The most common ones around here are a Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln MKX, and Chrysler 300C, probably in that order. Whatever the vehicle, it usually has gold rims. The most common color (of the SUV) seems to be black, altho white is not uncommon. Any other color seems to be rather rare. (Aside: Having had a white car before, I would never buy another one. You see every speck of dirt.)
Around here, the guy in the second-hand police car is far more likely to be picking up a ho than managing one.
No, they have no purpose other than decoration. The same is true of at least 99% of the aftermarket … er, market. Big wheels don’t make the car go faster (though at least in theory wider ones will offer more grip and larger diameter ones will effectively increase top speed*). Aftermarket spoilers generally do not generate any meaningful downforce. Lowering the car might improve handling but at least in the US it’s almost exclusively done to look cool.
But stripes do make the car go faster.
*Any gains in top speed will be offset by lost acceleration, since the big wheels effectively just increase all the gear ratios.
Does anybody do engine waps on Roll Royce cars? A Chevrolet V-8 and GM transmission would do wonders for the reliability of these cars…is it ever done?
I can’t think of any reason why you’d want to swap a large, inefficient V8 for a slightly smaller and even less efficient V8. Reliability is not a good reason, even if old Chevy V8s were actually reliable; old Rolls-Royces are unreliable because of their electrics and hydraulic systems, not because of their engines. Oh, and their air suspensions. And they’re rust-prone.
it’s getting to the point where it doesn’t make too much sense for anyone to develop their own transmissions. Even Honda is buying transaxles from ZF now.
The Rolls-Royce V8 isn’t unreliable. In fact, the 1950s Caddilacs had RR terrified, so the V8 was designed to pretty much directly compete with GM’s and they used GM transmissions with them from th get go. Most of the ancillary components are GM products as well, like thr air conditioning system and power steering. And as much crap as they get for Lucas electrics, they really weren’t that bad and much better than their British contemporaries. Most of the issues with the Silver Shadow onwards cars come down to dealing with the Citroen-based hydraulics system, and that’s most due to the system requiring regular maintenance that the engineers made as difficult as possible.
There are people that convert old Rolls-Royces and Bentleys to GM power trains, but amonghr cognescenti this is seen as misguided and false economy, especially on the pre-Shadow cars that don’t have the hydraulic leveling and braking.