Driven: Rolls-Royce Phantom Review
Following a week long test drive of this awesome luxury saloon here are my thoughts on the highly impressive car.
What is the Rolls-Royce Phantom all about?
The Rolls-Royce Phantom is a well-known status symbol around the world. From New York to New Delhi the car is owned by the richest of the rich.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom has a huge footprint at 5.7m long. At the front of the car there is the classic chrome Roll-Royce grille and sitting on top is the Spirit of Ecstasy. As beautiful as the car is on the outside, the real stand out features of the Phantom all occur in the rear passenger seating area. This car is hugely kitted out with luxuries which include customised individual seating, starlight roof liner and a refrigerator with crystal drinks dispensers. Being the passenger in the rear is where the greatest joy from the car will be found. We have to remember this car costs over £330,000, so we can assume that most customers can afford a chauffeur to go with it.
The Phantom features a 6.75-litre V12 engine that creates 453bhp and 720Nm of torque. The car uses an 8-speed GPS aided automatic gearbox that puts the power to the rear wheels and will get the car from 0-60mph in 5.7 seconds. The Phantom will power past 60mph and will keep going all the way up to 149mph.
How does it drive?
The car is beautifully engineered, behind the wheel it feels very calm, soft and gentle. All of the controls have elegance about them, and the car seems to smooth out any driving inputs you give it. It is almost as if the car expects you to make errors in your driving and understands what you want to do, this helps create a very impressive and smooth journey.
The skinny steering wheel feels nice in your hands and being a unique Rolls-Royce wheel it is just another small reminder that you are in a luxury car. The wheel is nicely weighted and provides a very useful small turning circle that you desperately need on a car of this size. Alongside the steering, the brakes on the car are very good and provide the required stopping force which is no small ask for a car that weighs 2,560kg. During my testing, I felt nothing but confidence in the breaking abilities of the car.
Being Driven
Sitting in the back of the car you can see the Spirit of Ecstasy sitting on the top of the bonnet, but it feels as if it is miles away, realistically you are a fair distance back from it. As a passenger sitting away from the driving controls; you are tuned in to the gentle coasting motion along your journey. The experience is beautifully calming; I would go as far as saying that it feels like it creates a spiritual level of calmness. Rolls-Royce are the only people that deliver this distinctive feeling; and I believe this is one of the unique elements that make Rolls-Royce the market leader.
What is it like inside?
As I said previously the best part of the Rolls-Royce interior is centred around the rear passenger seating. The Rolls-Royce is fitted with completely individual rear passenger seats, the two seats are separated by an array of compartments in the middle. Each seat is customisable in every way you can imagine to ensure that you are in perfect comfort whilst travelling. When you take a seat in the back you can simply press the door close button to electronically close the door. Once inside you have plenty of leg room and can rest your feet on inch thick lamb’s wool carpets, which will blow your mind.
If you want a refreshment on the journey the central console houses a large refrigerator to stock the drink of your choice. Alternatively, the next compartment up offers a crystal drinks set with matching glasses and two large drink dispensers for your favourite tipple.
Lastly, to put the icing on the cake, the Rolls-Royce Phantom is equipped with two large TV screens that can be used to control the media entertainment system. You can listen to DAB radio, MP3 or watch your favourite TV shows or DVD. The TVs also double up as a table to mount your tablet or laptop onto whilst on the go.
The Experience
The Rolls-Royce Phantom experience is excellent on so many different levels, you could quite literally write a book explaining all the amazing elements of the Phantom. The Rolls-Royce Phantom provides, without a doubt, the most refined and majestic way to travel from one place to another. The car is an extension to your own persona and instantly gives you a confidence boost.
Verdict
The Rolls-Royce Phantom is well-established in the market as the be all and end all of luxury saloons. I can report that nothing has changed; the Phantom is still the King when it comes to exclusive motorcar travel and I’m sure that the Rolls-Royce Phantom will be around for another hundred years yet.
Video Highlights
Specification
Rolls-Royce Phantom
- Price: £337,510
- Engine: 6.75-litre V12
- Power: 453bhp
- Torque: 720Nm
- Transmission: 8 Speed Automatic
- 0-62mph: 5.7 Seconds
- Top speed: 149mph
- Weight: 2,560g
- Economy: 14mpg
- CO2: 347g/km
Author: Paul Hadley
