Reaching 7,976 feet above sea level, Switzerland’s spindle-thin
Furka Pass is one of the highest mountain roads in the world.
Its sheer edges are so abrupt they make professional drivers
sweat. The climb is suited for something small and athletic,
such as a Porsche 911, or the Aston Martin DB5 James Bond
drove here during an epic chase scene in Goldfinger. It’s not
typically where you’d land a 5,754-pound, 20-foot-long coach
that’s meant to be enjoyed from the back seat.
Yet that’s exactly the spot Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd. chose
to introduce its latest effort, the eighth version of its Phantom
flagship sedan. For the first time since 2003, the carmaker has
orchestrated a complete update on the model—only the second
time it’s done so under BMW Group owner ship. The Phantom is
the marque that John Lennon and Elvis Presley drove, the one
Queen Elizabeth commissioned as her preferred mode of travel.
First designed in 1925 by Henry Royce himself, it’s the oldest
automotive model still produced today. Last year, Phantom
sales generated about 15 percent of Rolls-Royce’s revenue in the
Americas; it’s the company’s single-biggest money- making series.
It’s also the largest vehicle Rolls-Royce makes, with a 6.75-
liter, 563-brake-horsepower, V12 engine powerful enough
to run a tank. The Phantom can hit 60 mph in just over
five seconds— remarkable for a car of its heft.Heavy
Hitter
After more than a decade, Rolls-Royce
is relaunching its flagship Phantom.
The result is a $450,000 hunk of power
and opulence. By Hannah ElliottCARS Bloomberg Pursuits October 30, 2017