It was all set to be a big day for Rolls-Royce. After 50 years' absence, the famous brand made its return to India with the new Phantom.

But organisers of the event in Mumbai made a grave mistake, as they chose the wrong colour scheme for the launch car. In India, the only vehicles painted black are hearses!

Naresh Mehta, press attaché for the Indian Embassy in London, said: "Very few people would ever consider buying a black car in India. Silver, white or grey are the country's favourite colours. It's only funeral vehicles which tend to be completely black. Even taxis have yellow roofs."

Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce has commissioned famous pen maker Conway Stewart to produce special writing sets for buyers of the limited-edition 80th anniversary Phantom. Each of the £216,950 cars comes with a three-piece set, comprising a fountain and ballpoint pen and propelling pencil. They are stored in a handcrafted leather and aluminum protective case, which fits into the glovebox.

Rolls-Royce is to display its extended wheelbase Phantom at the Frankfurt Motor show. Announced at the Geneva show last spring, it has been stretched by 250mm to give even more legroom in the rear and to allow for the fitting of even more bespoke equipment than the 'standard' model can accommodate. Options include a cigar humidor, drinks cooler and DVD system. The Phantom EWB is priced from $385,000 for the Middle East and Asia; European pricing has not yet been announced.

Rolls-Royce will also be showing two standard-length Phantoms kitted out with different options and interior finishes, to promote its range of bespoke options and accessories. One has a black-painted exterior with 'jasmine' coachlines, Black Tulip wood veneer interior trim with mother of pearl details and inlays, black carpets and jasmine leather seats, plus blue chrome fittings. The second has the theatre-style rear seat configuration with two fully-adjustable armchairs and a central console, a rear telephone, laptop power points, a coolbox and a crystal glass set.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will unveil at the Tokyo Motor Show a new division wall package, fitted to an extended wheelbase Phantom.

The new longer version of the Phantom is the latest addition to the Rolls-Royce line-up and goes on sale first in the Middle East. Deliveries to Japan will begin this December.

Development of the division wall package began in response to requests from customers who wish to have increased privacy in the rear of the car. Included with this new feature is a drop-down, central screen for viewing television and DVDs, a cool box for drinks and special reading lights. These features are manufactured and fitted by the specialist Bespoke engineering team at Goodwood, England.

The division itself is handcrafted using the finest leather and wood veneers. A transparent screen ensures that rear passengers still enjoy the great sense of space which the Phantom offers, yet cannot be easily overheard by the driver. An adjustable aperture allows communication with front seat occupants when required. Handcrafted wood veneer picnic tables and leather document holders add the finishing touches to the division itself.

The new extended Phantom has an extra 250mm added behind the B-pillar, to create a motor car with an even more generously proportioned rear passenger compartment. This new model is entirely handcrafted in-house – designed, engineered and hand built by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars at Goodwood in the same way as the standard length motor car.

Japan is one of the world’s most important markets for Rolls-Royce. In 2004, Rolls-Royce dealer Cornes & Co retailed the third highest number of any in the world. Japanese customers are amongst the most particular in the world and order the highest number of cars with Bespoke features. These are the elements which do not appear on the options list, but are designed and manufactured to meet the specific requirements of individual customers.

Speaking in Tokyo, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Chairman and CEO, Ian Robertson, said, "Japan is a very significant market for Rolls-Royce and we are delighted to be showing something new that has been developed with our customers here in mind. This is a market that rightly demands the highest levels of craftsmanship and individualisation, which is perfectly catered for via our Bespoke engineers at Goodwood."

Note to editors:

The extended wheelbase Phantom retails for ¥48,000,000 in Japan, before tax. The Bespoke package including a division wall, a large central drop down plasma screen, cool box and discreet reading lights adds a ¥4,926,000 premium.

Rolls-Royce has hand built 25 Bespoke cars called Phantom Black. High lustre metallic Diamond Black paint is used on the body, complemented by twin silver coach lines. 21-inch alloy wheels come fitted with high performance Goodyear run flat tyres and feature unique black detailing and centre caps with RR badges, engineered to stay upright even at speed. At the rear of the Phantom Black, visible tail pipes hint at the car’s performance.

Under the bonnet the 6.75 litre V12 engine has been treated to gloss black inlet manifolds, chrome plated top covers and new black Rolls-Royce badges. The near silent motor provides 453bhp, enough to propel the Phantom Black from 0-60mph in just 5.7 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 149mph.

Inside, soft black leather upholstery is edged with Seashell piping. Black ash wood veneers are used throughout and while dark in finish, still allow the natural grain to show through. A silver pinstripe adorns each door capping. The dashboard is finished in special black metal foil with a finely embossed diamond pattern. A slightly thicker rimmed steering wheel adds to the dynamic spirit of the Phantom Black.

Graeme Grieve, Sales and Marketing Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said, "Phantom Black uses a number of new Bespoke finishes and materials to create a contemporary car that blends aesthetics and engineering, emphasising the dynamic character of the car."

Specification

Bespoke Diamond Black finish with twin silver coach lines
21-inch alloy wheels with black detailing and centre caps
Visible tailpipes
Gloss black inlet manifolds, with chrome plated top cover
Black leather interior trim featuring Seashell piping
Black leather headlining with sunshine roof
Black Diamond metal foil instrument panel
Black ash wood veneers with silver pinstripe
Veneered picnic table backs
Bespoke silver clock face
Thicker rimmed steering wheel
Lounge Seat with rear cool box
Cast alloy chassis plate
Phantom Black embroidered glove box liner
Nokia 8800 mobile phone

MIAMI, Feb. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- GREY GOOSE(R) "The World's Best Tasting Vodka," has teamed up with Rolls-Royce, the undisputed leader in the ultra-luxury sedan segment, to create two customized limited-edition Rolls-Royce Extended Wheelbase Phantoms to serve as a platform to promote their social responsibility message of enjoying a safe night on the town, while delivering a luxury experience that cannot be replicated. The public should look for the 2007 GREY GOOSE Rolls-Royce Extended Wheelbase Phantom at high-profile events and around the town, where trained chauffeurs will educate passengers on GREY GOOSE and the importance to "Sip Responsibly." Additionally, vehicles will be utilized to raise money for local and national charity partners and ultimately auctioned off at the end of the program for charity.

Embodying the best in luxury and exclusivity, the 2007 GREY GOOSE Rolls-Royce Extended Wheelbase Phantoms creates an environment representative of the GREY GOOSE brand. Passengers will be encapsulated within the GREY GOOSE experience through special features including custom blended GREY GOOSE signature blue exterior paint and plush upholstery, GREY GOOSE logo embroidered onto headrests and integrated into the trim of the car, grey chrome door tread plates, GREY GOOSE etched mirrors and sterling silver GREY GOOSE onlay on each of the mahogany-veneered door cappings. The new longer wheelbase Phantom is entirely hand-crafted in-house -- designed, engineered and hand-built by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars at Goodwood, England.



The Rolls-Royce Extended Wheelbase Phantom is a limited edition vehicle with only 100 being produced in the world, which promises additional interior space for the rear passengers while maintaining the elegant look of the standard Phantom, its first-class driving performance and the comfort of front-seat occupants. Power continues to be provided by the same highly acclaimed 6.75-litre, 48-valve, 453 bhp, 720 Nm V12 engine that was developed for the standard Phantom. Because the weight gain of the new extended wheel base Phantom over the standard motor car is negligible, there is very little impact on performance or fuel economy. Driver and passengers can still enjoy the effortless and relentless urge of the engine from tick-over, riding on a wave of seemingly bottomless torque. At just 1000 rpm the Rolls-Royce V12 develops 560 Nm of torque.