Rolls-Royce Phantom

The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced details of a product update to the 2009 model year Rolls-Royce Phantom and Phantom Extended Wheelbase. Building on a successful sales year in 2008, the phased introduction of a number of subtle model year enhancements will reinforce Rolls-Royce Phantom's position as the pinnacle product of the super luxury segment.

Harmonising the front appearance of the car with that of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé and Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé, a new streamlined front bumper has been designed and integrated with a shallower grille, finished in stainless steel.

Other new exterior features include LED door handle illumination and the fitting of 21-inch cast aluminium wheels as standard. Two further wheel options exist, both manufactured in forged alloy and available in either painted or part polished finishes.

Inside the updated Rolls-Royce Phantom, rear passengers will benefit from a new RCA component input which provides auxiliary audio and visual connectivity to the 12-inch monitors mounted within the picnic tables. Further features include new front and rear door cappings with integrated grab handles and new bi-directional double reading lights in the C-pillar provide additional illumination. Rear climate control, volume control and electric window switches are now conveniently repositioned, housed in a wood veneer panel in the door.

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2010 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe Review

The beautiful Contessa Sofia di Vincenzo disembarks rather elegantly from the Flying Lady, your regal yacht that has docked in Monaco after a three-week cruise from Miami and through the Mediterranean. Her ebony hair falls upon her tanned shoulders, her flouncy azure dress dancing in the soft sea breeze.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2010 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe is a four-seat ultraluxury convertible with two rear-hinged doors. Everything you'd expect from a luxury car is standard, along with 21-inch wheels, run-flat tires, an adjustable air suspension, power-closing doors, bi-xenon headlights, LED running lights, a two-piece "picnic" trunk lid, a five-layer convertible soft top, parking sensors, front and rear heated seats, power front seats, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering column, memory functions and multizone climate control. Electronic features includes Rolls-Royce emergency telematics, keyless ignition/entry, voice commands, Bluetooth, a navigation system and a 15-speaker Lexicon surround-sound stereo with an in-dash single-CD player, in-glovebox six-CD changer, an auxiliary audio jack and satellite radio with a lifetime subscription.

If that list seems incomplete, rest assured that Rolls-Royces can be customized to your heart's content. Besides the infinite color palette available, other optional features include different wheel designs, front and rear camera systems, visible exhaust tips, a brushed stainless-steel hood and such frivolities as champagne fridges and humidors. Individual requests are likely to be accommodated.


Powertrains and Performance

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe is powered by a 6.7-liter V12 that produces 453 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission sends that massive power to the rear wheels. Rolls-Royce estimates that the Drophead will go from zero to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. Fuel economy is likely to be better than your yacht's.


Safety

Safety equipment includes run-flat tires, antilock brakes, traction and stability control, a pop-up rollover protection system, active front head restraints, front knee airbags, front side airbags and Rolls-Royce emergency telematics. Front and rear parking cameras are optional.


Interior Design and Special Features

Believe it or not, the 2010 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe has a pretty nice interior. Almost every surface is adorned in beautifully crafted veneer, shiny chrome, soft cashmere or the sumptuous hides of Bavarian cattle. The dashboard has so much wood on it that you might mistake it for a clothes bureau. The driver is greeted by classically simple gauges and a minimalist control panel. The climate controls are mounted a little low on the dash, however, and consist of strange thumb wheels instead of dials or buttons with a digital display. More complex functions like the navigation system are managed by an interface similar to BMW's iDrive system, with the trademark mouselike controller hiding inside the center console when not in use and the LCD screen disappearing behind the classic analog clock.

Thanks to the rear-hinged "coach" doors, ingress and egress are far easier than in traditional coupes. The doors are impressively large and quite heavy, though one doesn't have to yank them shut, as they are power-operated. Although not nearly as spacious as the Phantom sedan's enormous rear quarters, the Coupe's backseat still provides plenty of adult-sized comfort for hours of high-class travel.


Driving Impressions

Big. That's the best word to describe the 2010 Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe, a vehicle that is enormous in every dimension despite being 10 inches shorter than its sedan comrade. As such, piloting it through tighter streets can be daunting, with its wide body and huge front end perched in the distance like the bow of a ship (the Spirit of Ecstasy perched atop the grille may start to look like Leo DiCaprio yelling, "I'm king of the world!"). Thankfully, the optional split-view front camera provides a left-right side view of crossroads ahead.

Given its size, the Drophead is definitely happiest out on the open road, dominating high-speed thoroughfares like a road-going ocean liner. The ride is smooth but not floaty, absorbing broken pavement with nothing but muted thumps, and the open-roof structure feels impressively rigid. You could probably hit a land mine and barely notice. Unlike with other convertibles -- especially large ones -- there is no body flex or creaking, which perpetuates the feeling of spectacular, indestructible quality.

Used Rolls Royce - Luxurious Executive Cars

If you like cars and haven't heard of Rolls-Royce, then you may as well have been living under a bush for the majority of the last century! Not only are Rolls-Royce a properly old and well established company, but they are well-known for producing some of the most luxurious and expensive executive cars that you can find around the world. Every little thing about the cars is meticulous and intentional, a feat of engineering that has bought them a great deal of respect and which has kept them going through all the trials and tribulations the last 100 years or so has thrown at them. Rolls-Royce cars are so popular that there is even a mass market out there for used Rolls-Royces, with lots of dealerships scattered all around the country. Considering their huge starting price it is also worth mentioning that they barely seem to depreciate, instead staying as a largely unachievable status symbol for as long as they are looked after carefully and are professionally maintained.

With such a long and distinguished heritage, it only seems right that this most respected and established British brand has an equally respected and prestigious abode. Enter Goodwood, the Rolls-Royce headquarters situated appropriately in the heart of the British countryside. Considering the regal fronting and amazing quality of this esteemed mansion, it is often hard to understand the modern and technical nature of the engineering work and design that goes on within.

If the historic estate is a regal and antiquated setting, then don't let that make you assume that the building itself will be fuddy-duddy and old-fashioned. After all, Rolls-Royce entered the 21st century a way ahead of the crowd, and they built a headquarters to represent this. This explains the fact that the Goodwood location, a venue for all sorts of racing events and festivals, has a mile long glass section that allows eager visitors to get a glimpse of the famous Rolls assembly lines, which is of course where the magic happens - and where those beautiful car designs are magically made into a luxurious reality!

The Goodwood location really is the perfect representation of the Rolls-Royce brand. If you could sum the style and the attitude to car creation up in an architectural representation, then it is fair to say that this is exactly what a Used Rolls-Royce will look like in most people's heads. It is mainly to do with the fact that if you look at an actual Rolls car, you don't just see for wheels and a chassis. Instead, you see a beautiful creation, with a strong bold design and a certain style that suggests a true to god pedigree. Then you drive it, and you realise the incredibly workmanship and modern design is in the engine too, as it drive like nothing else on earth. This is why the Goodwood location is so apt - because you get that same vintage feel with lots of heritage, but effortlessly combined with a set of modern looking, liking and materials.

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