Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII

The Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII is a full-sized luxury saloon manufactured by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. It is the eighth and current generation of the Rolls-Royce Phantom, and the second launched by Rolls-Royce under BMW ownership. It is offered in two wheelbase lengths.

For a list of all Rolls-Royce Phantom generations, see Rolls-Royce Phantom.
Rolls-Royce Phantom
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)
Body style4-door saloon
LayoutFR layout
PlatformArchitecture of Luxury
DoorsConventional doors (front)/Coach doors (rear)
RelatedRolls-Royce Cullinan
Rolls-Royce Ghost
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

The Phantom was unveiled by live-stream on 27 July 2017.[7]

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.[7][8]

Design

The Phantom VIII's styling has been described as an evolution of the Phantom VII's.[9][10][11]

Rear
Phantom EWB

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.[9] 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.[12]

The Phantom is available in two wheelbase lengths. The Phantom Extended Wheelbase (EWB) is 220 mm (8.7 in) longer than the standard wheelbase.[13]

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.[12][14]

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.[8][12] It is also equipped with active anti-roll bars.[10]

The suspension system is linked to a stereo camera mounted behind the windscreen.[12] This scans the road ahead and preconfigures the spring and damper rates, and the anti-roll bars, so as to improve ride quality.[15] The system, dubbed the "Flagbearer" by Rolls-Royce, operates at speeds of up to 100 km/h (62 mph).[12]

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 manoeuvrability. 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.[16]

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.[11]

Interior
Interior

The interior is fully bespoke and personalised to the clientele like previous and current Rolls Royce models offer. 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

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[17] which is unique to the Phantom.[18]

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.[12][14]

Performance data[5][6][11]
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:[19]

Reception

The Phantom has been very well received by automotive journalists, with many outlets considering it to be the best luxury car on sale.[10][18][20][15][21][22][23]

The Phantom's refinement came in for particularly high praise, with Matt Prior in Autocar labelling it "utterly exceptional"[18] and Mike Duff in Car and Driver describing it as "freakishly quiet".[20]

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"[10] and Angus MacKenzie in Motor Trend said "the ride is truly magical".[15]

The Phantom's interior also came in for praise: it was variously described as "utterly exemplary",[18] "wonderful"[10] and "spectacular".[15]

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,[10][16][18][20][15][21][23] light and precise steering,[10][18][24] and excellent brake pedal feel.[18][15]

The Phantom was named Top Gear's 2017 "Luxury Car of the Year".[25][26]

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.[27]

Autocar gave the 2018 Phantom a "Five Star Car" award at the 2018 Autocar Awards.[28]

Production and sales

The Phantom is assembled by hand at Rolls-Royce's plant in Goodwood, West Sussex, England.[29]

Customer deliveries commenced in January 2018.[30][31]

References
  1. "Phantom VIII Heralds Arrival of the House of Rolls-Royce". Forbes. 2017-07-27. Retrieved 2017-08-12.
  2. "Rolls-Royce unveils its grandest car yet, the Phantom VIII". Bloomberg. 2017-07-27. Retrieved 2017-08-04.
  3. "The new Rolls-Royce Phantom 8 "Effortless elegance" or just brutally ugly?". Medium. 2017-08-01.
  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 2017-11-11. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
  6. "Phantom Extended Wheelbase - Technical Specification" (PDF). Rolls-Royce Motor Cars PressClub. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-11-11. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
  7. "Rolls-Royce teases new Phantom as it announces the final icons to join "The Great Eight Phantoms" exhibition". Rolls-Royce Motor Cars PressClub. 2017-07-19. Archived from the original on 2017-07-30. Retrieved 2017-07-23.
  8. James Taylor (2017-07-27). "New Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII revealed". Car Magazine. Archived from the original on 2017-07-30. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  9. Mark Ewing (2017-07-27). "Phantom VIII Heralds Arrival of the House of Rolls-Royce". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2017-08-13. Retrieved 2017-08-12.
  10. Gavin Green (2017-10-11). "Rolls-Royce Phantom (2017) review". Car Magazine. Archived from the original on 2017-10-16. Retrieved 2017-10-15.
  11. Mike Duff (2017-07-27). "2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom: The Eight Generation of Ultimate Luxury". Car and Driver. Archived from the original on 2017-07-28. Retrieved 2017-07-28.
  12. "The new Rolls-Royce Phantom". Rolls-Royce Motor Cars PressClub. 2017-07-27. Archived from the original on 2017-07-30. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  13. Matt Prior (2017-10-05). "Rolls-Royce Phantom SWB: Driven". PistonHeads. Archived from the original on 2018-03-09. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  14. Mark Tisshaw (2017-07-27). "Rolls-Royce Phantom revealed as eight generation luxury flagship". Autocar. Archived from the original on 2017-07-27. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  15. Angus MacKenzie (2017-10-13). "2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom first drive review". Motor Trend. Archived from the original on 2017-10-16. Retrieved 2017-10-15.
  16. Tony Davis (2017-10-04). "2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom first drive review". Drive. Archived from the original on 2017-10-16. Retrieved 2017-10-16.
  17. "RealOEM.com - Online BMW Parts Catalog". www.realoem.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  18. Matt Prior (2017-10-04). "Rolls-Royce Phantom 2017 review". Autocar. Archived from the original on 2017-10-16. Retrieved 2017-10-15.
  19. "THE NEW ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM". www.press.rolls-roycemotorcars.com. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  20. Mike Duff (2017-10-12). "2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII". Car and Driver. Archived from the original on 2017-10-16. Retrieved 2017-10-15.
  21. Paul Hudson (2017-10-12). "Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII review – taking refinement to a new dimension". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2017-11-14. Retrieved 2017-11-11.(Subscription required.)
  22. Rob Adams (2017-10-11). "Rolls-Royce: First drive in the all-new Phantom". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2017-11-12. Retrieved 2017-11-11.
  23. Mark Ewing (2017-10-25). "First Drive: Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII Has No Rival, Equal Or Peer". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2017-11-12. Retrieved 2017-11-12.
  24. Bob Sorokanich (2017-10-13). "First Drive: The 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom". Road & Track. Archived from the original on 2017-10-13. Retrieved 2017-10-15.
  25. "Rolls-Royce Phantom named 'Luxury Car of the Year' by BBC Top Gear Magazine". Rolls-Royce Motor Cars PressClub. 2017-11-28. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2017-11-29.
  26. "What's Top Gear magazine's Car of the Year 2017?". Top Gear. 2017-11-29. Archived from the original on 2017-11-29. Retrieved 2017-11-29.
  27. "NEW ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM NAMED 'BEST LUXURY CAR' IN UK CAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2018". www.press.rolls-roycemotorcars.com. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  28. "ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM ADDS TO TROPHY CABINET WITH AUTOCAR 'FIVE-STAR CAR' AWARD". www.press.rolls-roycemotorcars.com. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  29. Steve Cropley (2017-08-13). "Insight: behind the scenes of the 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom". Autocar. Archived from the original on 2017-10-04. Retrieved 2017-10-04.
  30. "ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS DELIVERS OUTSTANDING RESULT IN 2017". Rolls-Royce Motor Cars PressClub. 2018-01-12. Archived from the original on 2018-01-14. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  31. Nick Gibbs (2017-07-27). "Rolls-Royce taps art world to raise custom game with new Phantom". Automotive News. Retrieved 2017-09-24.(Subscription required.)
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