The last time I experienced a Rolls-Royce, in fact it was the one and only time, was when the international launch of the Dawn took place here in Cape Town. Not only did I get to attend the launch but I was even allowed to drive the car. I will never forget it. It was as if I were driving on clouds.
The flagship of this luxury brand, the Phantom, has just been revealed to us South Africans but Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Sandton; the sole importer and retailer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in South Africa, did not trust us enough to let us drive it, so we could only look at it…and climb all over it. In all seriousness, I would never let South African journalists near most cars, so I get their drift.
What a spectacular piece of machinery it is. The exterior is something to behold, but it’s inside where you just escape the real word. When you enter the new Phantom, one experiences ‘The Embrace’ of the world’s most luxurious motor car. One of my favourite features is the roof of the Phantom which takes four people one week to fit and you can choose your constellation. They are currently producing one that has shooting stars as well. Just look at this wonder.
There are so many incredible features in this car that one cannot even mention them all. And they are things that you have never seen on any other car before. One such feature is an unprecedented new concept in luxury. ‘The Gallery’ reinterprets the motor car’s dashboard for the first time in 100 years. Owners will, in time, be able to commission a truly individual work of art that spans the width of the dashboard and sits behind a single pane of hermetically sealed glass in their New Phantom.
An all-new 6.75 litre twin-turbo V12 engine is the silently beating heart of new Phantom. And you won’t believe it, but when the car is idling, you cannot hear a thing. We did not believe Marek Letowt, General Manager of Rolls-Royce Motor Sandton, when he told us the car was in fact running.
Rolls-Royce SA never mention pricing. It’s a brand standard and with it being a luxury brand a person who wants to purchase an Rolls-Royce doesn’t really consider the price to be any sort of barrier to owning it. Oh to be a Rolls-Royce customer…to have no money worries and drive on clouds!
Photo: James Lipman / jameslipman.com
