Rolls-Royce: first drive in the all-new Phantom

It’s an all-new version of the finest car in the world. And it’s very much as you were

(James Lipman)

The Phantom is the best Rolls-Royce you can buy: the pinnacle of the range. And now there’s an all-new one, and what a piece of engineering it is. Debuting the all-new and wholly bespoke underpinnings coming to all Rolls-Royce, it’s stiffer than the old one, a little lighter, and owes nothing to contemporary BMWs. Rolls-Royce are once again uniquely Rolls-Royce.

It still weighs more than two and a half tonnes (2.6 tonnes in Extended Wheelbase guise), so it’s hardly a bantamweight. But packed in are air springs, adaptive dampers, active anti-roll bars and rear-wheel steering, to give the 5.76-metre-long machine (nigh-on six meters in Extended Wheelbase guise) an even more majestic combination of agility, control and, above all, ride comfort and refinement. Even the tyres have sound insulation.

(James Lipman (James Lipman)

The 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 engine now produces 563bhp, and a mammoth 664lb ft of torque, from little more than tickover. Indeed, although it will rev to 6500rpm, this is wholly unbecoming for a Rolls-Royce. Take it much over 2500rpm and it’s out of its normal operating range, say the engineers. Serenity is all.

To look at, it’s familiarly Phantom. You don’t get flights of fancy on cars like this, simply evolution of what buyers know and love. Perhaps it’s a bit more dynamic than before, it’s certainly a bit more ostentatious. We’ll undoubtedly get used to it: there’s no denying it’s still a regal, upstanding machine, just like before.

Inside, you sit high, and space is fast. The boot is also vast, big enough for a full set of golf clubs for four adults onboard, all of whom get their own moving, massaging, heated seats and climate controls. Because sitting in the rear is just as important as sitting in the front here; many Rolls-Royce customers are both driven and drive themselves.

The impeccably built dashboard now incorporates a ‘gallery’; you can put pictures behind a sealed piece of glass next to the infotainment system. Expect custom-designed artwork to be sold through Rolls-Royce dealerships in due course. The rest of it is jewel-like – even the steering wheel is uniquely thin, and fingertip-light: driving it this way soon becomes natural.

It’s a deliciously cosseting car to drive. It’s no surprise to discover it’s near-silent at any speed, and the V12 engine is gloriously smooth and effortless. It’s a peach to steer in traffic – it’s been engineered specifically to excel in the city centre conditions so many chauffeurs spend so much of their time – and the ride is, well, absolutely world class.

No car in the world rides this well. It smothers almost anything the road can throw at it, with control and compliance. It’s impeccable beyond belief – even more so when you consider that, while hardly sporting, it’s surprisingly tidy through the bends too. It’s everything you’d hope a Rolls-Royce would be: a genuine event to drive and be driven in.

It’s exactly as Rolls-Royce intended: a genuine pinnacle, not only of the Goodwood firm’s range, but also of cars in general. The world’s most luxurious car is also one of the best on the planet, a genuine standout exemplar of brilliance. If you want the best, look no further.

Specifications

On sale Now
Price £360,000
Engine 6.75-litre, V12, twin-turbocharged, petrol
Power 563bhp at 5000rpm
Torque 664lb ft at 1700rpm
Gearbox 8-spd automatic
Kerbweight 2560kg
Top speed 155mph
0-62mph 5.1sec
Fuel economy 20.3mpg
CO2 rating 318g/km
Rivals Bentley Mulsanne, Mercedes-Maybach S-Class