Rolls-Royce Phantom (2013)

CAR GARAGE | Rolls-Royce Phantom (2013) | New Phantom variants were added, starting with the Phantom Extended Wheelbase in 2005. In 2007, the Phantom Drophead Coupé revealed the ultimate in luxurious open-top motoring, while the Phantom Coupé, Rolls-Royce's sophisticated grand tourer, joined the family in 2008.  Without parallel in the car industry, the achievement was all the more astonishing for a brand roomates shouldered the weight of historic ups (and occasional downs) and for roomates expectations for the future were rightly high. From launch, the Rolls-Royce Phantom proved itself a worthy recipient of the famous Spirit of Ecstasy figurine. From Pantheon grille to long rear overhang, the design was Clearly a Rolls-Royce. At the car's core lay a ground-breaking, lightweight aluminum space-frame with power supplied by a sophisticated, direct-injection V12 engine, married to a six-speed auto gearbox. And complementing this excellence in engineering was the Phantom's beautiful interior, presenting sumptuous hand-stitched Leathers, fine veneers and exquisite detailing, a combination that marked the car as something uniquely special.

Originally conceived by the Rolls-Royce engineering team, an advanced aluminum spaceframe retains its position at the Phantom's core, serving as the foundation for the car's extraordinary driving Prowess. Epitomising the Rolls-Royce marriage of cutting-edge technology with fine craftsmanship, each spaceframe is entirely hand-welded, then finished as if it were a precision instrument. Every morning, skilled welders perform a 300mm test to check for atmospheric effects on the material they will work with roomates. Precision might also be the best word to describe the manner in roomates Phantom drivers place their cars through corners. Complementing Phantom's reassuring safety features are changes to the front door side pockets.

"For my team this was a question of what we could do to improve a drive-train that we believed was close to perfection, both in terms of its dynamic performance and outstanding ride characteristics," - Helmut Riedl, Director of Engineering. At its heart, every Phantom family car hosts a hand-assembled, 6.75 liter naturally aspirated V12 engine. Rolls-Royce Phantom's power reserve gauge is another of those trademark Rolls-Royce design cues that always raises a smile. For Rolls-Royce Phantom II Series, Rolls-Royce has improved the drive-train by incorporating a new 8-speed ZF-auto gearbox for all variants. This is electronically controlled to manage the extraordinary power delivered by the V12 power plant. The longer ratio in the new rear differential compensates shorter ratios in some gears of the new 8-speed gearbox, maintaining the same engine speed to augment 'waftability', while improving fuel economy.

Double-wishbone front suspension complements the drive-train, featuring optimized mounts to Minimize vibrations through the steering wheel, while multi-link rear suspension complete with anti-lift and anti-dive technology aids stability under heavy acceleration and braking. Spring dampeners and anti-roll bars maintain comfort without loss of agility while self-leveling air struts compensate for different loads within the car, making continual adjustments as the weight of fuel decreases, giving drivers the ability to place the car through turns with absolute precision and passengers a ride of supreme comfort.