Retro Review, I hit like button.

[@TheSmokingDen]

BWX Me too!

[@MaestroTJS]

The last nice-looking Rolls. The ones from the BMW era are all grotesque and overwrought.

[@davidaubin3902]

3:05 John: If it's a long trip, better have Jeeves follow with the extras in the Range Rover! LOL

[@wholeNwon]

Like the Range Rover will actually get there.

[@TheOzthewiz]

Better have Jeeves follow in a Lexus.....

[@abe2571]

"Pot holes and peasants". 😂

[@bwxmoto]

I died XD

[@m4rs12]

Fundraisers more likely... lol

[@Juanknes]

Back then when the world was free of SJWs and people had sense of humor.

[@ironymatt]

Just pot holes, really. The peasants will be responsible for their own dodging

[@Len1977gt]

Oh, John Davis is funny as hell

[@quackman]

love how it gracefully arches back on that cush suspension during the acceleration run.

[@Sedan57Chevy]

The wait for Red Dead Redemption 2 is killing me, but here comes MotorWeek with another great retro review to help pass the time!

[@TurboMan942]

Do you hear that? It's the sound of rapid depreciation.

[@johncollins7423]

Faux Craig Singhaus Lol 😆😆😆

[@TheBikemaster94]

Yeah but that means I can get a V12 for 5k

[@Nightbird.]

All cars depreciate..no matter the brand. But Lexus is the slowest among luxury cars according to Consumer Reports due to being the best built luxury and most reliable cars in the world.

[@wholeNwon]

@@Nightbird. A friend gave up his new Bentley Continental because it was a nightmare to keep on the road and out of the service dept. Switched to Lexus, as I had, and he has never looked back.

[@Nightbird.]

+wholeNwon I believe it. Those ultra luxury cars are made for people who can afford the upkeep and don't mind paying for it. But most people won't put up with that..even those with the cash for the upkeep. Still..most can't deny no Lexus is as beautiful as a Rolls Royce or Bentley. But great beauty often comes with a great price.

[@zackdl]

One of my dads customers had one of these. I got to ride in it a few times. Smooth as hell.

[@orbits2]

I dont think hell is a smooth ride Lic Driver Circa 1968

[@wholeNwon]

And rolled like a rowboat.

[@Timico1000]

An absolute timeless beauty, at least in my opinion.

[@2steaksandwiches665]

It’s is still classy as hell.

[@charlesmacgilchrist3648]

The first bmw 9 series, but in a good way. A lecturer called 'the rabbit' at my engineering department had a '98 7 series lwb which is basically the same v12 engine in a more modest looking shell. It is only slightly quicker on paper and I was fortunate to be driven in it with the guy and 2 peers from cambridge to oxford and back to talk to budding companies' new electric vehicle technology (I kid you not!). The performance was rapid with the guy taking overtaking maneuvers on several cars in front that were too scared to - not going to quote the mph but we all knew what the v12 was for when he took a trail of 4 cars behind a tractor! Wasn't impressed with the 19mpg overall but was such an impressive machine with a smooth ride and sweet v12 purr no one could believe that 'the rabbit' saved it from the scrap heap as in 2012 it was considered too expensive to maintain.

[@chrisgugleta]

Love this video. Still great in 2019.

[@CeeStyleDj]

11 "muggers and thieves" disliked this video LOL

[@tatesock8692]

haha they wanna steal those 99 Silver Seraph

[@klasseact6663]

Power had doubled since then, we really are living in the GOLDEN ERA of performance right now!

[@charlespeterson3877]

Radio drowning out the sound of curbside comics knocking on window to ask for a jar of Grey Poupon. John's delivery always adds that just slightly bit of humor to the narration. Good work, Mr. Davis!

[@codyC423]

60-0 in 116 feet?! Motorweek had a Porsche 997 GT3 that stopped from 60 in 121 feet. I don't know if I'm extremely impressed or extremely confused

[@jondoe8474]

“potholes and peasants “ 😂

[@mavadoroaster]

retro reviews seem more professional and in depth

[@davidaubin3902]

Beautiful car!

[@discovery1028]

Most beauty Rolls Royce.

[@themaritimegirl]

Even MotorWeek didn't know that the hood ornament's ability to bend and retract is not for theft reduction, but to reduce the chances of a pedestrian being impaled by it in a collision. :P

[@scott8919]

Thank you. If it were for theft protection they wouldn't have been able to yank it back out like they did at 1:43.

[@S.Madman]

Nope, it's definitely for theft protection. the bending part of it it's for pedestrian protection. No way that door will pull the emblem fast enough. Mercedes did the same thing for pedestrian protection with the 3 pointed star that bends.

[@keithjackson286]

The ornament has pedestrian protection now... The feature on the Seraph is for theft protection. I don't think the pedestrian laws came into effect until later :-)

[@S.Madman]

@@keithjackson286 in the Seraph is for both is the reason there is a cable spring and it tilts when pushed or pulled. On the wraith it yanks the crap out of you. But the door is for theft protection.

[@1Blkkato]

These are damn near given away because if anything breaks your paying an arm & a leg to fix it!

[@marcoalessandro2034]

it's a BMW for the most part...how much can they charge ?

[@ronaldderooij1774]

@@marcoalessandro2034 A lot.

[@billrea66]

A '98 or '99 Seraph are on my Spring shopping list .

[@bliglum]

And now, you can get one of these for the price of a new Camry!

[@keithjackson286]

Camry costs more. lol

[@Nightbird.]

You can also hire Cindy Crawford to do a commercial for way less than in her prime. But..she is still Cindy Crawford. 😉

[@bliglum]

@@Nightbird. Lol! With a Pepsi can in her hand.

[@wholeNwon]

Get a good look at the service records and you'll buy the Camry.

[@wholeNwon]

@@kxngearner698 I gather you've never owned one or know someone well who does.

[@DIZAZZO]

2:21 extra points for the Wayne's World reference.

[@theKevronHarris]

I agree. Star power points!! 🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠

[@Blacklightdtb]

Or if u wanna go the where they. Got the reference then shout out the the grey poupon commercial that featured a rolls Royce

[@rodmunch69]

The Wayne's World reference is based off the commercial you douche.

[@CeeStyleDj]

Grey Poupon commercial was first, then Wayne's World, then this. Wayne's World was a spoof on the Grey Poupon commercial which was very popular in the 80s.

[@1983jblack]

@@CeeStyleDj Then after Waynes World, I remember Married with Children was one of probably many more who parodied it

[@nimamojtahedzadeh1568]

I'm not a Rolls Royce expert, but it seems so many people hate it because its' got a V12 from 7 series instead of a traditional genuine Rolls Royce motor.

[@2006gtobob]

I don't hate it, but I question why they did this when they were building such an excellent L-series V-8. Bentley still uses an updated version of that engine.

[@BeingMe23]

Well they did consider the NorthStar V8 before BMW bought them. I am not sure when RR stop using the GM Turbo 400 transmission. But I think they starting using it in the 1960s.

[@Nightbird.]

+Nima Mojtahedzadeh Persians still appreciated this car, Nima..because they knew it was still an excellent engine. 😉

[@wholeNwon]

Not really. They are just poorly engineered, poorly constructed and therefore trouble-prone cars. The BMW engine is probably more reliable and even more durable than the old push rod V8, esp. when Bentley added turbos without redesigning the head gaskets.

[@burnotto1663]

1967 to?

[@marlonquintana3466]

I will buy one of these soon and keep it in the family to pass it on to my children.

[@UNIT294]

Come for Retro Reviews, stay for John's prowess with words.

[@kellingtonlink956]

Nearly 1/4 million American dollars in 1999! My ‘01 BMW E38 (740i) was the base of this ‘new’ Roller back in the day (except V12 + some). Those were good years for BMW (3,5,7 and even 8-series). But over $220,ooo! Seriously? My E38 was purchased for around $10 grand (143,ooo kms - 8 years ago). I ‘scraped it’ 2 years ago (without M-sport rims) for a solid Grand (287,ooo kms)! What is a Silver Seraph worth these days? 15-25 grand?... with low mileage? Maybe even less! Thanks for the video.

[@neildutton8077]

All air conditioners are dehumidifiers. Removing moisture is the first part of the cooling process.

[@jundialhaqiqa9907]

I drove one of these a few years back, I loved the sheepswool floormats.

[@johntechwriter]

Lambs wool.

[@shaunportlock4924]

They are so thick and soft

[@dalewasson5919]

This music is fitting to this review

[@ianclaudio777]

The King of the cars

[@josevidalnunez6291]

Beautiful car.

[@brendonhedrick3219]

I like the 60hz playback on this Retro Review 👌🏻

[@TheOzthewiz]

And 240 line res....

[@Trance88]

Damn. It costs as much as a Decent family home in 1999.

[@rodmunch69]

In Florida, in 1999, you could literally buy a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house, with a pool, on the coast, for like $125k. For over $220k you could get something a lot better than decent.

[@roddydykes7053]

Trance88 my family bought a very nicely designed 20 year old house across the park from one of my city’s best high schools for $120,000 Canadian that same year 1999... it sold for $340,000 less than 10 years later. What a joke the housing market is, I’ll probably be renting my whole life.

[@keronfarrier2198]

@@rodmunch69 what coast no where that desirable buddy try again

[@TheOzthewiz]

MORE!!!

[@detonater1348]

When the spirit of ecstasy hides and he pulls it out by the neck…oh yeah it can definitely hide when tampered lol

[@2006gtobob]

The only aspect of this car that is unacceptable has to be that stereo. Otherwise, what an excellent automobile!

[@BeesonsCars]

Robert D. Some of them had the standard BMW Business CD headunit. Later models got navigation borrowed from the E38.

[@TeeroyHammermill]

It was 99 so it was fine back then.

[@rodmunch69]

@@TeeroyHammermill Not really, in 1999 in my peasant Camaro I had a Kenwood CD deck that played MP3s, and you could get GPS. For over $200k you should get something that looks better than a $88 dollar unit from K-Mart.

[@JoshuasRecordings]

@@rodmunch69 K Mart? It's an Alpine radio. They're one of the best

[@rodmunch69]

@@JoshuasRecordings Alpine is a midrange brand, always has been. Nothing against Alpine, I owned several Alpine headunits. That's the point -- I was making like $8/hour back then and could afford to buy Alpine. This is a $200k car, I shouldn't haven been able to afford even the seat belt in this thing.

[@Kmmoistner]

Nice vid!

[@roddydykes7053]

2:20 has John ever met a stereo he didn’t find the controls on “small and confusing”?

[@davidsherrick2577]

It still looks beautiful and always will.. and the last year of the Sliver Spurs.. I'll just have to live with my 04 BMW and 86 Alfa Romeo spider veloce..

[@josevidal6458]

Wonderful Car.

[@seinsmeld13]

All I can say is, nice lid BEN!

[@cristian.n_38]

A gem ❤️

[@incyphe]

"potholes and peasants" 😂

[@mupetier]

white socks in a rolls. lol

[@azk8584]

rod abmrd HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA WHITE SOCKS HAHAHAHAAHHAAAAAAAA LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLHAHAHAHAAAA WHITE SOCKS HAHAAHAAA

[@Sanpedranoazul]

One of my fav RR ever! Can you do the Ford Aerostar minivan video please???

[@TheOzthewiz]

WHY?

[@soundseeker63]

Those HVAC controls are pure BMW!

[@wholeNwon]

So they might work for a while.

[@JDMHaze]

60-0 in 116 feet?? dammnn thats badass ESPECIALLY Considering this thing was almost 6000 pounds if not that

[@moejr1974]

5075 lbs according to the review

[@FabioGs007]

Guys do you ever did the road test to the Mercedes C32 AMG ?

[@marcinandrzej9024]

Very Good car

[@torres3800]

I have this strange hankering for some grey poupon while watching this...

[@ogmoustachemalefacialcompa3907]

We need a Jag Waaaggghhh review

[@garbage854]

Cool 😀

[@ChevyBM]

If I could find one in a junk yard and swap the motor, transmission, brakes etc from a GM B body car this would make the best daily driver ever!

[@eoinmaclean6478]

For anyone wondering, the Jeeves remarks allude to a popular British comedy series known as “Wooster and Jeeves”, starring Hugh Laurie (actor who played House) as Wooster.

[@MiguelGonzalez-oo9gn]

Que hermosos eran los Rolls Royce.

[@RandallJT84]

@ 2:00 I guess Motorweek hired Phil Collins to start reviewing cars.

[@vinnybruce2874]

I saw this model in late 1998

[@moejr1974]

Once RR was bought by BMW and they stuffed their engines in them I just didn't feel the same about them. I'll take the 2 tone blue 82 Silver Spirit a customer of my Dad's had. That car was sweet

[@epbrown01]

The BMW engines came before the buyout by VW. RR was too small a company to develop its own engines, and had been tweaking the same V8 for 50 years. They needed the help, but too little too late.

[@moejr1974]

@@epbrown01 they still owned by BMW or does VW have them now?

[@epbrown01]

@@moejr1974 The confusion mentioned is that VW bought Rolls-Royce/Bentley, the company and factory at Crewe only to discover they didn’t get the RR name because it was shared with the subsidiary that makes aircraft engines. VW wound up with the Bentley name only and the aircraft company licensed RR cars to BMW.

[@Alexander_Timonin]

Placement and integration of CD changer and radio are sub-par. Why absolutely no mention of the Bentley twin?

[@jamesfrench7299]

The Lincoln Town Car is a McDonald's luxury car compared to this.

[@MaestroTJS]

Pretty much.

[@lbmautos]

It looks so close to the Bentley sedans of the time.

[@ezsteev63]

I always thought the styling was too similar to the 82-87 Lincoln continental.

[@-fuk57]

Mitsubishi had a aux jack available in '92. What'chu got, Rolls? WHAT?!!

[@orbits2]

Some early Nash Rambler ques but still a beautiful car Lic Driver Circa 1968

[@624radicalham]

Still a good car to own and show off with? Yes or No

[@wholeNwon]

NO!! Old money wouldn't be caught dead in one.

[@TheOzthewiz]

YES! The "homies" would be impressed!

[@gary_beniford]

is that parkers car?

[@lightningbuster]

Sweet jesus that car was worth twice as much as my my parent's house.

[@gustav_a.mozumder2011]

Glorified BMW 7 series!

[@josephromano6825]

The bestmotorcar in the world! Handcrafted elegance!

[@thetreblerebel]

A prestine example still has value, just not what you pay for it. The new RRs hold value better than 80s 90s RRs

[@maxkoll118]

Old school !

[@junkman6456]

A jealous Reporter. The second series with the 6.75 V8 engine is more refined and powerful then the first series where the BMW powerplant was available.

[@TheFrog767]

🥂🍾

[@Peter-mj6lz]

0:31 It’s weird that Rolls Royce could’ve survived not making an all new model for 20 years. Nowadays I don’t think a car company would survive if they didn’t make an all new model for over 10 years. But thinking about that maybe this is definitely true now and in the last 20 years because of the rate of technological change, safety rate changes and the shift now to ev’s. Maybe in 20 years or so a car model might survive 20 years again?

[@eightosaurusspelunk1598]

Grey poupon lol

[@ruemonbhattacharyya7730]

Hoovies Garage

[@sebastienlavallee8320]

When did this grey poupon thing and rolls royce started ?

[@sebastienlavallee8320]

blackandgold51 ok thanks

[@azk8584]

Eightosaurus Spelunk HAHAHAHAHAAAAAA POUPON HAHAHAAHAAAAA OMFG OMFG IM DYING HAHAHAAAA

[@nickdoughty518]

As an English person I've never heard of it. It's like when I was offered English muffins back in the 70s which didn't exist in England at the time!

[@SunlineAuto]

If you stare at it long enough, it starts to look like a Nissan President.

[@jamesstuart3346]

Looks like a Fairmont with a grille from Pep Boys.

[@aaditjalal5788]

Its a BMW e38 7 series in rolls royce frock.

[@wolfyboy11hitler61]

Why its dead of sliver? V12 321 horsepower very nice and became beautiful $216k

[@andersonfirmino8925]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@billgateskilledmyuncle23]

With this car, you can show up to the bilderberg meeting to plan the next big virus in style.

[@E34Benzin]

Why not mentioning and showing the BMW V12 that powers this Roller?

[@NotoriousBIP]

E34Benzin at 3:45 they literally show the engine and say that this is a bmw engine from the 750iL

[@Life_42]

5:09 potholes and peasants lmao

[@bradnimbus4836]

Ooooo this vs the STS!

[@TheOzthewiz]

You MEAN the CTS-V?

[@KartKing4ever]

Now you can get one for 40 grand. Should you? Probably not, but you could.

[@SportsMusicCars]

lol

[@tommitchell2055]

For a fancy car you guys upgraded to some fancy 60 fps I see

[@oliviersavard8676]

1080p 60 fps for a review from 1999, John isn't messing around

[@TheOzthewiz]

@@oliviersavard8676 Too bad John can't get rid of the NTSC 525 line artifacts!

[@victorvictor8587]

The Silver Giraffe .

[@LearnAboutFlow]

This was the last good looking Rolls Royce. The new ones look like battering rams ready to drive into a crowd of protesters.

[@Nightbird.]

So in other words..made for ignorant MAGA supporters? LOL!

[@wholeNwon]

Agree.

[@MrCarguy2]

Agree, although I kind of like the idea of a battery ran to run over protesters

[@Nightbird.]

Only if the protesters are wearing red hats and are nazi scum that support the current Russian placed dictator in the White House.

[@bodyloverz30]

Now their for rich rappers and other slim ball, Hollywood/Miami types.