Thread: Roll Royce Phantom

When the new Roll Royce Phantom saloon emerged from the Goodwood factory. It was well received but regarded with a a touch of suspicion as the German idea of a grand British limousine. a simultaneous launch of the Maybach by Mercedes there was scepticism of BMW's plan forthe famous marque to build 1,000 cars a year.

For a while, it looked as if the new Rolls would not meet its parents' expectations. But by last year, Rolls-Royce at Goodwood was operating at full capacity. In cars were sold worldwide. The secret was to offer a wider choice. The standard saloon (if the term is appropriate for such an expensive car) was joined by the Phantom Extended Wheelbase limousine and the Drophead Coupe, an old-fash¬ioned name for a thoroughly modern convertible. Now a fourth model completes the Phantom range, the hardtop Coupe.

Seen in pictures, the Phantom Coupe looks low-slung and compact. ICoupes are defined as giving less car for more money, with special style as the compensation. More than the Phantom saloon but a touch less than the convertible. It may be 20cm shorter than the saloon and only a four-seater but it remains a formidable 5.6m long and 2m wide one of the biggest cars on the road. Its sheer size and a weight of 2,600kg, give the lie to the idea that this is some kind of Rolls- Royce sports carfast enough its 0-100kmph acceleration in 5.8 seconds matches a Maserati GranTurismo - but it needs too much road space for spirited cornering and its characteristics are diametrically opposed to those of a Ferrari or Aston Martin.

Actually, Rolls-Royce is a bit embarrassed by 'sporting' being applied to the Phantom Coupe. This happened because of a small shiny button on the steering wheel, marked's'. When it is pressed, it simply changes the shift program of the auto¬matic transmission, making the car more eager and responsive, though with some loss of refinement. The Coupe has the same wheelbase (and overall shape and appearance) as the Phantom Drophead Coupe but is seen as a more focused driver's car than the convertible which is for gentle cruising a car to see and be seen in.

So the air suspension is purposely stiffer and there is a thicker anti-roll bar at the rear to improve body control when sweeping through the curves on the French Riviera. There has been some comment that the plush ride that has always marked Rolls Royces has suffered as a result but after a day of driving on all kinds of roads I wouldn't agree: the Phantom Coupe is still a supremely comfortable, luxurious conveyance. When Rolls describes this as a driver's car, it means: as distinct from a car driven by a chauffeur. It is entirely logical that the Phantom Coupe is more likely to be driven by the owner. If he or she wants to be driven and relax in the back seat, the taller and more spacious Phantom saloon is the Rolls to choose. The Phantom Coupe suggest that reticence is not a trait of most owners. Like the Drophead Coupe, the hardtop model can be specified with a bonnet and windscreen frame in brushed, unpainted stainless steel, giving a very dis¬tinctive two-tone effect for an extra.



A unique feature is the Starlight roof, 1,600 illuminated optic fibres spread across the headlining, which give a sparkling effect that can be varied in intensity. This started our as a bit of fun from the designers putting together the EX101 show car (sorry, in Rolls parlance, 'experimental' car) that preceded the production model. Nearly all the potential buyers who were shown EX101 said that they would like to have the starry headliner. Rolls-Royce was happy to oblige. Starry roof or not, there is a sense of occasion about driving any Rolls-Royce. The essentials are the same throughout the cur¬rent range: a quiet and smooth 6.75-litre V12 engine, naturally aspirated but with direct fuel injection, developing 458PS, drives the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.

The body-chassis is a welded aluminium space frame and, like the engine, made in a BMW factory in Germany. Assembly, painting and finishing is done at Goodwood and it is here that the craft of a Rolls-Royce is applied: seats and trim in impossibly smooth, soft, blemish free leather, mirror gloss wood veneer, old fashioned chunky chromium plated switches controlling state-of-the-art BMW electronics. The navigation screen miraculously appears flipped over from the clock panel at the top of the facia and the BMW i-Drive controller emerges from a hidden wood-faced compartment on the centre console.

In the Phantom Coupe, as the other models, it is all beau¬tifully done, with exquisite attention to detail. From a functional point of view, it is kept as simple as possible. The classic white-on-black instruments are dominated by the speedom¬eter. There is no rev counter although there is a fascinating, if useless, 'power reserve' dial; just for the record, in normal brisk main road driving it shows between 80 and 85 per cent. The large leather rimmed steering wheel is almost like a vintage car's and as the steering is low-geared, requires the driver to shuffle it through the hands; crossing hands on the wheel, Ferrari-style, is inappropriate in a Rolls.

The truth is that although it can go fast, the Phantom Coupe doesn't really like to be hurried. Given a hard, urgent push on the throttle it seems almost reluctant to gather itself up and hurtle down the road. That 'sport' button gives it more urgency but the car loses some of its refined manners as it changes gear sharply and squeals its tyres. As you would expect, Rolls fits all the latest safety equip¬ment and those 21-inch wheels conceal some of the biggest, and most effective, brakes in the business. This is a Grand Tourer in the true sense of the term: a car for crossing continents. More usually though, it will be used to impress. The trunk opens up to reveal a seating platform, ideal for a picnic at day at the races or a gymkhana. Ah, now we get it: that's what is meant when they talk of a sporty Rolls-Royce.