Want to own the most expensive car in the world? Of course you do, but that aspiration has become a little more challenging with the advent of the 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII. Starting prices will be high, that is true, but there’s also no cap on the maximum price you can pay.
You see, with the modernisation and redesign of such an iconic model, the car is no longer just a car. Not that a Rolls was ever just a car, but with this latest model, buyers have unlimited options for customising and beautifying their personal Phantom.
That’s because the vehicle designates a portion of the dashboard for displaying artworks. Dubbed “The Gallery”, it encapsulates the idea that not only should the car’s interior be up to the aesthetic standards of a major art gallery, but it should also house major works of art. Perhaps very valuable ones. Rolls-Royce have commissioned pieces from major artists, hence the potential shift in the cost of your new Roller from pricey to priceless. The manufacturer, however, has been mum about the starting price.
Giles Taylor, design director for Rolls-Royce, explains that Phantom owners can “stage beautiful materials and textures and fine objets d’art – real three-dimensional pieces – that can sit behind this piece of glass”.
With the UK asking price starting at £300,000 (HK$3.2 million) for the 2017 issue of the Phantom VII, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to install a £200,000 work of art in a car of the Phantom VIII’s stature.
This could have an intriguing effect on the vehicle’s ongoing value. Even a Rolls-Royce will depreciate in value with age, but art has been known to do the opposite. This could present buyers with an irresistible investment challenge.
But what of the car? If the Phantom VIII turns out to be a lemon or does not significantly improve on the VII, the best art in the world won’t want to sit in it. Have the designers at Rolls produced a car that will match he accolades received by the first Goodwood Phantom produced under BMW ownership, the VII, released in 2003?
Only time will tell the full story, but the reaction from the industry so far is sounding like a resounding “Yes!”
The Phantom has gone from conservatively classic to classically stylish. The austere lines of the sedan have finally been sculpted and softened into perfectly proportioned beauty – a true journey from royal barge to royal yacht. The proud, high bow sporting the classic Rolls- Royce Pantheon grille represents the ultimate in VIP conveyance. A generous freeboard incorporating the classic coach-door configuration and a gently tapered stern and cabin top make for an automotive masterpiece that looks like it could cruise majestically above traffic.
Riding in a Phantom VIII might well give you that sensation. The Rolls as a means of transport has always been more about what it feels like to be inside one than what it looks like from the outside. Internally, Rolls-Royce design ideology seems more about what you don’t notice than what you do.
The first thing you won’t notice in the cabin of the Phantom is the noise. This is hands-down the quietest car in the world. On top of the 135kG of sound insulation cocooning the cabin, the tyres have special layers of foam built into them to cut down cavitation noise by 9dB. The almost seamless construction of the all-aluminium body shell also contributes to the phenomenal sound insulation performance, and it significantly reduces the weight of the vehicle, too.
Once you get going you might not notice you’re moving. Apart from not being able to hear it, the smooth and gentle acceleration provided by the massive 6.75-litre V-12 engine and GPS-aided 8-speed automatic gearbox – combined with the self-levelling air suspension – ensures the most magical ride ever delivered by Rolls-Royce.
Of course you can get to 60mph (97kph) in around 5 seconds if you need to. That 6.75-litre monster can chuck it out. And the top speed of 155mph (250kph) ensures you will leave those pesky paparazzi floundering in your wake. However, the engine is tuned for steadiness rather than speed, with particular attention paid to smooth motion at low speeds – ideal for those cross-harbour tunnel crawls at rush hour.
Another thing you might not notice, since they are so cleverly built into the seat-backs, doors, armrests and such, is the full compliment of amenities such as screens, table trays, lighting configurations and a drinks cabinet.
Everything you would think of – and some you wouldn’t – is elegantly and discretely provided. Wifi? Hotspot. Phone? Hands-free. Winter chill? Heated seat. The list goes on.
Even if it’s not on the list, Rolls- Royce will put it there. After all, you are buying a hand-built car with incredibly low production numbers (only 1,000 a year).
The artisans at Goodwood will make any modifications you desire. Diamonds embedded in the paint finish? No problem. Hand-made sculptural Champagne cooler? What colour would you like, Madam?
All this factors in nicely with the whole car-as-gallery concept. Indeed, purchasing a Phantom VIII is akin to commissioning a comfortable and competently mobile work of art, rather than just an incredibly nice car.
Luxury and comfort are what it’s all about with Rolls-Royce, and you certainly won’t feel any discomfort inside the Phantom. The slight inward angling of the seats makes for a more intimate ambience, allowing easier engagement with the other passenger without having to shift into an awkward position. Various seating options are available, including the new sleeping seat.
All things considered, though, is the new Phantom a car to own in Hong Kong? Rolls-Royce certainly have history here. The Governor’s Rolls-Royce, a Phantom V with landaulette coachwork, was used to convey Queen Elizabeth II when she made a visit to Hong Kong in 1975. HSBC also had at least one Rolls, and the famous Peninsula Hotel had a fleet of dark green Phantoms.
The brand’s illustrious history in the territory may answer that question, but if price is no object and you have a passion for the priceless, a cocoon of comfort and a seat of luxury could be just the remedy for this crazy, noisy city of extremes.
The downside? Only one really – not being able to afford it in the first place. It’s a Rolls after all!
Text: Clive Keep