Rolls-Royce Phantom

2003 Rolls-Royce Phantom

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Shopping for a 2012 Rolls-Royce Phantom?

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If you're worried about conspicuous consumption, the Phantom should probably not be your vehicle of choice. But if you have a full-time driver on staff, want classic appointments like teakwood trim and a drinks cabin, and it's important that you're seen in one of the world's most exclusive automobiles, there probably isn't a better choice in the world than the Phantom.

The Phantom's design has been a bit of a late-bloomer; when first introduced in 2003, this blunt-front, boxy sedan with suicide-style doors wasn't universally well received by designers, the affluent traditional customers, or the public in general, but after a couple of years, as a younger generation of influential celebrities were seen in Phantoms, the retro-conservative design started to come into its own. The extended-wheelbase model, which was introduced for 2007, adds ten inches of legroom and is the way to go if you have a driver and a long garage.

With a 6.8-liter V-12 engine making 453 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque, a six-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive, the nearly 5,800-pound Phantom can still dash to 60 mph in well under six seconds—in, it must be added, a sort of spooky silence, with only the slightest low-pitched whoosh. The unobtrusive powertain feel is matched with a confident but strictly uninvolved driving experience all around. This isn't a car you really want to hustle down a curvy canyon road near its limit; for the weight of the vehicle, there isn't a whole lot of available grip, even though it's stable and brakes are confident. Entry and exit in the sedan are easy, thanks to the wide-opening door setup, with the rears hinged at the back

Buyers of the Phantom will also pay a $3,000 gas-guzzler tax with any Phantom. While that surely strain their budget much, it might make shoppers more aware of the Phantom's low 11 mpg city, 18 mpg highway EPA ratings.

Rolls-Royce's bespoke ordering system allows a customer to essentially order any build configuration among a list of thousands of features and combinations—or completely concoct their own new features for a hefty price. Possibilities include a starlight headliner, cooling box, wood-veneered instrument panel, seat piping, and the aforementioned drinks cabinet, among many others.

Aside from the extended-wheelbase models and a few feature changes, the Phantom sedan has changed little, but it was joined by both the Phantom Drophead Coupe (in 2008), and Phantom Coupe (in 2009). The Drophead Coupe, which starts at $448,000, and the Coupe, at $405,000, have about the same dimensions as the sedan but have a rear-opening front door. Both can fit four if needed, and offer comparably deft performance and an equally plush ride.

2010 Rolls-Royce Phantom

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2009 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe

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2009 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe

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