Whisper it softly, but the quietest and most technically advanced Rolls-Royce Phantom ever was launched in London tonight.
The
flagship Rolls-Royce is designed to whisk the world’s wealthiest around
in near silence and the lap of luxury – and it comes with its own
dashboard art gallery for those who can afford the £350,000 price tag.
The
new Phantom even paves the way for a future all-electric Rolls-Royce,
ready to comply with Government moves to ban the sale of new
‘conventional’ petrol and diesel vehicles from 2040.
Rolls-Royce revealed its new £350,000 Phantom in London tonight - describing it as 'the most silent motor car in the world'
The new Phantom even paves the
way for a future all-electric Rolls-Royce, ready to comply with
Government moves to ban the sale of new ‘conventional’ petrol and diesel
vehicles from 2040
The car has had a plaque applied to and was unveiled during a glamorous event at Bonhams, in London, this evening
On the basis that
silence is golden and the new Phantom limousine is ‘a work of art’,
Rolls-Royce say their new Phantom is ‘the most silent motor car in the
world’ and the quietest Rolls-Royce ever made –at least for the pampered
chauffeur-driven occupant in the back.
The
launch was hailed as another big vote of confidence in Britain – with
the big Roller exported around the globe and considered the pinnacle of
British automotive craftsmanship
Bosses
at Rolls-Royce’s parent company BMW – which earlier this week announced
they were building an electric Mini in the UK – said the new Phantom
demonstrated that they remain ‘fully committed to the future of
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’, based at Goodwood, in West Sussex.
Beneath the Phantom’s smart suit lies some serious engineering.
The
new limousine’s ‘revolutionary’ flexible chassis design can also be
used for a variety of future models – including ‘those with different
propulsion systems’ such as an electric drive-train, said Rolls-Royce.
It
will also underpin the forthcoming Rolls-Royce 4X4 – codenamed ‘Project
Cullinan’ after the diamond used in the Crown Jewels – and also the
next generation Ghost, Wraith, and Dawn models as well as future bespoke
‘coach-build’ projects.
Artful dasher: The dashboard of the new Phantom includes a space for the owner's personally-selected artwork
The Phantom is distinctly a Rolls-Royce but under the skin is a new high-tech platform that future Rollers will be built on
But
it’s what’s on show that matters to most Rolls-Royce owners, especially
those buying the new Phantom, who are likely to be spending
considerably more time in the back than on the driver’s seat, enjoying
the smooth ‘magic carpet ride’ that is its hallmark.
The
Phantom allows connoisseurs and collectors of fine art to quietly
contemplate in silence their own specially commissioned artworks, set
behind a long stretch of protective glass on the dashboard, allowing the
luxury limousine to doubles as an art gallery on wheels.
If the owner does sit behind the wheel they shouldn’t be disappointed – and nor will the chauffeur who takes it out for a spin.
Thanks
to the powerful all new 6.75 litre twin-turbo V12 engine, which bosses
call ‘the silently beating heart of the new Phantom’, the car has a top
speed electronically restricted to 155mph and sports car acceleration,
getting from 0-62mph in just 5.3 seconds.
Rolls-Royce makes great play of the feeling of entering and exiting its cars. In the Phantom you step into a world of luxury
Those buying the new Phantom are likely to be spending considerably more time in the back than on the driver’s seat
The
chauffeured passenger can look up to see the largest Starlight
'headliner' ever seen in a Rolls-Royce, comprising pinpricks of light in
the roof.
He or she is surrounded by
high gloss and exquisitely tactile' wood panelling in the door
interiors, centre consoles, dashboard and picnic tables. The armrests
are inspired by the classic J-Class yacht.
The
sweep of wood panelling across the back of the front seats are
influenced by the famous Eames Lounge Chair of 1956 which is part of the
New York Museum of Modern Art’s permanent display.
If you do decide to slip behind
the steering wheel, the Rolls-Royce Phantom offers sports car rivalling
stats, with 0 to 62mph despatched in 5.3 seconds - many buyers may
choose not to opt for a purple hued steering wheel though
Every item of switchgear is
made from metal, glass, or wrapped in the finest leather, while the
exterior of the new Phantom features clean lines and a flawless paint
finish
Phantom customers have a
choice of seats: including the more intimate lounge seat, individual
seats with an occasional armrest, or fixed centre console, plus the
newly introduced 'sleeping seat'.
On
top of that, the rear seats are carefully angled so that passengers can
talk to each other without straining their necks. The fixed rear centre
console incorporates a drinks cabinet with whisky glasses and decanter,
champagne flutes and cool-box.
Rear
picnic tables and screens are cleverly secreted behind the wood
panelling on the rear of the front seats and can be electrically
deployed and retracted at the touch of a button.
Every item of switchgear is made from metal, glass, or wrapped in the finest leather.
How the Daily Mail revealed the first BMW-built Rolls-Royce when the previous generation Phantom was launched in 2003
Stamp of quality: Rolls-Royce makes great play of its British craftmanship and its home on the Goodwood estate
Rolls-Royce
took the wraps off its latest new Phantom flagship limousine, at a
glitzy VIP party in London’s Mayfair. It is the eighth in an illustrious
line stretching back 92 years – and was joined by its seven
predecessors at a special exhibition of ‘The Great Eight Phantoms’.
Significantly,
it is only the second Phantom since German car maker BMW took control
of the company, launching the Phantom VII in 2003, which it built at its
then brand new boutique factory in the grounds of the Earl of March’s
Goodwood estate, near Chichester.
What about an electric Rolls-Royce?
With
all eyes on electric cars right now, Rolls fans should note that the
flexible chassis means it can develop an all-electric Rolls-Royce. In
2011, Rolls-Royce built a one-off working prototype all-electric
Rolls-Royce Phantom codenamed 102EX. This was followed in 2016 by an
all-electric driverless concept car codenamed 103EX.
Earlier
this month, Rolls-Royce chief executive Torsten Müller-Otvös said he
would introduce battery technology when it is sufficiently developed to
power an ’all-electric’ car.
Speaking
at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, to Autocar magazine, he said:
‘Electrification is the way forward – and there will be no in between
steps for us like hybridisation.'
‘It
is the propulsion system for the future, make no error. There is a time -
nobody can predict when - when there will be no combustion engines.’
Rolls-Royce
said the new Phantom’s flexible ‘all-aluminium space-frame’ chassis
will ‘underpin every future Rolls-Royce’ and that the new Phantom sets
‘a new benchmark’ in luxury, comfort and refinement, and is lighter,
quieter, and 30 per cent stiffer than its predecessor'.
Keeping
the noise down was a major task of Rolls-Royce engineers and designers –
from the powerful but quieter new engine, to thicker 6mm two-layer
glazing all around the car, 130kg of sound-deadening acoustic insulation
around the cabin, foam-filled tyres, and soft-touch self-closing doors.
A spokesman stressed: ‘The new Phantom is the most technologically advanced Rolls-Royce ever.
‘Incalculable effort was expended to create ‘the most silent motor car in the world’.
It
provides an all-round ‘perfect 360° cocooning effect’ in a motor car
that is approximately 10 per cent quieter than its predecessor at 62mph.
A spokesman said: ‘It means conversation within the car is completely effortless’.
The
company notes: ‘As the patron settles in to the car, an assistant or
valet steps forward and lightly touches the sensor on the door handle so
it whispers closed of its own accord.
'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.
‘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.’
Rolls-Royce
also worked closely with its tyre supplier to invent ‘Silent-Seal'
tyres which have a foam layer inside to wipe to reduce overall tyre
noise by 9db.
The dashboard art
‘Gallery’ also houses an analogue clock – a nod to the fact that it is
‘the loudest sound you can hear in a Rolls-Royce’.
The Phantom is designed to have real presence on the road, with an imposing grille, topped by the Spirit of Ecstasy
New headlamps include the most advanced laser-light system of any car that at night casts light 600 metres down the road
Technology
is also in abundance, with a central information screen which can be
retracted behind the centre stack when not in use.
Satellite
Aided Transmission linked to a 8-speed automatic gearbox ‘also ensures
that the driver is prepared for whatever the road has in store for
them’.
Self-levelling air 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
Meanwhile, a ‘Flagbearer’
system – evocative of those men required by law to carry a red flag
walking ahead of early motor cars – adds a stereo camera in the
windscreen to scan the road ahead, adjusting suspension ahead of time at
speeds of up to 62mph.
New headlamps include the most advanced laser-light system of any car that at night casts light 600 metres down the road.
The
design of the Phantom updates the car but shows it as very much a
Rolls-Royce, echoing the looks of its cars over recent years.
'From its debut in 1925, a
Rolls-Royce Phantom has been the choice of the world’s most influential
and powerful men and women', says boss Torsten Müller-Ötvös
The
new Phantom’s grille, created from hand-polished stainless steel, is
for the first time integrated into the surrounding bodywork to create a
cleaner and contemporary design. It is also raised higher than on the
previous model, resulting in the Spirit of Ecstasy standing half-an-inch
higher.
There are nods to the past,
particularly at the rear with its 'tapered tail' and raked glass, says
design chief Giles Taylor: 'The design evokes the beautiful flowing
rears of the 1950’s and 1960’s Phantoms.’
Also
evoking the Phantom’s past was Rolls-Royce boss Torsten Müller-Ötvös.
He said: ‘From its debut in 1925, a Rolls-Royce Phantom has been the
choice of the world’s most influential and powerful men and women.’
