New Rolls-Royce Phantom in the works

Rolls-Royce is reportedly working on its flagship model, the Phantom. The new car might hit the markets in the next three years. These are still early days as the design team lead by Giles Taylor has only started sketching the initial ideas for the new model.

The structural design of the new Phantom is unclear at this stage. The current car uses a unique aluminium space frame structure; however Rolls-Royce’s parent company BMW is said to be considering a drastic change. A BMW i3-style combination of a carbon fibre body shell mounted on a separate aluminium chassis might be in consideration.

The car will continue to be powered by the existing Phantom’s V12 engine, with the possibility of a plug-in hybrid version too. 

Rolls-Royce design chief Giles Taylor talking to a publication said, “I don’t feel boxed in by the [existing] design. We are treading an evolutionary path and have a defining vision of modernity. The Wraith was all about modernising the brand. The fastback profile has a contemporary relevance. We are working on how to lay down what we call a ‘charismatic expressiveness’ for our future design language.”

For people expecting the new Phantom to look very understated and formal, it may not be true, mentioned Taylor hinting at a not-so-simple looking car.

“Rolls-Royces have always had flair and movement. We’re looking at more charisma and more edge in the future I don’t think that the current Phantom is ‘stiff’. I’m a fan of the permanence of the Phantom. But if we are going to take the model forward, we need to retain the Rolls-Royce ‘golden section’, a big part of which is the angle of the rear pillar. You get a lot of privacy behind that wide C-pillar. It’s part of the Phantom recipe,” he added.

The Phantom was the first model to be introduced by Rolls-Royce after BMW took ownership of the brand. The Phantom may not have sold in big numbers here, but the car surely is considered the epitome of luxury worldwide and Indians aren’t averse to it. Rolls-Royce vehicles were always perceived as very luxurious and grand, but didn’t have modern styling. This time the British car maker might surprise the world with the new Phantom. Watch this space for more on the new Phantom.

Source: AutocarUK