Wretchedly Expensive: Rolls-Royce Phantom Black

[YSSMAN]

It's a bit like that sketch from the Fast Show down at Rolls-Royce because it's all gone black, so very black.

They've even called this limited-edition car the Phantom Black.

Only 25 Phantom Blacks will be built and each comes finished in Diamond Black paint with twin sliver coach lines.

The wheels have unique black centre caps, while the engine is treated to gloss black inlet manifolds, chromed top covers and black Rolls-Royce badges.

Funnily enough, the interior is kitted out in black leather, black ash wood, and the dashboard is in a unique black foil.

Pub-act fans will also note the Black's steering wheel is slightly more thickly padded than a standard Phantom's.

The price is also a little more thickly padded than standard, although Rolls-Royce prefers to discuss this only with customers.

...Pricing? Figure well north of $400K USD, that is of course, if any come to the United States.

I still like the Flying Spur better, but even then the new Mercedes-Benz S600 is argueably better for far less cash. But hey, expensive cars are just that, and obviously Rolls-Royce and Bentley are indeed the two top marques when it comes to luxury. BTW: I don't include Mybach, given that they are over-glorified S-Class sedans that sell quite poorly and really don't look all too special. The last time I saw a 57, I had to double take to see if it was a Maybach or a S-Class.

Atleast the Rolls and Bentley look exclusive...

 

[Onikaze]

It appeals to me, oddly.

If I was gonna be driven around in a big super expensive tank, I'd like it to look like Darth Vader should be my driver, with a "DUN DUN DUN DUN-NU-NUN DUN-NU-NUN...DUN DUN DUN" as I thunder down the road.

 

[niky]

The car looks exactly like Darth Vader. Your driver should be in Storm Trooper whites.

I kind of like it, too. It exudes class.

 

[YSSMAN]

The car does ooze presence, and that is a good thing. But my problem is that every hip-hop superstar has one, and that just isn't my style.

 

[Onikaze]

Every hip hopper has a silver one.

Black is cooler

 

[YSSMAN]

Since I'd want mine to be totally hot, I think I'd go the route of Ms. Paris Hilton and settle for hot pink...

Thats hot...

 

[Tornado]

I still say screw the Phantom. Give me an Arnage T, pre-VW molestation (namely, with the rectangular headlights), and I would be a happy rich guy. That car exudes class. This car exudes "Where are the dubs?" Besides, you could pull your mansion with an Arnage T. This thing has trouble getting out of it's own way.

 

[Onikaze]

I dunno, the Bentley's are probably the only Audi/VW products that really impressed me stylewise.

Something about the car just suggests that it was hewn from a single lump of granite, painted, and had an engine stuck into it.

The Phantom takes the other approach, it's a slightly polished block of steel with a gorgeous interior and a fun engine.

 

[Sniffs]

nice to see Rollers come out from wherever they've been hiding. half a mill or not, that's suh-weeeeeeeet.

they may be mud-common where you are, Yss, but I haven't seen a roller since a pic of a 99 (?) mY when the big fight went off between the Germans over who got Bent an rolls (wasn't it beamer and Volks?). i did see old Silver Spurs (?) on a regular basis even way up here. someone regularly brought one to the local car shows.

 

[YSSMAN]

The father of a girl I went to highschool with owned an exotic car rental/dealer, and he had a black Phantom not too long after the car came out. I think the thing about the car that surprised me the most is the size of the whole thing. I'm 6ft, and it almost seemed like the hood of the car was up to my chest. Then there were the big doors, and the miles of leather in the interior. Granted, I couldn't sit in it, but I could look at it...

Not to say the Bentley is small either. The one Continental GT that is around here is absolutely huge, again surprising in size for a true GT car. IMO, it is far better in it's four-door form, but thats just me.

 

[JCE]

Looks great...too bad they will be defiled by rappers and rock stars that don't deserve to even look at one.

 

[Slicks]

I will admit that this car looks very menacing, yet prestigious at the same time. Very attractive. Would I get one over an Arnage T or Red Label of a few years vintage? No.
(And kudos on the Star Wars thing. It suits the car).

 

[Wolfe]

It appeals to me, oddly.

If I was gonna be driven around in a big super expensive tank, I'd like it to look like Darth Vader should be my driver, with a "DUN DUN DUN DUN-NU-NUN DUN-NU-NUN...DUN DUN DUN" as I thunder down the road.

That would be awesome, and because the RR is a big, safe luxury car, he wouldn't have to wear a silly little white helmet like he did in the Civic Type R on Top Gear...

 

[Scaff]

I still say screw the Phantom. Give me an Arnage T, pre-VW molestation (namely, with the rectangular headlights), and I would be a happy rich guy. That car exudes class. This car exudes "Where are the dubs?" Besides, you could pull your mansion with an Arnage T. This thing has trouble getting out of it's own way.

All differences about which one is classier aside (as its entirely personal), saying the Phantom would have trouble getting out of its own way while the Arnage T can pull a mansion? Well lets have a quick look at the specs.

RR Phantom
0 - 60mph = 6 seconds
Top Speed = 149 mph
453 bhp
531 lbs/ft
2,485 kgs
PTW = 182 bhp per tonne
214 lbs/ft per tonne

Arnage T '02 (last to be fitted with the RR engine)
0 - 60mph = 5.5 seconds
Top Speed = 168 mph
450 bhp
645 lbs/ft
2,585 kgs
PTW = 174 bhp per tonne
250 lbs/ft per tonne


So the specs seem to indicate a much closer match than suggested, certainly the Arnage should be quick in the 0-60 given the extra 36 lbs/ft of torque per tonne it has, but it hardly makes a difference between pulling a mansion and not being able to avoid itself.

Of course things would take a major shift in the Phantoms direction the second a bend pops up, the old Bentley's were notorious for a rather large desire to not corner.

To be honest they are cars from two different eras, the old Bentley is not a dynamically capable car (nor to be fair was it designed to be), but to label the Phantom in such a way is just plain silly, any car with a six second 0-60mph time and a (limited) vmax af near 150mph is more than capable of getting out of its own way. In fact its more than capable of shaming a lot of other cars in a straight line fight.

Regards

Scaff

 

[Pebb]

I remember seeing this at Goodwood FOS, but I post my photos of this car at FOS later on guys.

 

[Mark T]

I love that car.

 

[Sting]

I don't much care for recent Rolls Royce design, it just feels Americanised, and then there is the fact that just about every rap star would have one totally ruins it.

I'm going with Toronado with this, and much prefer a Bentley.

 

[Scaff]

I don't much care for recent Rolls Royce design, it just feels Americanised, and then there is the fact that just about every rap star would have one totally ruins it.

I'm going with Toronado with this, and much prefer a Bentley.

Which is quite a surprise as a recent marketing report listed Bentley as one of the automotive brands most likely to be mentioned in a rap video. Merc are first, with Caddy and Bentley close behind.

Bentley are (and have been for quite a while) a popular the choice of the rapper and are often name checked in lyrics.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/04/music.rap.brands.ap/index.html

Regards

Scaff

 

[IMADreamer]

I love it. That car probably has more presence then any car on the planet. I think if that thing was coming up behind you on the road the hairs on your neck would start to stand up even before you noticed the car.

I have always been a huge fan of Rolls just because of it's history and prestige.

 

[harrytuttle]

This car exudes "Where are the dubs?" Besides, you could pull your mansion with an Arnage T. This thing has trouble getting out of it's own way.

Who do you think this car was aimed at? The hip-hop "community" is the most influential trend-setting group for as far back as I can remember. The Escalade, Bentley anything, Mercedes S500...they all owe much of their sales to BET.

I still say screw the Phantom. Give me an Arnage T, pre-VW molestation (namely, with the rectangular headlights), and I would be a happy rich guy. That car exudes class.

Yeah, when it comes to top-marque luxury, it pretty much doesn't exist any more. You have to go back before 1990 to see anything that had real class, not "Kristal is classy". Hence the past dozen Pebble Beach Concours....

 

[harrytuttle]

I will admit that this car looks very menacing, yet prestigious at the same time. Very attractive. Would I get one over an Arnage T or Red Label of a few years vintage? No.
(And kudos on the Star Wars thing. It suits the car).

No. This was Darth Vader:

The RR is just black.

 

[Danny]

I'd go for the Bentley too I'm afraid.

Failing that, a Maybach.

 

[Jim Prower]

The RR, I think, I'd like to chop about a foot (.3m) out of the wheelbase, gut the interior, and make it so it goes absurdly fast.

why? I'm wierd that way.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

How can they call it "black" when it has so much brightwork on it?

It should have black window frames, black door handles and black wheels I would probably leave the chrome grille and the chrome rings around the front lights, but the rest of it should be painted.

 

[Onikaze]

They said they would never build the Exelero didn't they?

That makes the RR the closest to Darth's car you can buy.