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Press Centre > CAPtivate > CAP Blog
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Dec
9
Written by:
Martin Ward
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
We went down to the factory in Goodwood to have a guided tour of the ultra-modern and almost quiet plant to see the new cars being lovingly hand built. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars employs around 850 people in the UK and has just gone from one shift per day to two to enable the factory to produce an extra car in the range, the all new Ghost (we will feature more about this car next week). Rolls-Royce moved to its new home from Crewe in 2002 and since then they have seen a steady growth in worldwide sales, going from 300 in 2003 to 805 in 2005 and then to 1212 in 2008. They do however, expect sales to end up slightly down on last year due to the economic problems in some of its traditionally strong territories. Rolls-Royce currently has 83 dealers worldwide but this could grow by up to 20 more in areas not currently covered by the network.
 The Phantom extended wheelbase really is a big car and makes every other car on the road appear tiny. It measures at 6,090mm in length, is 1,990mm wide and 1,640mm in height. The wheelbase is a massive 3,830mm in length and it weighs 2,670kg, which is not a lot for a car of this size. The engineers at Rolls-Royce have developed a light weight aluminium space frame to help reduce the cars overall weight.
It is difficult to decide where the best place to sit is, so we’ll start with the rear as it is enormous. The rear seat is shaped so it has a sofa-like corner, which curves around and you sit facing slightly inwards so you can have a conversation with the other rear seat passenger. The carpets, leather, wood and all the chrome fittings are exquisite and you can tell that money is no object; only the best is good enough for Rolls-Royce. As Sir Henry Royce said in 1907: “We have to strive for perfection”, and they certainly have done in the Phantom limousine as it is just amazing. As you sit in the back you do feel like royalty or an entrepreneur, or someone very lucky and mega-rich.
 Now on to the front, where your man would normally sit. This is equally as sumptuous and no cost has been spared for the driver. I drove the Phantom on a variety of roads in Sussex and found it to be surprisingly agile, easy to drive and it did not feel as big on the road as I had expected it to be. Before I drove it I really thought it was going to be like driving a barge, but it wasn’t at all.
 The Phantom is powered by a 6.7 litre (6,749cc) V12 48V petrol engine that produces 453hp and goes from 0-62mph in a sprightly 6.1 seconds, which is quicker than most regular hatchback models. It has a top speed of 150mph and a drag Cd figure similar to a brick at 0.37. Driving this ultra-large ultimate people carrier is a pleasure, though it could not be used for everyday transport or to go shopping in as it is simple too big, but it is perfect for long journeys or for stepping out onto the red carpet. Talking of the red carpet, the Phantom has coach doors which are rear opening rear doors. These make it much easier for rear passengers to get in and out of the vehicle and Rolls-Royce believe these doors help ladies in particular to make a more graceful and elegant entry and exit. It gives them time to straighten their clothes whilst stood between the doors and keep them out of sight of the paparazzi for a few seconds.
 Now to the price; the Rolls-Royce motto was always ‘if you have to ask the price then you can’t afford one’. The basic price of a standard wheelbase Phantom is £271,975 and the extended wheelbase (which is ten inches longer) costs £320,850, or around £5,000 per inch. Then you would have to start adding on a few options such as leather headlining at £4,675, RR monogram on all headrests at £425, picnic tables at £1,325 and chromed visible exhaust pipes at £3,550. It wouldn’t take many ticks on the order form to get one up to £400,000.
It is a great experience to drive the ultimate in motor cars and the new Rolls-Royce Phantom is certainly a pleasure I shall remember for many years to come. Would I buy one if my lottery numbers came up? Probably not, but I can understand why the likes of Sir Alan Sugar and Simon Cowell buy them, as it is not only a superb form of transport, but also a luxurious office.
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