Used 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom

The Rolls-Royce Phantom has graced this earth since 1925, and the 2018 Phantom is an 8th-generation model based on an all-new aluminum chassis. With this uber-luxurious sedan, Rolls-Royce has switched away from a shared-platform strategy, and the company tells us that no future models will ever be based on a chassis shared by another manufacturer. The Phantom’s unique aluminum chassis — what Rolls calls “The Architecture of Luxury” — is some 30 percent stiffer than its predecessor, which has allowed the British manufacturer to fine-tune the suspension for even better ride comfort. The new 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom is available in a standard length and one with an extra 8.7 inches of wheelbase.

An all-new twin-turbocharged 6.75-liter V12 engine is found underhood, delivering 563 horsepower and a massive 664 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission. Moreover, a huge effort has been made to make the 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom “the most silent motor car in the world.” This includes double-glazed glass all around the car, plus 287 pounds of sound insulation and a double-skin alloy used in the Phantom’s floor and bulkheads. Dense foam (and felt) is inserted between the layers of the double-skin alloy to give it added sound-deadening properties. Similarly, the new Phantom’s tires are filled with a special foam said to cut tire noise by nine decibels.

With a price that begins at about $420,000, the 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom — most are highly personalized by the manufacturer for several thousands more — has competition that comes from second homes and yachts, not other cars.

This is a dignified automobile with exceptional ride quality, not a sporting sedan. Yet that big twin-turbo V12 makes this big Rolls impressively quick in a straight line. Turbo boost hits so quickly and so smoothly that the Phantom’s acceleration is hydraulic in nature, as if nothing will ever stop the car. And at slower speeds, the opposite phase of the new rear-wheel-steering system is appreciated, making this big Rolls more maneuverable in town than you might ever expect. What’s more, the front cameras, a part of what Rolls calls the Flagbearer system, are adept at spotting potholes and the like, then alerting the Phantom suspension (double A-arms in front, and a 5-link rear) in real time to adapt to these road imperfections.

As you’d expect of a new Rolls-Royce, opulence abounds in the 2018 Phantom, which typically is highly personalized by the individual buyer. This large Rolls-Royce sedan, with rear-hinged back doors, looks modern inside, but there’s a sense of calmness and tranquility inside that’s created in part by the largest Starlight Headliner we’ve ever seen in a Rolls-Royce. High-gloss wood paneling can be commissioned for the door panels, the dash and the picnic tables, which electrically deploy from the aft side of the front seatbacks. The wood paneling used across the front seatbacks is evocative of the famous Eames Lounge Chair of 1956.

Fine woods and real metals are used throughout the Phantom. In back, buyers can choose among a lounge seat, individual seats with armrests, individual seats with a fixed center console, or a new sleeping seat. All are angled to ease conversation and lessen strain on the neck. What’s more, the position of the seat controls has been moved from the center armrest to a more intuitive spot. The Phantom’s fixed rear-center console now has an optional Bespoke drink cabinet with whisky glasses, a decanter, champagne flutes and a chiller box.

With very few visible lines joining its body panels, the new Rolls-Royce Phantom looks as if it were hewn from a solid block of aluminum. It’s a radically modern take on the Phantom, with a taller grille and a classic Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament that’s about a half-inch higher than on the previous model.

For the first time, the grille is integrated into the bodywork, making for a cleaner and more modern look. The grille itself is made of hand-polished stainless steel, and the headlights add an aura of confidence to the overall design with their frosted internals and an expressive ring of daytime running lights.

From the side, it’s easy to see the Phantom’s classic proportions, which feature an upright front end with a very short overhang, plus a longer flowing rear end with more overhang. Also notable: The trim around the Phantom’s side windows is said to be the largest single piece of hand-polished stainless steel on any automobile available today. With its rounded look, it helps to preserve the Phantom’s wide C-pillars, which aid occupant privacy. Twenty-two-inch alloy wheels are standard.

THE FLAGBEARER
This system uses cameras behind the Phantom’s windscreen to scan the road ahead and proactively adjust the spring and shock rates, as well as the anti-roll bars, for improved ride quality. About the name: In the earliest days of motoring, flagbearers were required by law to carry a red flag and walk ahead of moving cars.

SATELLITE-AIDED TRANSMISSION
The Phantom’s onboard GPS system communicates with the 8-speed automatic transmission. By knowing the car’s exact location and speed, the shift timing can be optimized.

One of the most notable pieces of hardware is “The Gallery,” what Rolls is calling the Phantom’s dramatically reinterpreted dashboard and instrument panel. It’s upright like the dashes of Rolls past, but all the elements are enclosed in one swath of glass that runs the full width of the dash area. Contained within are digital instruments framed with chrome for a jeweled look that’s carried over throughout the interior. And get this: Owners can commission an individual work of art that spans the width of dash, behind that single pane of glass.

At the request of customers, Rolls also fits the new Phantom with a 12.3-inch color display that has LED backlighting. The displays are characterized by easy-to-read virtual needles and clear lettering. In addition to speed, power reserve, fuel and temperature levels, the display also handles important information for the cruise control, navigation, and other driver-assistance programs. Behind the screen is an analog clock with counterweighted hands. The ticking may be the loudest sound you hear in the eerily quiet Phantom.

The sky is the limit. When you order from the Rolls-Royce Bespoke division, the possibilities are seemingly endless, with Rolls-sourced woods, colors and fabrics at your disposal. The level of personalization you choose can be subtle (custom door handles, instruments or scuff plates) or bold, with everything from wild custom-blended paints to wood veneers taken from the favorite tree on your estate.

The 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom is available with one engine, and it’s the strong, silent type: a twin-turbo 6.75-liter V12 that puts out 563 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 664 lb-ft of torque at a lowly 1,700 rpm. Although the aluminum-block engine is related to a BMW V12, it’s unique to the Phantom. Mated to an 8-speed automatic, it accelerates this big Rolls-Royce sedan to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, a remarkable time given the enormity of this 5,600-pound vehicle. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph.

EPA fuel economy of the 2018 Phantom is not especially good: 12-mpg city/19-mpg highway/14-mpg combined. The fuel tank is a large 23.8 gallons.

6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V12 (Standard and Extended Wheelbase models)
563 horsepower @ 5,000 rpm
664 lb-ft of torque @ 1,700 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 12/19 mpg