Waftability

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Waftability is a word mark of Rolls-Royce . It is intended to describe the feeling of effortless movement that is typical of Rolls-Royce and that makes it unique.

Waftability is registered as a trademark for the categories of machines and vehicles. BMW has held the rights to this since 2003 .

history

The first use of the word mark is proven to be in 1906. A car tester for the English newspaper The Autocar wrote about the Rolls-Royce 40/50 hp (later known as the Silver Ghost) in 1906. His comment at the time was: "A short definition of waftability is power 'without apparent effort'."

As the Rolls-Royce press releases explain, this first mention of a motorsport journalist quickly became a term that Rolls-Royce engineers adopted to express the uniqueness of these vehicles in one word.

meaning

In the Phantom's product brochure, this term is further elaborated as follows: "More than anything else, waftability defines the character of the Phantom's power delivery, the emphasis on the constant availability of immense torque, and a smooth, effortless way of delivering power at almost any conceivable speed" (Originally: "More than anything, waftability defines the character of the Phantom's performance, emphasizing the availability of tremendous reserves of torque at low engine speeds, and smooth, effortless power delivery at virtually any speed.")

In an interview with the Independent , Tom Purves, the boss of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars , described it as follows: “Waftability is the essence of the brand. It means something like perfection of calm, endless power, seamless and smooth acceleration. It describes the kind of car in which you drive 12 hours and then want to drive another 12 hours, because that has as much to do with arriving and leaving as the journey itself. "

Der Spiegel puts this word creation at the beginning of its article about the electrically powered Rolls-Royce 102 EX, quote: "If you ask what makes a real Rolls-Royce, you only hear one word at the brand's headquarters in Goodwood: Waftability ."

The term is also cited in the press as the intimate knowledge of the "connoisseurs" of the vehicle brand. This gives the term a status that differentiates the “insider” with this knowledge from the ordinary citizen.

interpretation

This term shows a certain aristocratic distinction and, simply by knowing this term, offers the customer of such a vehicle a certain exclusivity that distinguishes it from the uninitiated. The originally almost arrogant answer to the question about the performance data (“sufficient engine power”) could be extended to include the term waftability: “The power of Rolls-Royce engines is sufficient at every conceivable speed to provide the necessary waftability to guarantee".

implementation

Rolls-Royce uses the term in the description of its vehicles not only to refer to the driving characteristics with which the British describe the state of nimble haste. A detail such as the mechanically synchronized rim caps, which always stand still and do not turn with the wheels, should make the "calm" of the movement, the waftability, visible from Rolls-Royce's point of view.

This term is also listed as central in the design description . The lower line of the body, which has a slightly upwardly curved uniform curve, is called the waftability line . The soft curvature should correspond to the soft power development and, according to Rolls-Royce, is similar to the lines of a yacht.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Waftability. Wordmark Directory, accessed April 21, 2011.
  2. ↑ Waftability. Trademarkia.com, accessed April 28, 2011.
  3. ↑ Rolls-Royce Phantom Product Guide (PDF) ( Memento of July 10, 2007 in the Internet Archive ).
  4. ↑ PressPass 2006. MotorSportsCentre.com, accessed on 28 April 2011th
  5. ↑ Tom Purves: 'It's all about waftability'. The Independent , August 7, 2009, accessed April 21, 2011.
  6. ^ Rolls-Royce 102 EX, The electric glider. Spiegel online , April 13, 2011, accessed April 28, 2011.
  7. ↑ Photo series Rolls Royce Phantom Series II. Spiegel online, May 10, 2012, accessed on May 10, 2012.
  8. ^ Rolls-Royce Wraith: Haunted castle with 630 hp. Spiegel Online, accessed September 15, 2013.
  9. ^ Rolls-Royce Phantom Product Guide. Page 3 (PDF) ( Memento of July 10, 2007 in the Internet Archive ).