2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom debuts in Malaysia – 6.75 litre V12, 563 hp, 900 Nm, RM2.2mil excluding taxes

Three months after the new Rolls-Royce Phantom was unveiled to the world, the eighth-generation model has landed in Malaysia. The ultra-exclusive luxury barge made its debut here in massive Extended Wheelbase (EWB) form, which has only been shown in selected markets so far.

Touted as “The Best Car in the World,” the new Phantom is built on an all-new aluminium spaceframe that is 30% stiffer than before. The Architecture of Luxury, as it is called, will underpin every new Roller from the upcoming Cullinan SUV to the replacements for the smaller Ghost, Wraith and Dawn – banishing the current Ghost‘s stretched BMW 7 Series platform from existence.

Under the skin sits new double wishbone front and five-link rear suspension, with the latest-generation self-levelling air suspension that reacts to body and wheel information, steering inputs and camera information; there’s also a Flagbearer system that uses a stereo camera to adjust the suspension proactively at speeds of up to 100 km/h. Rear-wheel steering has also been introduced to aid agility and manoeuvrability.

On top of this, Rolls-Royce piled on over 130 kg of sound insulation for unrivalled silence, including a foam layer in the tyres to reduce tyre noise by nine decibels. There’s also six-millimetre double glazing all around, high-absorption materials and the largest ever aluminium joints in the body-in-white to achieve a 10% overall reduction in noise over the previous model, which wasn’t exactly a rattling tin shed to begin with.

Motive power is served by a new 6.75 litre twin-turbo V12 that pushed out 563 hp at 5,000 rpm and a towering 900 Nm of torque from just 1,700 rpm. The ZF eight-speed automatic transmission comes equipped with the Satellite Aided Transmission (SAT) system, which adjusts the shift map using navigation data.

With all that is new underneath, the design needed to be completely reworked to match, and Rolls-Royce has done exactly that. The front end is dominated as ever by the stainless steel Pantheon grille, but it’s less upright and flows into the bonnet for a cleaner and more streamlined look. The trapezoidal headlights feature a ring of daytime driving lighting and laser-powered lamps that provide a range of over 600 metres.

Along the sides, the Phantom retains its signature 2:1 proportions, with a long bonnet, short front and long rear overhangs, an upright front and a flowing rear. The front fender line now fades aft of the door handles to add a sense of dynamism, with the rear end supported by a single line that runs into the bonnet instead.

The C-shaped window line finisher is the single largest piece of hand-polished stainless steel on a car, while another strip of stainless steel along the flanks marks the EWB model out from the “standard” variant. The tapered rear end is finished off with jewel-like tail lights, a large stainless steel finisher and a stainless steel rear windscreen frame. Superformed aluminium surfaces ensure fewer shutlines.

Although the new Phantom is still a massive car, it’s actually slightly shorter than the outgoing model – it measures 5,762 mm long (-72 mm), 2,018 mm wide (+29 mm) and 1,646 mm tall (+13 mm), with a 3,552 mm wheelbase (-19 mm). The EWB model has a 220 mm longer wheelbase and is also 10 mm taller.

As usual, there are coach doors with a rear self-closing function to beckon you inside, but now the fronts can be closed automatically as well, with the push of a button. Once ensconced, you’ll find a cabin that features all the accoutrements that you can expect from a Phantom, but one that has been made bang up to date.

Rolls-Royce has made a big brouhaha about The Gallery, a blank space behind a single pane of toughened glass, on which customers can display bespoke works of art. Joining it are a 12.3-inch digital instrument display made to look like analogue dials, an analogue clock and a central infotainment screen that can be stowed away when not in use, enabling those in front to admire the aforementioned artwork.

The front seats have also been redesigned with wraparound rear wooden panelling reminiscent of the iconic Eames Lounge Chair, hiding a pair of picnic tables and rear Theatre Monitors. The fibre optic-illuminated Starlight Headliner is the largest ever fitted to a Rolls-Royce.

Moving to the rear, the seats are angled towards each other to ease conversation. Customers can choose between four layouts – the standard lounge seating, individual seats with either a retractable or fixed centre console and a new sleeping seat. The fixed console has been redesigned, incorporating a drinks cabinet with whisky glasses and decanter, champagne flutes and coolbox.

A new electrical harness, the largest component ever produced by the BMW Group, enables the fitment of new driver assistance systems, including an Alertness Assistant, 360-degree Panoramic View, Night Vision, Vision Assist, Active Cruise Control, collision warning, pedestrian warning, cross-traffic warning and lane departure and lane change warning. Other features include a head-up display and a WiFi hotspot.

So, with all that done and dusted, how much does the new Rolls-Royce Phantom cost? Well, you know what they say about people who ask, but just for your reference, the starting price for the standard wheelbase model is RM2.2 million, before taxes. The EWB? Try a whopping RM2.5 million.

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