When it comes to luxury on wheels, nothing exudes that image more outstandingly than a Rolls-Royce. A Mercedes-Benz S-Class or a BMW 7-series may have their say as the height of commuting luxury, but the opulence of a Rolls-Royce makes them seem like playground footballers against Premier League superstars.
But of course, when you factor in its price tag of RM 2.2 million for the Standard Wheelbase and RM 2.5 million for the Extended Wheelbase, both excluding taxes, you reserve every right to not only have your expectations met, but raised.
Lavishness aside, performance figures are never neglected with Rolls-Royce’s and the Phantom is no different. Considering it weighs a hefty 2.6-tonnes, the Phantom Extended Wheelbase takes a mere 5.2 seconds to a 100 km/h with the Standard Wheelbase being faster by just 0.1 seconds.
This generous delivery of power is the brainchild of its 6.75-liter V12 engine herded by an 8-speed Satellite-aided transmission, delivering a wealth of might with 563 hp and a supercar-rivaling 900 Nm of torque.
Very impressive considering the amount of clinically-exclusive additions to a car most households would not even have. Among them are the Starlight headliner which spellbinds the interior with a sea of “stars”, two different compartments to hold glasses for different types of presumably expensive beverages and folded tables for its elite customers to conduct their business or indulge in their gourmet meals.
Before taking flight in the Phantom, you are received with the grandeur opening of it’s “suicide doors” which by the way can be automatically opened and closed with touch-sensitive door handles. Whether you’re piloting the Rolls-Royce (although unlikely) or being pampered in the rear seats, the plushness of the cabin will take an extended time to digest.
What other car in the world offers individual controls by each door panel? What other car in the world provides a vanity mirror more aesthetically-pleasing than the ones you’d fine in a 5-star hotel? Don’t even get us started on how soft yet supportive the seats were.
As you descend your bottom and eventually your back on those sumptuous seats, the seats “receive you” with the grace of a butler before gently allowing you to lay on its swanky surface. The majestic blend of wood, leather and billeted metal alone, which of course can be customised according to the flexibility of your bank account, is a sight to be bewildered by.
Its new spaceframe, which will underpin future Rolls-Royce models, is lighter yet 30% more rigid than its predecessors but you don’t want to know that. What you’d want to know is that it’s got 130 kg’s worth of sound insulation, double-laminated glass and dual skin alloys across the bulkhead to ensure that when all of the Phantom’s doors are shut, it is as silent as an air-tight studio.
Believe or not, when engineers were carrying out road and vibrations tests, noise levels were so low that they had to check if their equipments were faulty.
The new Phantom comes equipped with the “Flagbearer” – a stereo camera system integrated in the windscreen that sees the road ahead and adjusts the suspension proactively. Elsewhere its headlights are equipped with the latest laser light technology, with a 600-metre range of light in the dark.
There simply aren’t enough fancy adjectives to be shared and distributed across the exclusive touches that come with the new Phantom, for everything else, we have pictures for you.
IMAGE GALLERY
