Rolls-Royce makes mini car for sick kids

There's no feeling of serenity quite like the one you get inside a Rolls-Royce. So Rolls-Royce wanted to give that experience, or something like it, to some young people in definite need of an escape.

The company's designers have created a tiny Rolls-Royce to be driven by the young patients at St. Richard's Hospital Pediatric Day Surgery Unit. The kids will pilot the tiny handmade electric car through the facility's halls to the operating room there. Besides having fun, the goal is to reduce the stress of heading into surgery.

The little luxury vehicle was created by Rolls-Royce's Bespoke Manufacturing Team, according to the company. The car, dubbed the SRH, is finished in Andalusian White and Salamanca Blue and sports a hand-applied St James Red pinstripe.

Inside it has a two-tone steering wheel and, just like a real Rolls, the "RR" emblems at the center of the wheels always remain upright as the wheels spin. A 24-volt battery moves the car along to a top speed of 10 miles per hour. Rolls-Royce promises similar acceleration and quietness to that experienced in one of the firm's large V12-powered cars.

For those desiring a more stately trip to the operating room, the top speed can be limited to just 4 mph. That should allow even the youngest drivers to leave a hand free for waving.

Rolls-Royce invited two young hospital patients, Molly Matthews and Hari Rajyaguru, to the Rolls-Royce factory for early test drives of the new car right on the production room floor. The Rolls-Royce SRH will be officially presented to the hospital on March 1.

The automaker, a British-based subsidiary of Germany's BMW, won't say how much the little car cost to make. There are currently no plans to produce any more of them.