Rolls Royce have somehow managed to raise the bar once again with the latest generation Phantom.
We at Hadag Magazine are all about the finer things in life. Luxury yachts, fine dining, designer clothes and of course, premium motorcars. And when it comes to top-of-the-line vehicles, one can look no further than the epitome of refinement and class, Rolls Royce. In recent times we were fortunate enough to experience the new Rolls Royce Ghost and can honestly say, at the time, it was the most impressive vehicle we had ever test driven. This month, thanks to the outstanding team at Rolls Royce Bahrain, we got to thoroughly inspect the new Rolls Royce Phantom as well as to put it through its paces.
Our first impression of the Phantom was how clean the exterior design is. The pure precision of the body joining ensures that there are almost no visible joint lines between body panels, giving this new model the appearance of being sculptured out of a single block of aluminium. The pantheon grille of this eighth generation Phantom reveals a contemporary reimagining of a classic feature. The handpolished stainless-steel grille has been seamlessly integrated into the surrounding bodywork resulting in a cleaner and more modern design. The grille has been raised, giving the Spirit of Ecstasy a more prominent position. The headlamps with fresh frosted internals are equipped with the most advanced laser light system of any motor car and casts a light 600 meters in front of the vehicle.
The bodylines of this model flow effortlessly from front to rear beginning inboard from the top edge of the grille moving outwards along the body to the back end. The front wing line fades just after the door handle, adding a sense of speed to the design. This particular model is a long-base version of the Phantom and measures 6.5 meters end-to-end. From the sides, the 2:1 proportion that one has become accustomed to with every generation, features short front and long rear overhangs as well as an upright front and flowing rear. The largest single piece of hand-polished stainless-steel on any motor car sits as the side frame finisher of the New Phantom. The rear glass, like the front windscreen, is surrounded by a flawlessly crafted stainless-steel frame, whilst the boot lid finisher, also created from stainless-steel, echoes the front grille with its charming design and aerodynamic functionality.
would expect from Rolls-Royce, the interior has been crafted from the most extravagant materials available, creating an environment of opulence and effortless elegance. Every item of switchgear is made from real metal and glass or wrapped in the finest of leathers. The seats are newly sculptured and hand-crafted, ensuring you have never been more comfortable in a motor vehicle. Much of the technology is hidden until needed resulting in smooth and clean surfaces that are attractive to the eye. The monolithic, upright dashboard consists of one clean, symmetrical surface, complimenting the main fascia veneer. A 12.3-inch TFT colour display with LED backlighting communicates all driver information whilst the displays themselves have been designed with virtual needles, jewellery-like chaplets and crystal-clear lettering.
There is plenty of leg, shoulder and head room throughout the vehicle and from the position of the beautifully enhanced rear seats, the largest Starlight Headliner ever seen in a Rolls Royce is there to help one to kick back and relax. Rear picnic tables, Rear Theatre Monitors, a drinks cabinet and a cooler box are just some of the many fancy features to be found in the Phantom. The attention to detail throughout this car is beyond comparison to any other brand and we could have spent all day playing with this huge array of comfort and technology options.
The handpolished stainlesssteel grille has been seamlessly integrated into the surrounding bodywork resulting in a cleaner and more modern design.
Performance wise, the 2021 Phantom is the most technologically advance Rolls-Royce ever constructed. It houses an all-new 6.75 litre twin-turbo V12 powertrain engine that is as silent as they come. We were amazed at how little noise emanated from under the hood. This beast of an engine delivers 420kW of power and complimented by a ZF 8-Speed gearbox, ensures the car can handle whatever conditions the road has in store. The impressive suspension system makes millions of calculations every second ensuring the very smoothest of rides. The 6mm two-layer glazing around the car, ‘Silent-Seal‘ tyres and more than 130kg of sound insulation amongst other noise reduction features, are hugely effective and the miles roll by in virtual silence. We also found it hard to believe that we were driving a car that was 6.5 meters in length as it handled so well and never felt like an oversized vehicle. Also present in the new Phantom are a multitude of assistance and safety systems, especially designed to ensure the most convenient, luxurious and safest driving experience possible.
By the time we handed back the keys, we could honestly say that this was our new favourite test drive and we can only encourage all those looking to own the most lavish car on the market to contact Rolls-Royce Bahrain on 1775 4754 for more information and to book a luxury test-drive of your very own.