The first ever Rolls Royce Phantom, under BMW ownership, was launched in the year 2003 and it set a very high standard for the ultra-luxury car segment and nothing could even come close to it. Over the years, the company has brought in remarkable changes in the car which made it the best in the world. Newer variants too were added like Phantom Extended Wheelbase in 2005, Phantom Drophead Coupé in 2007 and Phantom Coupé in 2008. And now, Roll Royce has presented to the world – The Phantom Series II, which has been thoughtfully updated to make it the best one.
The Phantom Series II gets the re-styled bumpers and rectangular light apertures that frame full-LED light clusters. These are integrated to curve light functionality which helps in reflection of headlight beams in the direction of travel. The headlamps are also adaptive where the light pattern changes based on differing speeds. The Phantom Coupe and the Drophead Coupe now comes with a single piece grille surround. Phantom Saloon and Extended Wheelbase get a new front wing R-R badge with repeat indicator. Buyers get three new wheel options now – painted, part-polished and polished.
Interiors too have got commendable changes. The rear seat of Phantom Saloon is now elevated by 18 mm. The number of flutes has been reduced from five to three in front and rear. The rear seat passengers now get two monitors added to Saloon’s theater configuration along with picnic tables. AV connectors have been added along with a six-DVD changer and a USB port in the centre console. The sound system by Harman –LOGIC7, becomes the perfect fit for this theater experience. A new chrome controller, hidden within the centre console when not in use, allows easier access to all infotainment functions.
The Phantom houses a hand-assembled, 6.75-litre V12 engine at their heart. It produced a torque of 720 Nm at 1000 RPM and does 0 to 60 mph in a quick 5.7 seconds. It has an electronically limited top speed of 240 km/hr. The Phantom Series II has a new 8-speed auto ZF-gearbox mated to the engine. This has been added in all the variants. This has also resulted in better gear to engine speed match and thus improved fuel efficiency by ten percent on the combined cycle. The CO2 emission levels too have come down from 385 to 347 g/km.
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The Rolls-Royce Phantom is a car meant for the best of roads, where it can take passengers to in utmost luxury and comfort. However someone thought otherwise and took the Phantom Series-II off the road on grassy and muddy terrain. Checkout the video above to see how the Phantom handled the roads it was never designed for. Oh yes, the Rolls-Royce Phantom in the video is the Series-II, which makes the above vehicle brand new.
