2007 Rolls Royce Phantom Review

Specifications

25 Special Phantoms to Leave The Factory

No matter how you slice it, Rolls Royce was, is, and quite possibly will forever be the ruler by which all luxury cars are measured. From the very first Silver Ghost in 1906 to the modern day Phantom, the various works stemming from the historical pairing of electrical and mechanical wizard Henry Rolls with salesman Charles Royce have been hailed as the finest automobiles money can buy. Big, powerful, and incredibly opulent, theyre the chosen transportation of royalty the world over, and as such R-R has been known to produce a choice few special editions attainable only to those with either a crown on their head or a company named Microsoft to run. Their latest special edition; the Phantom Black, is most certainly no different.

An evolution of such legendary models as the Phantom IV, of which only 18 were produced specifically for heads of state (and those 18 took six years to build), the Phantom Black takes the already excellent Rolls Royce Phantom and makes it, for lack of a better term, more Rolls Royce. As the name indicates, the Phantom Black is a dark vehicle; covered in a mirror-like coat of Metallic Diamond Black paint with contrasting silver coach lines adorning the sides, while the same 21-inch alloy wheels found on a regular Phantom are treated to black detailing, gaining black stripes on the spokes and black stationary centre caps to match. Rounding out the exterior touches, the Phantom Blacks rear bumper is adorned with visible dual exhaust exits, hinting at some of the performance that lies under the hood in the form of the 6.75L V12 engine.

Engineered for both performance and silence, the big lump churns out 453 horsepower and 531 foot-pounds of torque, or just enough to catapult the 5,578-pound behemoth from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in a scant 5.7 seconds. In keeping with the black theme, the engines voluptuous intake manifolds also get the black treatment, while the top covers are coated in lustrous chrome. Finally, the car is topped off with new Rolls Royce badges; the combination of which, as you can see, is breathtaking.

Of course, all this gorgeous metalwork pales in comparison to the symphony in leather, wood, and metal that is the interior. Covered in black leather with seashell piping, the seats are works of art that work, while the ashwood veneers used throughout impress with their dark finish that still retains the woods grain. The instrument panel gains a unique silver-faced clock, and is covered in a bespoke black-finished and delicately embossed metal foil, while the steering wheel sports (strangely enough) a slightly thicker rim.

Built to demonstrate the engineering, design, and craftsmanship of Rolls-Royce, the Phantom Black will be made available to the public, but only in extremely limited quantities; as in 25 are being built, and chances are theyve already been sold for princely sums Rolls Royce isnt keen to divulge.

Drat… you missed out on another soon to be classic again. No doubt itll be worth a quarter of its $400,000 plus… plus… plus… asking price on the used market in a decade or so and you can pick it up then.