Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII

The Rolls-Royce Phantom is a full-sized luxury saloon manufactured by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. It is the eighth and current generation of the Rolls-Royce Phantom, debuting in 2017, and the second launched by Rolls-Royce under BMW ownership. It is offered in two wheelbase lengths. This is the current flagship model made by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.[7][8]

For a list of all Rolls-Royce Phantom generations, see Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII
Overview
ManufacturerRolls-Royce Motor Cars
Production2017–present
AssemblyUnited Kingdom: West Sussex, England (Goodwood plant)
DesignerGiles Taylor[1][2][3]
Pavle Trpinac[4]
Chris Duff (interior)
Body and chassis
ClassFull-size luxury car (F)
Ultra-luxury car
Body style4-door saloon
LayoutFR layout
PlatformArchitecture of Luxury
DoorsConventional doors (front)/Coach doors (rear)
RelatedRolls-Royce Cullinan
Rolls-Royce Ghost
Rolls-Royce Boat Tail
Powertrain
Engine6.75 L N74B68 twin-turbocharged V12 (petrol)
Transmission8-speed 8HP automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase
  • 3,552 mm (139.8 in) (SWB)[5]
  • 3,772 mm (148.5 in) (EWB)[6]
Length
  • 5,762 mm (226.9 in) (SWB)[5]
  • 5,982 mm (235.5 in) (EWB)[6]
Width
Height
  • 1,646 mm (64.8 in) (SWB)[5]
  • 1,656 mm (65.2 in) (EWB)[6]
Kerb weight
  • 2,560 kg (5,643.8 lb) (SWB)[5]
  • 2,610 kg (5,754.1 lb) (EWB)[6]
Chronology
PredecessorRolls-Royce Phantom VII

Launch
Rolls-Royce Phantom Front view at the Geneva Motor Show 2018
Rolls-Royce Phantom Rear view at the Geneva Motor Show 2018

The Phantom was unveiled by livestream on 27 July 2017.[9]

It made its public debut at a special exhibition Rolls-Royce held in London two days later on 29 July. The event, dubbed "The Great Eight Phantoms", took place at Bonhams auction house in Mayfair. The exhibition gathered a noteworthy Phantom from each generation, from Fred Astaire's Phantom I to subsequent models driven by royalty, or made famous by celebrities, including John Lennon's Romany gypsy wagon-style painted Phantom V—John Lennon's psychedelic Rolls-Royce.[9][10]

Design

The Phantom VIII's styling has been described as an evolution of the Phantom VII's as it bears most of the design features of its predecessor.[11][12][13]

Like its predecessor, the Phantom VIII has a short front overhang and upright front end, a long bonnet and set-back passenger compartment as well as a long wheelbase and a flowing rear end.[11] It also uses rear-opening "coach doors". For the first time on a Phantom, Rolls-Royce's trademark "Parthenon" radiator grille is integrated into the surrounding bodywork.[14]

The Phantom is available in two wheelbase lengths. The short one is the shortest Phantom since at least 1939.

Phantom Extended Wheelbase
Phantom EWB front view
Phantom EWB side view

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended Wheelbase (EWB), or the Phantom Extended, is a special variant of the Rolls-Royce Phantom which is 220 mm (8.7 in) longer than the standard model.[15]

The car's exterior design is identical to the original Phantom and excluding the length, every feature has been adapted from the standard model.

The car's rear passenger compartment has been enlarged and the interior features the iconic "Starlight Headliner" which uses more than 1500 fibre optics to create an impression of a night sky with stars. This was first applied on the Phantom Celestial.

The interior also features a partition between the front cockpit and the rear passenger compartment, and the rear passenger compartment has been made soundproof for privacy which is known as the "Privacy Suite" by the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.[16]

It is also allowed for the buyers to customize the car's interior for some extent (the "Gallery" feature lets the users customize the dashboard and other minor features).[17]

While the original Phantom VIII costs US$450,000 upwards the Phantom Extended Wheelbase costs US$535,000 upwards making it the most expensive luxury sedan made by Rolls-Royce.[18][19]

Phantom Series II

In May 2022, Rolls-Royce announced the Series II car, to be available from the 2023 model year. Series II has a number of updated and improved features, including:[20]

  • new garnish above the Pantheon Grille and above the LED Daytime Running Lamps
  • headlamps have been revised come with bezel starlights
  • a new set of disc wheels
  • Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII Series II Front View.
    Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII Series II Front View.
  • Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII Series II Rear View.
    Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII Series II Rear View.
  • Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII Series II Interior.
    Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII Series II Interior.

Specifications

Platform

The Phantom uses an aluminium spaceframe chassis; this is a version of Rolls-Royce's modular "Architecture of Luxury" platform. The Phantom is the first car to be based on this new platform, which is also used by the Cullinan SUV and will be used by other future Rolls-Royce models.[14][21]

Suspension and steering

The Phantom is fitted with self-levelling air springs and electronically controlled dampers front and rear. It uses a double wishbone front axle and a 5-link rear axle.[10][14] It is also equipped with active anti-roll bars.[12]

The suspension system is linked to a stereo camera mounted behind the windscreen.[14] This scans the road ahead and preconfigures the spring and damper rates, and the anti-roll bars, so as to improve ride quality.[22] The system, dubbed the "Flagbearer" by Rolls-Royce, operates at speeds of up to 100 km/h (62 mph).[14]

The Phantom is the first Rolls-Royce to be fitted with four-wheel steering. The system turns the rear wheels counter to the front wheels through a maximum of 3° at speeds lower than 60 km/h (37 mph) to improve maneuverability. Between 60 and 80 km/h (37 and 50 mph) the rear wheels do not steer at all. At speeds above 80 km/h the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front wheels through a maximum of 1° to increase high-speed stability.[23]

The Phantom uses "Silent-Seal" tyres which Rolls-Royce co-developed with Continental. These use a layer of foam inside the tyre to reduce tyre cavity noise, lowering sound levels in the cabin by up to 9 decibels.[13]

Interior
Interior

The interior is fully bespoke and personalised to the clientele like previous and current Rolls-Royce models offer. It has the BMW iDrive infotainment system with 3D camera view. They also have "The Gallery", a display section in the vehicle in the front seat veneer with experimentation of different materials and artwork to be integrated with the vehicle and all the options are limitless.

Powertrain
Rolls-Royce Phantom V12 engine

The Phantom is exclusively available with a twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V12 engine. This is a variant of BMW's N74 called the N74B68[24] which is unique to the Phantom.[25]

ZF's 8HP 8-speed automatic transmission is the sole gearbox option. This is linked to a GPS receiver which analyses the car's location and speed to optimise shift timing.[14][21]

Performance data[5][6][13]
Model Displacement Power Torque Top speed 0–100 km/h (0-62 mph)
Phantom 6.75 L (412 cu in) 563 hp; 571 PS (420 kW) at 5,000 rpm 900 N⋅m (664 lb⋅ft) at 1,700 rpm 250 km/h (155 mph) 5.3 seconds
Phantom Extended Wheelbase 6.75 L (412 cu in) 563 hp; 571 PS (420 kW) at 5,000 rpm 900 N⋅m (664 lb⋅ft) at 1,700 rpm 250 km/h (155 mph) 5.4 seconds

Equipment

The Electronic Architecture of the New Phantom is the largest ever component produced by the BMW Group that let alone Rolls-Royce. Some, but not all, assistance systems on-board New Phantom include:[26]


Reception

The Phantom has been very well received by automotive journalists, with many outlets considering it to be the best luxury car on sale.[12][25][22] The Phantom's refinement came in for particularly high praise, with Matt Prior in Autocar labelling it "utterly exceptional",[25] while Mike Duff in Car and Driver described it as "freakishly quiet".[27]

Ride quality was adjudged to be similarly good; Gavin Green in Car remarked that the Phantom's ride comfort is "a cut above anything on the road",[12] and Angus MacKenzie in Motor Trend said "the ride is truly magical".[22] The Phantom's interior also came in for praise: it was variously described as "utterly exemplary",[25] "wonderful"[12] and "spectacular".[22] In light of its weight and size, magazines considered the Phantom's driving dynamics to be impressive: reviewers praised the car's surprising dynamism and agility,[12][23][25] light and precise steering,[12][25][28] and excellent brake pedal feel.[25][22]

The Phantom was named Top Gear's 2017 "Luxury Car of the Year".[29][30] It has received the UK Car of the Year Awards’ prestigious ‘Best Luxury Car’ honour. Drawing on votes from a jury of 27 leading motoring journalists, the awards highlight the best new cars on the market for UK customers.[31] Autocar gave the 2018 Phantom a "Five Star Car" award at the 2018 Autocar Awards.[32]

Production and sales

The Phantom is assembled by hand at Rolls-Royce's plant in Goodwood, West Sussex, England.[33] Customer deliveries commenced in January 2018.[34][35] According to own Statement of BMW AG, Rolls-Royce and similar institutions, this generation of automobile with combustion engine has a preview to an end until 2030, due the company only producing electric models.[36]

Special editions by tuners

Phantom VIII Black Bison
Phantom VIII Black Bison front view at the 2019 Osaka Auto Messe
Phantom VIII Black Bison rear view at the 2019 Osaka Auto Messe

The Phantom VIII Black Bison is a version of the Phantom modified by automotive tuning company WALD international based on the standard Rolls-Royce Phantom VII.

The car's exterior design features a new lower bodywork system, a new exhaust system, a new set of 24 inch wheels known as the "I13- F Forged Wheel Set" and matte black colour paint. The car has been in production from the end of 2018.[37][38]

References
  1. "Phantom VIII Heralds Arrival of the House of Rolls-Royce". Forbes. 27 July 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  2. "Rolls-Royce unveils its grandest car yet, the Phantom VIII". Bloomberg. 27 July 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  3. "The new Rolls-Royce Phantom 8 "Effortless elegance" or just brutally ugly?". Medium. 1 August 2017.
  4. "Rolls-Royce design chief Giles Taylor leaves the company". Autoblog. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  5. "Phantom - Technical Specification" (PDF). Rolls-Royce Motor Cars PressClub. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 November 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  6. "Phantom Extended Wheelbase - Technical Specification" (PDF). Rolls-Royce Motor Cars PressClub. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 November 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  7. "Phantom". www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  8. "Phantom Extended". www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
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  15. Prior, Matt (5 October 2017). "Rolls-Royce Phantom SWB: Driven". PistonHeads. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  16. "Phantom Extended - In Detail". www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
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  18. "Rolls-Royce Cars and SUVs: Reviews, Pricing, and Specs". Car and Driver. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
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  37. "– ROLLS ROYCE PHANTOM VIII BLACK BISON 2018 – PRESENTWALD USA". Retrieved 7 August 2021.
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