What's the news?
Take a good mental note of the following phrases: Architecture of Luxury; The Gallery; The Embrace; and The Art of Movement. These are all facets of what has been termed the 'world's leading luxury item', which happens to be the eighth generation of the Rolls-Royce Phantom. This is the company's new flagship and we've got all the details on the mighty Phantom VIII.
Exterior
Imposing, grand, elegant - the Phantom VIII is everything you would expect of a new Roller. It's built on the 'Architecture of Luxury', which essentially means an all-aluminium spaceframe chassis. Rolls-Royce says that no future model will be built of monocoque construction, as used by 'mass-manufacturers and some mass-luxury brands'. Tough talk. This spaceframe is said to be 30 per cent more rigid than the architecture on which the Phantom VII was based and it is designed to give the ultimate experience in terms of ride comfort, acoustic comfort, exterior presence and interior space.
Talking of exterior presence, you might notice that the Phantom's bodywork shows very few join lines between panels, giving the impression that it is 'hewn from a solid block of aluminium'. There's the traditional 'Pantheon' radiator grille, topped off by the Spirit of Ecstasy at the front, although in a less traditional move, said grille is now integrated into the surrounding bodywork, rather than standing proud of it. New 'laserlight' (meaning 600 metres of illumination at night) signatures tidy up the front of the Phantom, which used to sport those large, round lamps lower down on the MkVII, while in profile the car has the classic 2:1 proportions - short front overhang, long rear overhang - and the rear-hinged coach doors for passengers travelling in the back of the Rolls. A sleek rear end with new light clusters completes the picture, with the R-R looking every inch the ultra-premium machine it undoubtedly is. And the size of the alloy wheels? Why, they're 22 inches in diameter.
Interior
This is where we cover the other three phrases, starting with 'The Embrace'. Once you've clambered aboard - and we're guessing this is for Phantom owners who like to be driven, rather than to drive - then an 'assistant or valet' merely lightly touches the sensor on the door handle. Thus, the Rolls-Royce's big door then automatically whispers shut of its own accord, enveloping the occupant in 'The Embrace' of the Phantom VIII. It's apparently now possible to 'effortlessly close' the front and rear doors of the car from the inside.
It's almost needless to say that the Phantom's cabin is made of the absolute finest fixtures, fittings and materials, while the new car has the largest Starlight Headliner ever seen in a Rolls-Royce. Even the armrests take their inspiration from the height of luxury, as their shape is modelled on a J-Class sailing yacht. Rolls-Royce says it has re-sculpted and hand-crafted the seats to deliver even more comfort, there are rear picnic tables and rear theatre monitors secreted behind the wood panelling on the backs of the front seats, a gigantic long-wheelbase Phantom is available if you somehow think there's not enough legroom in the (for want of a better word) standard car, the fixed rear centre console incorporates a drinks cabinet with whisky glasses, decanter, champagne flutes and a coolbox, and not only are the seats heated, but so are the front door armrests, the front centre console lid, the lower C-pillar, the rear side armrests (on all individual seats) and the rear centre armrest.
And then there's 'The Gallery'. This is a full-width swathe of toughened glass that forms the Phantom VIII's dashboard and instrument panel area. It features 12.3-inch TFT colour displays with LED backlighting, as well as the traditional 'power reserve' dial and other essential read-outs. There's an analogue clock housed behind The Gallery's glass and the central information screen can be retracted behind the centre stack when it's not in use. And 'The Art of Movement' is explained by the fact The Gallery can be just that - a gallery for artwork. Rolls-Royce will allow owners to put bespoke works of art and images in the space in the upper dashboard. Indeed, Rolls-Royce has already worked with a few artists, companies and designers - such as Lian Yangwei, Thorsten Franck, Helen Amy Murray and porcelain manufacturer Nymphenberg - to come up with a few inspirational ideas for what can be created in The Gallery. It's incredible stuff, it really is...
Mechanicals
A twin-turbo, 6.75-litre V12 petrol engine delivering 571hp and 900Nm of torque provides the motive power for the glamorous Phantom VIII. Rolls-Royce has also fitted the machine with air suspension and the latest chassis control systems, while underneath is new double-wishbone front suspension and a five-link rear axle. The lighter architecture of the spaceframe means Rolls is claiming the Magic Carpet Ride the company is so fabled for is, somewhat incredibly, improved, while there has been a big effort to encapsulate the sound of silence.
There's 6mm double-glazing all around the glasshouse, more than 130kg of sound insulation, the largest-ever cast aluminium joints in a body-in-white for better acoustic damping and the use of plenty of high absorption materials. All of this is said to make the Phantom VIII 10 per cent more hushed than its predecessor at 100km/h, with our favourite detail here being the 'Silent-Seal' tyres, which have a foam layer inside the rubber itself to reduce tyre noise.
Like most recent Rollers, the Phantom has the Satellite-Aided Transmission, couple to an eight-speed ZF gearbox, while items such as Alertness Assistant, a four-camera system with Panoramic View, all-round visibility including helicopter view (!), Night Vision and Vision Assist, Active Cruise Control, collision warning, pedestrian warning, cross-traffic warning, lane departure and lane change warning, a 7x3 high-resolution head-up display, Wi-Fi hotspot and the latest navigation and entertainment systems will all be offered.
Anything else?
Peter Schwarzenbauer, chairman of Rolls-Royce and Member of the Board of the BMW Group, said: "The global introduction of a new Rolls-Royce is always a very special moment within the BMW Group. This particular occasion is even more special because we are introducing an all-new Phantom, the flagship of the Rolls-Royce brand and the world's foremost luxury product.
"New Phantom is a powerful statement of design, engineering and bespoke expertise, and I am delighted with the response we have received from our many highly discerning customers worldwide. The BMW Group remains fully committed to the future of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and is proud of the many achievements made by the brand since its acquisition."