Land-yacht luxury

// Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII

THE ROLLS-ROYCE Phantom limousine is now in its second modern iteration, the inspiring eighth generation in the proud motoring brand’s history. As it’s been comparatively unchallenged at the top of the extreme-luxury heap, the chance to drive one in a picturesque Franschhoek setting was the stuff of dreams…

I’m yet to hear anyone describe the new Phantom as beautiful to look at, but it’s sleeker than before, while still retaining the same grand sense of presence it’s always had, with the polished and unmistakable stainless steel ‘Pantheon’ grille sparkling in the sun. Though still enormous, the new design carries over an air of modern elegance, truly unlike any other luxury saloon on the road.

Under the immense bonnet is a new 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 engine, (6.75 litres!) – eerily quiet, yet devastatingly fast for a vehicle tipping the scales at 2.5 tons and nearly six metres long. With a colossal 420 KW of power and 900 Nm of torque readily available, the large ‘Power Reserve’ gauge on the instrument cluster constantly reminds you of how much oomph there is left to spare.

But the real joy is unquestionably on the inside. The ride is utterly sublime, calibrated for ultimate comfort and matched with steering that only needs two fingers to twirl (trust me, I tried it). The hushed cabin is made possible by double-glazed glass, noise-insulated tyres by Continental and more than 100 kg of sound- and vibrationdeadening material. What all this does – very effectively – is keep occupants cocooned from the harshness of the outside world. The all-new aluminium construction is supported by air springs and adaptive dampers work surreptitiously at ironing out the road scars, potholes and imperfections. But of course, let’s not forget all the soft swathes of hand-stitched leather, the lambswool carpets, and sumptuous throne-like seating augmenting the luxurious ambience.

With bespoke finishes and designs available, the Phantom is built to the specification of the discerning customer. This new generation has lived up to its rich heritage in design, and with electrification soon to be available, is seemingly embracing the future. The Phantom is arguably the finest luxury automobile available and surpasses the establishment when it comes to hand-built attention to detail and the possibilities of factory customisation.