Re: Rolls Royce unveils new Phantom Coupe
Edmunds Inside Line: 2009 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe
What is it?
2009 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe
What's special about it?
What price top-shelf automotive indulgence? If the new Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe is any guide, bank on a cool $400,000.
This is the breathtaking price tag being attached to this plush two-door in the run up to its world premiere at the Geneva auto show early next month. To put it in perspective, that's more than double what Mercedes-Benz asks for its top-of-the-line coupe, the $197,500 CL65 AMG. Yikes!
Revealed here officially for the first time, the Phantom Coupe is scheduled to go on sale in North America in October, joining the Phantom sedan, Phantom Extended Wheelbase and Phantom Drophead Coupe in an impressive four-model lineup that has been created under the auspices of BMW, the British carmaker's parent company, following its takeover of Rolls-Royce in 1998.
Those with the desire — not to mention the financial means — to snap up the new Rolls-Royce will want to be quick with their order, though. Our inside sources tell us that the waiting list for the Phantom Coupe is growing fast, with deliveries already stretching well into 2009 and beyond. Recession? What recession?
After achieving a corporate record 1,010 worldwide sales in 2007 thanks to the buoyant appeal of the Phantom and high demand for the recently introduced Drophead Coupe, Rolls-Royce says the arrival of the imposing new Phantom Coupe will drive sales to new heights. Rolls-Royce also anticipates the addition of an all-new entry-level model aimed directly at the Benltey Continental Flying Spur around the turn of the decade, at which point sales volumes are expected to triple from current levels.
The Phantom Coupe is far from being an all-new car, as it's based upon the aluminum structure and bodywork of the Drophead Coupe, with which it shares identical dimensions. Its less formal appearance compared to the Phantom sedan is not at all unfamiliar, as the arresting 101EX concept car previewed the look back in 2006.
Styled under the direction of Ian Cameron, the design boss at Rolls-Royce, the high-waisted coupe incorporates all of the contemporary exterior design cues found on the Phantom convertible, including thin LED side markers, large round headlights, a gently raked grille and, naturally, the optional brushed-steel hood and matching windshield frame.
Further back there are the signature rear-hinged doors, which are opened by beautifully crafted art deco door handles and closed electronically by push-button. The novel trunk incorporates a tailgate designed to support a weight of up to 330 pounds. There are 13.9 cubic feet of capacity within the trunk, enough to swallow four sets of golf clubs, Cameron says.
Unlike the Phantom and Phantom Extended Wheelbase derivative, both of which Rolls-Royce describes as being suited to formal occasions, the new Coupe is seen very much as a leisure vehicle for the rich, just like the Drophead. A nod to sportiness can be seen in the chrome, trapezoidal exhaust tips. The towering 21-inch aluminum wheels carry Goodyear EMT tires, 255/50R21s in front and 285/45R21s in the rear.
Each body gets five coats of paint before being polished for a minimum of five hours to order to achieve a luster Rolls-Royce claims is unparalleled, even among limited-production automobiles. For its latest model, the British carmaker has nine standard colors, and says that more than 44,000 different exterior hues can be ordered through its customized vehicle program.
At 220.8 inches in length, the new car has a 130.7-inch wheelbase, 9.8 inches shorter than that of the Phantom sedan. Extensive chassis reinforcements for this convertible mean the car tips the scales at 5,710 pounds, some 232 pounds above its four-door stablemate. The shorter wheelbase leaves ample room up front, but the rear seat (which Rolls-Royce describes as a lounge) isn't exactly endowed with loads of space.
The Phantom Coupe is propelled by the familiar silken-smooth, direct-injection 6.7-liter Rolls-Royce V12. A development of BMW's 60-degree V12, it kicks out 453 horsepower at 5,350 rpm with 531 pound-feet of torque available at 3,500 rpm. A six-speed automatic sends the power to the rear wheels. Despite its weight, the new two-door's straight-line performance is very much in the sports-car league. Rolls-Royce claims the car accelerates to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.6 seconds — 0.5 second quicker than the Phantom sedan, which is 176 pounds heavier. Its top speed is limited to 155 mph.
What's Edmunds' take?
BMW has taken its time to develop a line of Rolls-Royce models, and apparently the luxury market is finally responding to it. —
j/k
