Design of the Roll-Royce Phantom series

Wapcar – In the rush to call a product that represents the pinnacle of luxury, the pronunciation is often placed before “the Rolls-Royce of”. The reference is not new. The reputation of the British brand has been well documented. legitimacy as early as 1907, when the British  Autocar Publication called Rolls-Royce “the best car in the world. Arguably, that title, bestowed 115 years ago, is still relevant, as evidenced by our experience with the new 2023 Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II among the top Rolls-Royce Motor cars. The car was born in 1925 and is now in its 8th generation, Phantom is the oldest brand in the automotive industry, as futuristic and modern as it is told in history. 

The “Rolls-Royce of Rolls-Royces” (words created by us instead of them)  was chosen to be launched by its creators, with the first world tour at the Maybourne Riviera, a 5-star hotel brand new in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, whose position is on a hill. in the crying distance of Monte Carlo. Clean, crisp architecture and tranquil lawns made it the perfect place to display 10 colorful ghosts, each of which is a unique order designed to showcase customization. almost limitless. 

The winding streets of the French Riviera provide the perfect backdrop for the Phantom Series II, in all its distinctive expressions. The  Nice area is a favorite part of the world for the most famous artists of the 20th century. Here Picasso, Matisse, Chagall and dozens of other painters, sculptors, writers and thinkers revel. with the sky, the landscape and the laid-back life inspired them to art in a different way. Like those artists, what Rolls-Royce calls “Ultra Luxury” are ten cars with names like Maverick and Connoisseur. Between these extremes are Platinum, Patriot, Founder, Iconoclast, Prodigy, Sentimentalist, Extrovert and Aristocrat. 

Sophie Weekes, Bespoke Team Leader on Phantom Series II, explains that each of these “10 models” exudes its own character. 

Our designers work with clients to develop knowledge and insight into the client’s personality, and then express it through their orders. Indeed, the Phantom Series II is the ideal automotive canvas where owners can explore new colors and combinations of materials, fabrics and finishes to create a masterpiece that is both personal and comfortable. delicate. 

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, under the  BMW umbrella but fully automatic, reinvented itself with the Phantom VII in 2003. It is the car that has marked the company’s journey into the 21st century and was replaced in 2017 by the Phantom VIII. But  Phantom and Phantom owners don’t accept drastic changes, and so the Series II incorporates more subtle aesthetic and technological upgrades that reflect customer opinions.

Keen observers will need to see the new car and its predecessor side by side to notice the changes. At the front, a polished horizontal line connects the daytime running lights above the classic Pantheon grille, while the ‘RR’ badging and Spirit of Ecstasy hood trim are also more prominent. 

Felix Kibertus,  head of exterior design at Rolls-Royce, has taken a holistic approach to light. The grille itself is now illuminated, while the headlights are adorned with sophisticated laser-cut starlights, creating a visual connection with the interior Starlights. 

This concept we call “light touch” adds surprise and excitement to the Phantom’s nighttime presence, and we see great opportunities to further advance innovative ideas. 

Day or night, the car’s styling mimics the official proportions of every Phantom throughout history, with short front overhangs and long rear overhangs, and a long wheelbase in the middle. That long wheelbase could be even longer in the Phantom Extended, a possible choice for owners who want their own driver. High shoulders and wide C-pillars create privacy for rear seat occupants. The sleek exterior is a hallmark of the Phantom design, but in response to customer requests,  the grille and exterior trim has now been plated with dark chrome. 

Perhaps the most notable new exterior design elements are the wheels, whose triangular faces are 3D molded from solid stainless steel and are polished, painted, or chromed. The optional 22-inch stainless steel disc wheels resemble those of the first Phantoms and are either polished or lacquered in black. 

Project Manager Ralf Langmeier listed a number of engineering and manufacturing challenges, saying, “Producing a fully polished version takes 60.6 hours per wheel, mainly due to the need to polish. many times. Regarding heat, we will point out that the heat dispersion rating of the brake fluid is slightly better than that of other Phantom wheels. In addition, we designed the openings to optimize airflow between the 20 [hidden] spokes. It took some simulation to figure out the final size, angle, and position to ensure sustained performance. 

As today’s Rolls-Royce owners are a tech-savvy bunch, the new Phantom  II series has incorporated “Rolls-Royce Connected”, which can communicate with Whispers, an app exclusively for Rolls members -Royce. This feature preloads navigation instructions, displaying vehicle location, security status and other information on mobile devices when the owner is away from the vehicle. And when they entered through the wide “passenger door”, they encountered an environment as comfortable as one could imagine, on four wheels at least. 

Front passengers benefit from plush seats, separated by a wide center console, but aside from the thicker steering wheel, the cabin is virtually unchanged. In the past, customers might assume the value of leather and one-acre Ponderosa would cover the interior, but today’s Rolls-Royce customers, whose average age is 45, appreciate the qualities. other materials and finishes, including woolen fabrics. , silk and even yarn made from bamboo. 

Embossed designs and hand-painted fabrics and surfaces are also out of the question for the artisans at the brand’s headquarters and manufacturing facility in Goodwood, England. All it takes is a creative idea, a smart solution and time.

The most striking interior feature of the Phantom Series II is the showroom, a large glass space on the dashboard that can accommodate a custom design of the customer’s choice. Recent exhibitions include cloisonné butterflies, porcelain roses, bas-reliefs that replicate client DNA, and commissioned paintings from favorite artists.

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