Inspired by Charles Stewart Rolls and the legend of the Schneider Trophy-winning Supermarine S6B (powered by a Rolls-Royce R Type engine), Rolls-Royce Motor Cars proudly present the Phantom Coupé Aviator Collection. The collection celebrates the spirit of human endeavour that drove a very British hero and subsequently led Rolls-Royce to simultaneous world speed records on land, air and in the water.

The first in the collection of 35 Phantom Coupé Aviator Collection models – which feature a suite of exclusive design concepts, colour combinations and new materials – debuts today at the Pebble Beach Quail gathering in the United States.

“Our founding forefather Charles Stewart Rolls was a pioneer who pushed the boundaries of motoring and aviation to the limit,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Rolls-Royce CEO. “With our exclusive Phantom Coupé Aviator Collection we celebrate this great British hero, presenting a car which hints at experiments in early flight married to the best engineering, modern design and exquisitely crafted materials. The collection takes Rolls-Royce Bespoke to new levels of subtle, yet beautiful detailing.”

Finished in Aviator Grey, the Phantom Coupé Aviator Collection features a contrasting matt bonnet, window and grille surround while inside, the interplay of wood and metal hint strongly at a cockpit theme. A Thommen, aviation-grade clock with blood orange needle tips is embedded in the metal foil upper fascia, complemented by matt black dials for power reserve, speedometer and fuel gauges.

The lower fascia is veneered in mahogany, painstakingly shaped by craftspeople just as the early record-setting propellers were fashioned and features Sapele contrast. Polished stainless steel veneer ‘onlays’ with bullet-shaped ends are designed to match floor mat fixings.

Between 1931 and 1933 the Schneider Trophy was held in the South of England, soaring over the Solent and the Witterings in West Sussex, a location no more than 10 miles from the current Home of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in Goodwood, England. Collection cars celebrate the victorious S6B aircraft with transmission tunnel in anodised aluminium with exposed torx fixings and swage lines that echo the oil cooling veins on the S6B fuselage side. These highlights are repeated on collection car armrests.

The leather-lined glove compartment includes an embossed Charles Rolls quote following his first flight with the Wright Brothers in 1908: “The power of flight is as a fresh gift from the Creator, the greatest treasure yet given to man.” A centre console chrome plaque describes Rolls – only the second man in Britain to hold a pilot’s licence – simply as Pioneer Aviator, below a representation of his sweeping signature.

Fitted with leather floor mats, Aviator Collection cars have also been designed to incorporate the Rolls-Royce of cup holders. Beautifully engineered in highly polished aluminium, the designer’s aim was to deliver functionality, but with that special combination of theatre and jewellery, both of which are expected by every Rolls-Royce client.

With the talents of the world’s finest automotive designers and craftspeople at a customer’s disposal, inspiration for a Bespoke Rolls-Royce can strike anywhere.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai Brand Manager, Mohammed EL-Arishy’s imagination was piqued whilst dining at the Goodwood Hotel, adjacent to the Home of Rolls-Royce. Photographs of motor racing greats negotiating the historic Goodwood motor circuit drew his eye. A consultation with Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke design team followed:

“I wanted to create a motor car that captures the unique atmosphere and history of the Goodwood Motor Circuit. The Home of Rolls-Royce’s connection to such an important centre of British motoring heritage is something that fascinates my customers,” said Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai Brand Manager, Mohammed EL-Arishy. “The experience of working with Rolls-Royce’s world-class designers to create the beautifully executed Chicane Phantom Coupé was exhilarating. The creativity, vision, skill and attention-to-detail employed in the crafting of these one-off motor cars is unsurpassed in the super-luxury world.”

The result, the one-of-a-kind Chicane Phantom Coupé incorporates design cues and materials that evoke Goodwood’s rich motor sport history.
A traditional interior wood-finish makes way for carbon fibre, alluding to the materials used in modern racing machines. This highly contemporary theme extends to the exterior of the car, with the bonnet and windscreen surround finished in a matte black, perfectly complementing the Gunmetal exterior paint.

Coloured wheels matching the main exterior paint finish are also specified, the first time such a feature has adorned a contemporary Rolls-Royce motor car.
Hand-crafted details throughout allude to the car’s historic motor racing theme with chequered flag motif stitching to the seats echoed on the exterior with a matching Bespoke coachline. The elegant homage is completed with a metal plaque expressing the car’s name and Goodwood’s famous track layout located discreetly in the glove compartment.

This is not the first time an unexpected spark of inspiration has taken a Rolls-Royce customer; commissions have included an exterior paint colour perfectly matched to a favourite eye shadow and a wood-veneer sourced from a tree on a customer’s estate.

“Customers often task us with designing cars themed around a particularly passion or interest. The customer leads the creative process, working in collaboration with us to create a highly personal, one-off masterpiece. As Bespoke designers we take great satisfaction in turning these dreams into reality,” said Gavin Hartley, Bespoke Design Manager.

Two highly fitting locations have been selected for the UK and European debuts of the latest Bespoke Collection from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé Waterspeed Collection will be previewed to selected UK press and customers at an exclusive event on the site of the original Bluebird Motor Company – now the Bluebird Restaurant – on the King’s Road, London on Tuesday 13 May 2014.

The Bluebird Motor Company building was commissioned in 1923 to be Europe’s largest garage and was built in the era’s characteristic Art Deco style, a style which it preserves today. The business would ultimately help fund Campbell’s pursuit to wrest the Waterspeed record from its American holders.

The car will then head to the world-renowned Concorso D’Elegenza at Villa D’Este on the shores of one of Italy’s world-famous lakes, Como, where it will be unveiled to the public for the first time. It was on the adjacent Lake Maggiore where, on 1 September 1937, Campbell established his legend, setting a world-record speed of 126.33 mph in the famous Bluebird K3 boat powered by a Rolls-Royce R Engine.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé Waterspeed Collection:

Waterspeed Collection Phantom Drophead Coupés feature a number of exclusively created Bespoke design and engineering features, perfectly executed to create a thoroughly contemporary tribute to Campbell’s famous craft.

“This very special motor car serves to pay a perfect homage to my grandfather’s remarkable acts of British daring and endeavour,” said Donald Wales, grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell. “The extraordinary attention-to-detail and commitment to engineering excellence so evident in these motor cars perfectly echoes the lengths my grandfather and his colleagues went to in their pursuit of the waterspeed records.”

The car is finished in a specially developed ‘Maggiore Blue’ exterior paint, inspired by Bluebird’s famous colour scheme. Nine layers of paint are applied before an exhaustive process of hand-sanding and the application of a cutting-edge powdered lacquer is undertaken to ensure an impeccable finish. For the first time in Rolls-Royce history the exterior finish extends to the engine, creating a visually striking homage to the power behind Campbell’s records. The finish also adorns the car’s specially developed, fully-polished eleven-spoke wheels for the first time, providing a subtle decorative accent.
The exterior is completed with a hand-painted coachline that culminates in a Bluebird motif with the design taking Rolls-Royce’s master coachline painter four hours to apply by hand.

Phantom Drophead Coupé’s traditional teak decking to the rear makes way for brushed steel. Each piece of material is individually panel-beaten by hand for 70 hours following initial mechanical pressing. A Rolls-Royce craftsperson will then hand-brush the metal for over 10 hours – showcasing the fastidious attention to detail and commitment to hand-craftsmanship that informs everything undertaken at the Home of Rolls-Royce.

The car’s Maggiore Blue exterior finish is subtly echoed on the interior via accents on the dash-board that perfectly complement the Windchill Grey interior leather scheme. The marque’s hallmark attention to detail extends to the application of hand-engraved door armrest tunnel caps featuring a new interpretation of Campbell’s famous Bluebird motif. The armrests alone take eight hours to complete. Abachi wood also makes its Rolls-Royce debut in Waterspeed. By nature the material is cool to the touch with a satin-like tactility, and is bookmatched at an angle to echo the wake left by a boat moving at speed.

Further reference to Campbell’s craft is made via a new interpretation of the famous ‘power reserve’ dial. As the driver presses on, the dial moves backwards towards a yellow and blue zone, echoing Campbell’s original K3 boat’s ‘going into the blue’ at maximum engine revolutions. A Bespoke front-lit clock adorned with Bluebird’s infinity symbol and dials hewn from a billet of aluminium evokes K3 further. Direct tribute to the records is paid in the glovebox, with a hand-embroidered panel expressing the records Campbell achieved at Lake Maggiore and Coniston Water. Finally, the steering wheel is presented in two-tone for the very first time, with Magiorre Blue accents balancing perfectly with traditional black leather to complete a beautifully conceived interior design scheme.

Luxury entrepreneur Stephen Hung has purchased the largest Rolls-Royce Phantom fleet in the world, placing an order for 30 Bespoke Extended Wheelbase Phantoms for his Louis XIII hotel in Macau. This transaction represents the world’s single largest order of Rolls-Royces ever. Two of the fleet will be the most expensive Rolls-Royce Phantoms ever commissioned.

The deal was formalised on 16th September 2014 at a signing ceremony at the Home of Rolls‑Royce at Goodwood in West Sussex, England. The signing ceremony was attended by Rolls-Royce CEO, Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, Louis XIII Chairman, Stephen Hung, the Board of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Louis XIII executives and a representative from Graff Diamonds.

“Macau is rapidly evolving into the luxury capital of the world and we are honoured to have the opportunity to add to Macau’s many distinctions, the world’s largest fleet of Rolls-Royce Phantoms, including the two most luxurious vehicles Rolls-Royce has ever built. Louis XIII and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars share the same philosophy: to deliver the perfect experience to the world’s most discerning customers,” said Louis XIII Chairman, Stephen Hung.

“We at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars are delighted and honoured that Mr Hung has commissioned Rolls-Royce to provide the largest single order of Phantoms in history. The Louis XIII fleet of Phantoms promises to be one of most impressive sights ever seen in Macau when they arrive at the Louis XIII hotel in 2016. Mr Hung’s commission reaffirms Phantom’s pinnacle position as the motor car of choice for those seeking to experience the finest luxury the world has to offer,” commented Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

Each of the 30 Rolls-Royces has been extensively customised by Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke design team at Goodwood working hand-in-hand with Mr Hung and Louis XIII to create truly distinctive vehicles. Newly created bespoke elements have been applied extensively both to the interior and exterior of the cars including bespoke clocks designed and created by Graff Luxury Watches. The two most expensive Phantoms will additionally feature external and internal gold-plated accents.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has also helped to design the parking and driveways to house the fleet at Louis XIII and will train Louis XIII’s chauffeurs from Macau in the appropriate driving and handling of the unique vehicles.

The Phantom fleet will chauffeur the guests of Louis XIII, located on the Cotai Strip in Macau, when it is opened in the first half of 2016.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is delighted to present the latest showcase of the marque’s pinnacle Bespoke offering.

The Phantom Metropolitan Collection, unveiled today at the Mondial de L’Automobile in Paris, features exquisite hand-crafted design inspired by the modern metropolis. Just 20 of these beautifully crafted motor cars will be available to commission.

Phantom’s launch in 2003 emphatically heralded the renaissance of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars by affording the world’s most discerning and successful men and women the consummate super-luxury experience. Central to the allure of its unique promise is an interior furnished in the very finest materials; expertly hand-applied by the master craftspeople at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England. It presents a space that cossets occupants and provides the ultimate sanctuary in which to traverse and observe the city in supreme comfort.

The Phantom Metropolitan Collection pays homage to the world’s great metropolises through the meticulous application of marquetry – the art of inlaying small pieces of wood veneer to form decorative motifs. When open, Phantom’s signature picnic table presents occupants with an elevated view of the city, created through the expert application of 500 individual wood veneer pieces. Indeed, the process of hand-cutting, colouring, shaping and applying is so complex these unique objects d’art take an expert wood craftsperson several days to complete. On closing the tables, a different perspective of the cityscape is offered – reflecting the view one gets when effortlessly travelling in the rear of a Phantom.

“I can think of no more fitting location than Paris to debut this remarkable new motor car. This is a city that echoes Rolls-Royce’s very special brand promise in perfectly combining the timeless and modern in a manner that celebrates the art of the master craftsperson,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “Our customers across the globe delight in challenging our designers and craftspeople to create true, one-of-a-kind pieces of automotive art. This latest Collection serves to showcase the extraordinary scope for Bespoke personalisation afforded to every patron of the marque.”

Meticulous care is taken when selecting the individual wood veneers. Minute imperfections such as knots and flecks lead to instant rejection. Adjustments to the colour of each piece are made through the traditional hand-process of hot-sand shading before a final inspection under magnification on a light box to ensure perfection.

The cityscape theme extends beyond Phantom’s many wood surfaces. A specially developed Aetherius Grey leather colour was created to echo the colour palette of the modern city whilst 6,800 two-tone stitches to the central rear seat flutes depict an abstract image of a skyscraper. A specially developed Bespoke clock extends the theme to the front of the car. For the first time in the marque’s history, a rotating bezel expressing 24 of the great cities of the world and their time zones – Paris included – adorns the central console of a Rolls-Royce motor car.

An exterior hue, Darkest Tungsten, inspired by city skylines finishes the exterior surfaces of the motor car on display in Paris. However, as afforded to any Rolls-Royce customer, the full palette of 44,000 colours is available to those commissioning a Phantom Metropolitan Collection motor car. Should that not be enough, the marque’s Bespoke craftspeople will create a perfect match of any colour or object a customer may wish to replicate. The exterior is completed with a hand-applied coachline that depicts an abstract silhouette of modern skyscrapers.

This is the latest in a line of remarkable, individual Bespoke masterpieces. 2014 has seen such highlights as the Phantom Drophead Coupé Waterspeed Collection that paid tribute to Sir Donald Campbell’s record-breaking achievements and the Pinnacle Travel Phantom that made its debut at the Beijing Auto Show. These limited Collections serve to inspire customers, with record levels of Bespoke demand reported in September 2014. Nearly every Phantom across the globe, 90% of Wraith and 80% of Ghost family motor cars were commissioned by customers with some element of Bespoke design. Bespoke is Rolls-Royce.

The Rolls-Royce Maharaja Phantom Drophead Coupé, a one-of-a-kind Bespoke vehicle created exclusively for customers in Dubai, was unveiled yesterday at an Indian-themed evening event held in celebration of the car’s arrival at the AGMC Rolls-Royce showroom.

Inspired by the Golden Age of the Raja, this eye-catchingly beautiful model was conceptualised and hand-crafted by specialists at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England, in honour of India’s affinity with the super-luxury marque. 100 years ago, India’s Princes and Maharajas collectively engaged in what is described as one of the world’s longest relationships with one automobile manufacturer. Over a period of five decades, the Maharajas purchased over 840 unique Rolls-Royce motor cars pushing the maker of the ‘Best Car in the World’ to unprecedented levels of design, engineering and luxury. Now, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is recreating the golden age of India’s motoring heritage though a collection of Bespoke vehicles inspired by the Maharajas’ cars, the first of which is the Rolls-Royce Maharaja Phantom Drophead Coupé unveiled last night.

“Dubai is the only market in the world to receive this extraordinary, one-of-a-kind Bespoke Phantom Drophead Coupé, which has been two years in the making – not only an incredible coup for us, but also a strong reflection of the importance that Rolls-Royce Motor Cars places on this market,” explains Osman Abdelmoneim, General Manager at AGMC.

Highlighting the exclusivity and unique nature of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ renowned Bespoke programme, the model has already prompted strong interest from local automotive enthusiasts in Dubai and customers within the Indian community seeking the pinnacle in luxury and individualisation. “Our customers demand the best, the extraordinary and the unique. Such attributes are the hallmarks of every Rolls-Royce motor car, and are particularly evident in the Rolls-Royce Maharaja Phantom Drophead Coupé,” adds Abdelmoneim.

A host of subtle touches have been added to the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé to bring the Golden Age of the Raja alive in this extraordinary model. The exterior of this Maharaja inspired super-luxury vehicle dazzles in a Carrara White colour, with a Peacock emblem, the national bird of India, completing an Emerald green coachline. A Deep Green hood retracts to reveal a beautiful deck with a Peacock emblem integrated into the marquetry – a perfect complement to the Peacock detail on the bonnet. The interior continues the striking colour theme by elegantly combining Crème Light leather with Emerald green accents, which is complemented by marquetry inlay on the facia panel top and arm rests. More elaborate Peacock emblems can be found embroidered into the headrests in Emerald green and Cobalto blue, as well as a Peacock feather pattern in Seashell stitching on the side and central armrests. The Bespoke Maharaja Peacock clock complements the interior colours with Cobalto blue and Jade elements.

Phantom is Rolls-Royce’s pinnacle model. It was created with the desire to build the best car in the world, and as such is a vehicle designed without compromise. When combined with the ability for customisation through the Bespoke Programme, the result is the ultimate in automotive excellence, a modern interpretation of the luxury motor car and number one choice of transport for Dubai's elite.

From the moment Sir Henry Royce introduced the Rolls-Royce Phantom in 1925 it was judged ‘The Best Car in the World’ by the cognoscenti. As a result it has conveyed some of the world’s most influential and powerful men and women to the most defining historical moments over the last 92 years.

Every new Phantom that has subsequently appeared has successfully retained the title of ‘Best Car in the World’ as a result of Rolls-Royce’s tireless pursuit of perfection, visionary engineering, aesthetic acuity and deep understanding of what the world’s leading luxury item should be. Quite simply, Rolls-Royce has innovated for almost a century to set the benchmark and satisfy the most discerning luxury patrons.

A new benchmark will be set today as the New Phantom – the eighth generation of this great nameplate – arrives. Not satisfied with simply launching a motor car that is a wholly contemporary design interpretation of Phantom DNA and a technological tour de force, Rolls-Royce has revolutionised the luxury car industry itself by shifting away from the status quo of shared platforms to an entirely new luxury business model.

As the next chapter in the Rolls-Royce story opens, the New Rolls-Royce Phantom points the way forward for the global luxury industry.

Peter Schwarzenbauer, Chairman of Rolls-Royce and Member of the Board of the BMW Group said, “The global introduction of a new Rolls-Royce is always a very special moment within the BMW Group. This particular occasion is all the more special because we are introducing an all-new Phantom, the flagship of the Rolls-Royce brand and the world’s foremost luxury product. New Phantom is a powerful statement of design, engineering and Bespoke expertise and I am delighted with the response we have received from our many highly discerning customers worldwide. The BMW Group remains fully committed to the future of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and is proud of the many achievements made by the brand since its acquisition.”

The Genesis of New Phantom

Quite contrary to how other so-called luxury manufacturers are trying to realise economies of scale by sharing platforms with mass market manufacturers, Rolls-Royce concluded that the future of true luxury lies in true small-volume manufacture of a dedicated ‘Architecture of Luxury’.

“This realisation was a moment of clarity about the destiny of Rolls-Royce,” reflects Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “Every one of our customers – each a connoisseur of luxury in the extreme – were asking for something more individual to them, not less. We were adamant that that was what they should have.”

“Key to Rolls-Royce realising its vision of being the world’s leading luxury brand, today and in the future, is an architecture that spans the entire Rolls-Royce family,” comments Philip Koehn, Director of Engineering. “The Architecture of Luxury will carry every future Rolls-Royce, not just the New Phantom. Project Cullinan and eventually the next Ghost, Wraith, Dawn will ride on this architecture, as well as future coachbuild projects.”

“Phantom VII’s spaceframe architecture was a good starting point and inspiration, but we wanted to do much more,” adds Giles Taylor, Director of Design. “The Architecture of Luxury gives me the canvas to protect the lineage and brand integrity of Rolls-Royce without compromise. Starting with New Phantom, I have the framework to create a future range of true Rolls-Royces. In essence, this is one big coachbuild project.”

“Our approach has been to forge long-term relationships with smaller suppliers run by families that will focus on us, giving us much more attention and therefore results that live within a quality expectation far beyond any other automotive concern,” continues Koehn. “For a brand to operate in such a manner within a larger automotive group is unheard of and truly revolutionary.”

What is the Architecture of Luxury?

The Architecture of Luxury is an all-aluminium spaceframe architecture designed by Rolls-Royce engineers that will underpin every future Rolls-Royce beginning with the New Phantom. As such, no future Rolls-Royce will be of monocoque construction as used by mass-manufacturers and some mass-luxury brands.

It is a truly revolutionary approach for the motor industry, and one that is informed by Rolls-Royce’s standing as a luxury house in the business of cars. Whilst the majority of so-called luxury manufacturers are limited to sharing individual platforms in a specific sector with mass brands for say their SUV or GT offerings, thereby introducing unacceptable compromise, Rolls-Royce will be uncompromising in only using its own architecture across all its motor cars, whatever the sector.

It has been designed and engineered from the ground up in such a way as to be scalable to the size and weight requirements of different future Rolls-Royce models, including those with different propulsion, traction and control systems, thus underpinning the long-term future product roadmap.

Approximately 30 per cent more rigid than the spaceframe architecture on which sat Phantom VII, the new architecture is at the heart of how the next generation of Rolls-Royces delivers the Rolls-Royce experience in terms of ride comfort, acoustic comfort, seat comfort, exterior presence and interior space.

Engineering a Modern Masterpiece

The New Phantom will be the first of a new generation of Rolls-Royces to benefit from the creation of the Architecture of Luxury. This new architecture serves as the foundation on which this eighth generation of Phantom reaffirms its position as ‘The Best Car in the World’ by taking the best fundamentals and making them better.

The first major benefit of the new architecture for the New Phantom are lightness, increased stiffness, efficient production of standard and extended wheelbase bodies and uncompromised exterior surface design.

The all-new aluminium spaceframe structure delivers extraordinary car body stiffness for exceptional 'best-in-class' functional performance whilst also being lighter. Indeed New Phantom is 30 per cent more rigid than its predecessor, leading to better ride comfort.

Accompanying the increased stiffness of the spaceframe is a best-in-class high comfort chassis with air suspension and state-of-the-art chassis control systems, delivering peerless 'effortless' ride and handling and optimal vibration comfort performance.

A new double-wishbone front axle and 5-link rear axle deliver astounding levels of control over lateral roll and shear forces and delivering incredible agility and stability, as does the addition of four-wheel steering, all contributing to an undisturbed passenger whatever the driving conditions.

Rolls-Royce’s celebrated Magic Carpet Ride also improves as a result of the new lighter architecture, and the latest generation of self-levelling air suspension. The suspension makes millions of calculations every second as it continuously varies the electronically controlled shock absorber adjustment system – reacting to body and wheel acceleration, steering inputs and camera information. In addition, the Flagbearer – evocative of those men who were required by law to carry a red flag ahead of early motor cars – adds a stereo camera system integrated in the windscreen to see the road ahead, adjusting suspension proactively rather than reactively up to 100km/h.

The most silent motor car in the world

Incalculable effort was expended to create ‘the most silent motor car in the world’ including 6mm two-layer glazing all around the car, more than 130kg of sound insulation, the largest ever cast aluminium joints in a body-in-white for better sound insulation, and use of high absorption materials.

Acoustic insulation from road noise has been helped by the employment of double skin alloy on areas within the floor and bulkhead of the spaceframe. This is a feature unique to New Phantom. Further noise insulation by inserting dense foam and felt layers are between these skins to provide sound insulation not witnessed before in the car industry.

In addition, high absorption layers within the headliner, in the doors and in the boot cavity have further aided insulation and reduced reverberation. Rolls-Royce also worked closely with its tyre supplier to invent ‘Silent-Seal' tires – which feature a specific foam layer placed inside the tyre to wipe out tyre cavity noise and reduce overall tyre noise by 9db, meaning that conversation within the car is completely effortless.

All in all it is a perfect 360° cocooning effect in a motor car that is approximately 10 per cent quieter than its predecessor at 100km/h. Indeed, when Rolls-Royce’s acoustic test engineer first reviewed results road and vibration tests, the sound levels were so low they had to check their instruments were calibrated correctly.

The heart of a Rolls-Royce – the magnificent V12 reinvented

At the heart of every Rolls-Royce of the modern period lies the power of a V12 engine. At the beginning of this next chapter of Rolls-Royce’s existence, and with the creation of the Architecture of Luxury, the New Phantom also benefits from a completely new engine.

With the focus on creating the most silent motor car in the world, a completely silent engine was also required, and that meant more low-end output at lower revs to ensure that silence. Hence a completely new, 6.75-litre V12 powertrain has been engineered for New Phantom, in place of the previous naturally aspirated V12 engine.

The new V12 Phantom engine employs two turbo chargers that contribute to a low-end torque output of 900Nm at an incredibly low 1,700rpm whilst also delivering 563bhp or 420kW of power, resulting in calm low speed progress associated with state occasions and an unfussed surge of power when one needs to press on. The addition of Satellite Aided Transmission (SAT), married to a ZF 8-Speed gearbox also ensures that the driver is prepared for whatever the road has in store for them.

The most technologically advanced Rolls-Royce ever

Another benchmark, the Electronic Architecture of the New Phantom is the largest ever component produced by the BMW Group, let alone Rolls-Royce, helping to make New Phantom the most technologically advanced Rolls-Royce ever.

This central nervous system connects and controls all the various advanced intelligence systems of New Phantom, making it the most advanced luxury motor car available. Some, but not all, assistance systems on-board New Phantom include: Alertness Assistant, a 4-camera system with Panoramic View, all-round visibility including helicopter view, Night Vision and Vision Assist, Active Cruise Control, collision warning, pedestrian warning, cross-traffic warning, lane departure and lane change warning, an industry leading 7x3 high-resolution head-up display, WiFi hotspot, and of course the latest navigation and entertainment systems.

New Phantom – A Contemporary Design Masterpiece

"Phantom is the epitome of effortless style, an historical nameplate that occupies a rarefied space in the luxury constellation and conjures a rare magic all of its own. New Phantom raises a glass to an illustrious design legacy whilst forging a modern and revitalised presence for the next era of Rolls-Royce design."
Giles Taylor, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

The first Rolls-Royce to be built on the new Architecture of Luxury, the New Phantom is a wholly new and contemporary interpretation of the Phantom DNA, delivering new levels of iconic presence and an increased elegance of line suggesting both poise and stability at speed and an unrushed Grand Arrival.

On first glance the New Phantom is remarkable in its purity. Thanks to the new Architecture of Luxury and new engineering processes, the precision body joining process ensures there are few, if any, visible join lines between body panels, giving New Phantom the appearance of being hewn from a solid block of aluminium. It is truly a triumph of design and engineering departments working hand in hand to create a beautiful masterpiece.

Its opening gesture immediately demonstrates a radical contemporisation of Phantom, through the reimagining of the Pantheon grille at the heart of the design. The strong portrait grille is raised higher than that of Phantom VII today, also resulting in a positioning of the Spirit of Ecstasy approximately a half inch higher. It is redolent of the futuristic design first hinted at on the grille of VISION NEXT 100 – codename 103EX last year, but also influenced by the James Young-era Silver Cloud.

However, unlike 103EX and all previous Phantoms, New Phantom’s grille is for the first time integrated into the surrounding bodywork. The resulting effect is a cleaner, reduced design with modernity and clarity, allowing all New Phantom’s lines to connect with this iconic statement of power and flow from it.

In addition, a new purposeful headlamp graphic gives a confident and focused expression with fresh, frosted internals that feel open and optimistic, whilst accommodating an expressive ring of daytime driving lights and the most advanced laserlight system of any motor car that at night casts light well over 600 metres down the road.

This flow is achieved through the handcrafting of beautiful, authentic materials and subtle creases in the bodywork. The key front to rear line begins inboard from the top edge of the grille moving outwards along the body to the rear, lending a sense of dynamism to New Phantom, while the front wing line fades just after the door handle suggesting pace and fluidity.

The grille itself is created from hand-polished stainless steel, a material that highlights the precious and timeless nature of this New Phantom and its modern architecture through the use of a visually warm and highly tactile material. Emanating from the upper tips of the grille, the polished stainless steel strips curve along the upper edges of the bonnet and around the windscreen, accentuating the length of the bonnet and seamlessly blending the cabin to the lower volume as though swept by the wind.

From the side, New Phantom has the iconic 2:1 proportions that have endeared so many to every generation of Phantom, featuring a short front and long rear overhang, an upright front and a flowing rear. The rear lines of the car in side view circle forward to the waft line and lead the eye back through the front wheel. The largest single-piece of hand-polished stainless steel on any motor car is the side frame finisher of New Phantom. It beautifully accentuates the elegant stance of the car and with a rounded softer feel, preserves the iconic wide C-pillar for privacy, while allowing the eye to transition easily to the rear. Furthermore, a single polished stainless steel strip is placed on the sill of the Phantom Extended Wheelbase to differentiate it.

“The side view design theme of Phantom recalls the elegance of Phantom V. By separating the front wing line from the waist line, we introduce a sense of movement and this line circles back under the car inferring a lighter, fleetness of foot,” comments Taylor.

A lot happens at the back of New Phantom as the design evokes the beautiful flowing rears of the 1950’s and 1960’s Phantoms. The rear glass, again defined by an impeccably crafted stainless steel frame, is more raked and the rear lines sleeker than the previous Phantom, whilst a subtle scallop on the rear roof line that hovers above the rear occupant’s assures one of preserved head room.

The eye is also drawn inboard by a neat tapered tail, which is constructed of super formed aluminium to ensure more join-free surfaces and flowing bumper lines around the rear light graphic. Subtle creases in the bootlid that hark back to the more pronounced boots of earlier Phantoms flow on to a pronounced boot lid finisher. Again in stainless steel this feature echoes the front grille whilst allowing the airflow to gracefully depart from the rear of the car. Even the jewel-like rear light cluster is furnished in exquisite detail with the famous Double-R badges etched in.

Hand-polished stainless steel also envelops the first touchpoints of New Phantom – the handles on the iconic coach doors. Unlike the trend for insubstantial fared in handles, Rolls-Royce understands that the substance of a Rolls-Royce door handle is key to the owners every day physical experience of their motor car, and the feel of this beautiful material under the hand is highly satisfying to them.

The final visual expression of Phantom is its wheels, which of course conform to the golden mean of Rolls-Royce design proportion. Essential to providing the sensation of flight on land, the largest high-value alloy wheel ever employed on a Rolls-Royce is offered. At 22-inches, the diameter when shod in Rolls-Royce’s Seal Technology Tyres’ delivers a Magic Carpet Ride never experienced in a Rolls-Royce before.

Phantom: The World’s Leading Luxury Item

Stepping aboard the New Phantom is an occasion in itself. The coach doors stand open. The only choice is whether one drives or is driven. As the patron settles into the car, an assistant or valet steps forward and lightly touches the sensor on the door handle. The door automatically whispers closed of its own accord, enveloping the occupant in ‘The Embrace’ of the World’s Leading Luxury Item.

Fundamental to the rear occupant’s experience and enjoyment of their New Phantom is this ‘Embrace’. It re-defines Rolls-Royce comfort and refinement – already the benchmark for any carmaker – to create a detoxifying environment whilst cocooning the occupant in the finest of materials, whilst all four doors are enhanced with this new technology to enfold the occupant. The rear and now front doors can also be effortlessly closed from the inside.

‘The Embrace’ is the vision of Giles Taylor, inspired by his creation of 103EX. He has taken great strides towards evoking the spirit of 103EX with the futuristic interior design of the New Phantom, where nothing detracts from calmness and tranquillity in this particular sanctuary. Technology is hidden until required, spaces and surfaces are clean, and the eye rests only on beauty as if in an art gallery.

As one would expect from a Rolls-Royce, the environment is crafted from the most precious and contemporary of materials. What is unexpected is the feeling of lightness and simplicity, an effortless elegance.

From one’s position on beautifully enhanced rear seats, the occupant is borne along in near-silence as if on a pillow of air, thanks to much enhanced ride and acoustic comfort. When in need of a space to reflect on issues of importance or simply lost in thought, ones imagination is inspired by the largest Starlight Headliner ever seen in a Rolls-Royce. High gloss, exquisitely tactile wood panelling that can be commissioned for the door interiors, centre consoles, dashboard and picnic tables, encircles the passenger in only the most beautiful and authentic materials.

The lines at the front of the interior lean forward suggesting a progressive nature, while in contrast the rear doors lean back, relaxing the character of the rear environment. When designing the armrests, the J-Class yacht was heavily referenced as a design inspiration. The tension and ‘hull’ of the armrests are directly influenced by these large sailing yachts.

The seats are newly sculpted and hand-crafted to deliver even more comfort. They feature a strong horizontal element through the top of the seat, imparting a sense of width, comfort and presence, whilst visually enhanced with a vertical interpretation of the seat ‘bullet’ previously seen in Wraith and Dawn. The sweep of wood panelling across the back of the front seats have clearly been influenced by the famous Eames Lounge Chair of 1956, a design so regarded by patrons of luxury that it is part of the New York Museum of Modern Art’s permanent display.

Cleverly secreted behind the wood panelling on the rear of the front seats are the Rear Picnic tables and Rear Theatre Monitors, which are electrically deployed and retracted at the effortless touch of a button, ensuring an uncompromised theatre experience. Rolls-Royce’s customary attention to detail even dictates that the seat controls are repositioned from the centre armrest to a more intuitive position for the user.Phantom patrons will be able to commission different seating choices best suited to their requirements. Choices include the more intimate lounge seat, individual seats with occasional armrest, individual seats with fixed centre console and the newly introduced sleeping seat.

The new fixed rear centre console receives significant enhancement, by incorporating a drinks cabinet with whisky glasses and decanter, champagne flutes and coolbox. In any configuration effortless conversation is aided with the very careful angling of the rear seats. This ensures occupants are able to talk to each other without straining their necks.

The sense of touch is also satisfied by the continued use of the finest and most authentic materials throughout the interior. Every item of switchgear is made from metal – such as the iconic eyeball vents and organ stop controllers, seat and light switches, violin key window switches – glass or wrapped in the finest leather as dials including the new front and rear Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controllers.

Meanwhile, further unseen levels of comfort and refinement are introduced into the Phantom Suite with heated surfaces operated in conjunction with the seat heating functionality. Areas throughout the interior that are now heated include the front door armrests, front centre console lid, lower C-Pillar, rear side armrests with all individual seats, and rear centre armrest.

‘The Gallery’ – an unprecedented new concept in luxury

At the heart of the New Phantom’s wholly modern design aesthetic is ‘The Gallery’, a wholly contemporary and luxury reinterpretation of a motor car’s dashboard and instrument panel area.

While the character of the monolithic, upright dashboard pays contemporary homage to Rolls-Royce models of the past, with one clean, symmetrical surface, the main fascia veneer takes the eye from the lower centre up and outwards to create a sense of width.

All of the elements within ‘The Gallery’ are enclosed in an uninterrupted swathe of toughened glass that runs the full width of the dash area. Within it, the instrument digital dials are framed with chrome, adding a degree of jewellery and continuity throughout the front of the interior.

Behind the physical chrome surrounds of the instrument dials, Rolls-Royce has embraced a more futuristic approach to clearer instruments for the driver, something requested by Rolls-Royce customers around the world. 12.3 inch TFT colour displays with LED backlighting now communicate all driver information from within the round chrome surrounds, with the displays themselves designed with clear and beautiful virtual needles, Rolls-Royce jewellery-like chaplets and clear lettering.

In addition to speed, power reserve, fuel and temperature levels, the displays also react to provide essential information on cruise control settings, navigation instructions, driver assistance systems and a whole host of other information.

Also behind the glass of ‘The Gallery’ are housed the analogue clock – a nod the fact that it is “the loudest sound you can hear in a Rolls-Royce …” and the central information screen which can be retracted behind the centre stack when not in use.

The standard clock features a dark face and the surround is finished in black leather. However, each Bespoke Clock features a more intricate design, including a lighter backlit face with crystal effect details and counterweighted hands, and is finished to match the material selected within ‘The Gallery’.

The Art of Movement

“Art is at the heart of the conception of the New Phantom’s interior,” comments Taylor. “As an interest, we know that a huge number of our clients are patrons of art and indeed have their own private collections. Art is a binding factor for many of them.”

This binding factor was what inspired Taylor to radically reinterpret the motor cars’ dashboard from being a dead expanse into a riveting focal point. “I wanted to take a motoring constant that has existed for a century, but served little purpose but to hide airbags and componentry, and give it another purpose, space to breathe,” comments Taylor.

Hence the real purpose of ‘The Gallery’ – to be just that, a gallery.

By realising a space in the upper dashboard, Taylor envisioned a new use – to create an area for Bespoke works of art and thereby multiply the personalisation potential for every owner of a New Phantom.

“In the 18th century, miniatures were highly fashionable and valuable items of art that allowed their owners to carry images of their loved one with them wherever they travelled. I really loved that idea of taking your art with you, when travelling, and so I acted on it,” continues Taylor. “Now, our clients will be able to do the same.”

As a Bespoke Commission, customers will be able to choose a favoured artist or designer to work with Rolls-Royce to create a truly individual work of art that spans the width of ‘The Gallery’ in their New Phantom.

Rolls-Royce has already worked with a number of artists, designers and design collectives to demonstrate what kind of creations are possible to put behind the glass of ‘The Gallery’ for the owners pleasure. Works as various as an oil painting inspired by the South Downs of England in Autumn by renowned Chinese fine artist Liang Yuanwei, a gold-plated 3D-printed map of an owners DNA created by the enfant terrible of German product design Thorsten Franck, a hand-made stem of the finest porcelain roses handmade by world renowned porcelain manufacturer Nymphenberg or an abstract design in silk by young British artist Helen Amy Murray are some of the creations inspired by this most unusual of Gallery spaces.

In addition to these Bespoke Commissions, which will take longer to deliver, Rolls-Royce’s craftspeople and designers at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood have created a stunning collection of forward-looking Gallery treatments of silk, wood, metal and leather, which are available immediately.

Conclusion

The Architecture of Luxury, ‘The Gallery’, The Embrace, The Art of Movement, the best possible materials in the world and peerless Rolls-Royce design and engineering; the New Rolls-Royce Phantom resets the benchmark not only as ‘the Best Car in the World’, but as the world’s leading luxury item. As the next chapter in Rolls-Royce’s story opens, the New Rolls-Royce Phantom points the way forward for the global luxury industry.

Ah, it’s the new ‘best car in the world’…
Since the first Phantom appeared in 1925, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has had its ups and downs. When the current car appeared at the stroke of midnight on January 1st 2003, the company even called it ‘the last great automotive adventure’.

Maybe that should have been penultimate, because we’ve just driven the new car, and as internal combustion most likely won’t be around in another 14 years’ time, this really could be The One.

Rolls-Royce reckons the Phantom is the barometer by which everyone else in the world of expensive luxury goods measures themselves, so the bar isn’t just raised here, it’s bejewelled and platinum-plated. You know when someone claims to be ‘the Rolls-Royce of watches/furniture/granite-kitchen-worktops’? Well, this is the Rolls-Royce of Rolls-Royces.

They sure took their time. Worth the wait?
Like the Range Rover, that other fabulous four-wheeled luxury totem, it would be unseemly to replace the Phantom every seven years. And uneconomic. So climbing behind the wheel of the all-new car – and it is a bit of a climb – is a special moment indeed.

The dashboard has been ingeniously reconfigured as an art gallery, the structure itself has the implacability of Mount Rushmore or the pyramids of Giza, and of course there’s Eleanor, the Spirit of Ecstasy, pointing the way forward from the prow of the longest bonnet in the business. More than ever, taking the helm of the Phantom is palpably not like driving other cars. It’s like flying without actually getting airborne.

Its size sounds a bit intimidating…
It is, to begin with at least, and as ever it’s a while before you feel totally confident about positioning the behemoth on the road. But some interesting things have gone on here. Many owners – patrons, as Rolls rather loftily describes them – actually like to drive themselves, so there’s a renewed emphasis on attributes you might not associate with a car as big and luxurious as this.

Feedback, for example. The old one didn’t really do so much of that, preferring to keep you at arm’s length from the ghastliness of the real world, its crumbling roads, and failing political ideologies. This one is still highly diplomatic, but in addition to the fabled magic carpet ride, there’s more dialogue.

The wheel is a tad thicker than before, and there’s fully electric power steering, but the mode of operation remains the same for the chauffeurs among you: slide the delicate little column stalk into ‘D’, apply the merest suggestion of pressure to the throttle pedal, and ease away in such a manner as not to rustle the copy of Pork Belly Futures Digest that’s being mulled over in the rear compartment. Otherwise you’ll be mulling over your P45.

Does the Phantom, ahem, handle?
Actually, it does, or more accurately it can, should you elect to lean on it. But even with a (heavily revised) version of Rolls’s 6.6-litre twin-turbo V12 – it’s 6.75 litres in capacity here, and makes 563bhp – it feels inappropriate to trouble the power reserve gauge any more than is strictly necessary (no rev counter in here, of course). Which, given that you’re surfing along on a huge wave of torque, 664lb ft from 1,700rpm, is mostly never.

The essence of a Rolls-Royce is a driving – travelling – experience that is beyond even that summoned up by the plushest Mercedes S-Class or BMW 7 Series. You don’t notice things as humdrum as gearchanges (the Phantom uses ZF’s silken eight-speed transmission), and you only notice really awful road surfaces. If you’re in the back, you don’t notice much at all. Which is the point: in a Phantom, silence isn’t just golden, it’s omnipresent.

Give us the engineering highlights, please.
Rolls says the new spaceframe structure is 30 per cent more rigid than the previous model, a figure that rises significantly in key areas such as suspension and gearbox. This new structure, coincidentally, offers sufficient flexibility to underpin the next wave of Rolls product.

The chassis gets an all-new suspension setup, with a double wishbone configuration on the front, a five-link axle at the rear, adaptive dampers, and active anti-roll bars. It’s also the latest car to benefit from four-wheel steering, whose three degrees of counter-steer help shrink the car’s heft at higher speeds, as well as improving low-speed agility. The Phant’s air springs feature bigger chambers than on any previous Rolls, and the tyres are specially developed Continentals whose structure incorporates 2kg of sound absorbent material.

Anything else?
The list is long. There’s 6mm-thick, dual-layer double glazing windows all-round. The body-in-white features the largest-ever cast aluminium joints to enhance sound insulation, and overall the Phantom carries more than 130kg of sound-deadening material. There’s double skin alloy within the floor and on the front bulkhead, into which a foam and felt layer is squeezed. There’s more insulating material in the headliner, doors, and boot cavity.

All of this contributes to the car’s 2,560kg kerbweight (2,610kg if you go for the long ’un, which adds 220mm to the wheelbase), but that’s surely an irelevance. As well as monitoring body and wheel acceleration and steering inputs, a stereo camera mounted in the windscreen reads the road ahead to effectively erase surface unpleasantness before it’s allowed to upset the occupants’ Dom Perignon. The new Phantom also features so many assistance systems that the heart of its electronic architecture is the single largest component produced by the BMW Group.

And inside? Is it all a bit… too much?
It’s certainly opulent. The doors close themselves, and Rolls talks about creating a ‘detoxifying environment’. Everywhere you look there’s some detail magic. The design of the door-rests was inspired by J-class yacht, and the rear seats are slightly angled so you can talk without straining your neck. Push a button in the C-pillar and lushly carpeted Ottomans motor out to meet your feet. The rear occupants get to enjoy what Rolls calls the ‘embrace’.

You don’t sit in this car, you get absorbed into it, and needless to say the options list is a vast and intimidating thing in itself. Every item of switchgear is made of metal. As well as heated seats, there’s heating for the front door armrests, lower C-pillar and rear side armrests.

Nothing as unseemly as a touchscreen is allowed in here, either; the rotary controller remains. Climate control is still done by red and blue-labelled ‘wheels’. It feels wonderful, and serves as a reminder that the tech arms race that’s redefining car ‘connectivity’ often leads the end user up a blind alley. Many Rolls owners are passionate art collectors, and Rolls has actually managed to turn the Phantom’s dash into a gallery space: an expanse of toughened glass runs the full width of the dashboard. You can put whatever you want in there.

You like it, then.
The Phantom ‘experience’ is as much about the tactility of the door handles as it is how effortlessly this thing moves. And, of course, how it looks as it scythes through lesser traffic. It’s only when you follow another one that you grasp what a uniquely fabulous looking machine this car really is.

Design director Giles Taylor is a meticulous operator, and from the reimagined Parthenon grille to the tighter, faster rear end – whose surfaces benefit from superforming to achieve perfect radii – this is an awesome motor car to behold. Or better still, to travel in. As expensive as it is (from, gulp, £360,000) there’s entertainment for everyone here.

Representing a modern interpretation of Rolls-Royce's pinnacle model, the Phantom Extended 'Magnetism' commission reflects the magnetic ambiance of a beach bay under the night sky. The two-tone exterior coachwork is finished in Cala Luna Sand, inspired by the hue of the moonlit beach sands, and Kabira Blue, reminiscent of the profound intensity of the horizon when the vast sea meets the midnight sky. The exterior is completed with a double coachline hand-painted in Arctic White and Cala Luna Sand.

Inside, the celestial concept is brought into technicolour with a complex Starlight Headliner: 768 Galileo Blue and 576 White hand-placed 'stars' make up the motif, which becomes animated by a further eight 'shooting stars'.

The rear waterfall is adorned with an intricate expression of the celestial motif inlaid in stainless steel. The motif also appears on the exquisite Gallery artwork, which is embroidered in Arctic White thread on a Navy Blue canvas using satin stitch technique. In total, the Gallery piece comprises 43,096 stitches, carefully placed to make the most of the interplay between light and shadow on the textured surface. The motif is also referenced on the passenger panel.

The front and rear reclining seats are trimmed in Blue Grey, Navy Blue and Arctic White leather with Arctic White contrast stitching, seat piping and headrest monograms. The door veneer is open-pore Obsidian Ayous - a contemporary, tactile finish that celebrates the wood's natural grain.