Rolls-Royce, the epitome of luxury motoring, has brought its latest flagship sedan, the eighth generation of the revered Phantom for a price tag of Rs 9.5 crores, ex-showroom India. Built in Britain, this CBU will replace the current generation Phantom and will be available in both the standard as well as the long-wheelbase forms.
Built on the new aluminium-infused platform that makes the car almost 30 per cent lighter than before, the Phantom VIII offers its most agile blend of luxury, power and handling as yet. It also gets a completely new styling which carries the Rolls heritage forward with panache. The H-shaped front fascia with the standing Parthenon-grille and the sleek twin headlamps have the right blend of authoritative and futuristic aura while the sculpted bumper gives it sportier undertones. The massive bonnet tapers towards the Spirit of Ecstasy in true Roller style,thus highlighting the dual-tone colour paintjob.
The profile continues to be stately with the shoulder line running through the length of the car while the palatial opposing doors open into a royal cabin. Wrapped in the choicest of the leathers and offering all the bells and whistles that one can possibly imagine in a car, the Rolls-Royce offers latest cutting-edge technology in aristocratic style. While the design of the dash and the front half of the cabin is progressive, the rear half has been designed to match a yacht’s comfort.
Powering this luxe-barge is the legendary 6.75-litre V12 engine which has been refined, tweaked and improved every time to offer better performance. In its latest iteration, the entirely redesigned engine offers 900Nm of torque from as low as 1700rpm with 563bhp of power surging as we move higher through the rev-range. Mated to a bespoke eight-speed automatic, the Phantom is driven by the rear wheels and controlled by a thick web of driver aids which include the intelligent laser-beam headlamps, active cruise control, crash-mitigation, pedestrian warning et al.
There is nothing in the global car market that competes with the Phantom as such and Rolls-Royce is looking forward to extend its unrivalled product range in India. With the Cullinan SUV set to arrive on Indian shores by the end of 2018, Rolls-Royce is also planning to bring the BlackBadge to India.
