One does not simply choose a Phantom or any Rolls-Royce for that matter off the dealer lot. No. cars are built to the exacting requirements of the millionaires and billionaires who can afford them and are often customized down to the last detail. We won’t even begin to suggest which special-order options are worth adding because, well, what would we know? We would, however, suggest springing for the Extended W h e e l b a s e m o d e l
t o t a k e advantage of its limousine-like rear-seat legroom. Engine, Transmission, and
Performance Prodigious power is provided by a 563-hp twin-turbo V-12 paired with an eight-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive. Acceleration is brisk, but Rolls-Royce’s claimed 5.1-second zero-to-60-mph time isn’t anything you’d appreciate your chauffer trying to replicate; the Phantom is better suited for wafting along with smooth, steady inputs to throttle and steering. To say that the ride is s m o o t h w o u l d b e a n
understatement: The Phantom practically levitates over the road; it features a pothole-spotting camera that helps the suspension adapt to road imperfections in real time.
To match a Phantom owner’s conspicuous consumption, the car has quite a penchant for consuming fuel. The EPA’s fuel-economy estimates run as low as 12 mpg city; although the Phantom’s 20 mpg highway rating actually bests he smaller Rolls-Royce Ghost’s by
2 mpg. If we ever are lucky enough to have the chance to put the Phantom through our 200-mile highway fuel economy test, we’ll update this story with test results. An interior tailored for kings can be adorned with a custom-artwork
dash. Acres of wood, real metal accents, and vast expanses of supple leather cover nearly every square inch of the cabin. Rolls-Royce offers both a standard- and long-wheelbase version of the Phantom, the latter being 8.6 inches longer, much of
which is results as additional rearseat legroom. Rear-hinged coach
doors open to allow graceful ingress and egress to the rear seat where passengers can be treated to a myriad of luxuries such as deeppile carpeted door mats, poweradjustable
seats with massage, a refrigerated console compartment, and remote controls for the car’s infotainment system.