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By Jonathan Crouch

The eighth generation Rolls-Royce Phantom is quite an achievement. Jonathan Crouch takes a look at the updated Series II version.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 58

The Rolls-Royce Phantom was the car that re-launched its brand in inimitable style and in the updated Series II version of this eighth generation design, it's still a super-luxury saloon that still commands the road like no other car on Earth. Massive in every respect and full of cutting-edge technology, it combines British craftsmanship with BMW engineering know-how.

Backgroundword count: 206

Engineer Charles Stewart Rolls and car dealer Henry Royce joined forces back in 1904 with the aim of producing the very best automobiles in the world. Film stars, statesmen and dignitaries the world over testify that they still do. These people care little that today, the company is no longer British-owned, nor do its products now hail from the traditional Pyms Lane factory in Crewe. Excellence is all that matters and since the turn of the century, this classic brand has begun afresh in a new quest to achieve it, the first design of its new era launched in 2003 - the seventh generation Phantom saloon. This eighth generation model (first launched in 2017 then updated five years on to create the 'Series II' version we'll be looking at in this Review) is still built here - at a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Goodwood - though with bodywork fabricated and engines provided by BMW. It still blends advanced technology with traditional hand-craftsmanship with extraordinary results. And it still represents the world's ultimate automotive status symbol. All this is not in question. But whether that makes it one of the world's great cars is a very different issue. And that's exactly what we're here to find out.

Driving Experienceword count: 231

What should a Rolls-Royce be like behind the wheel? Supremely silent and comfortable is the obvious answer, so that's where the brand's engineers have devoted most of their attention in creating this MK8 model. The car now includes over 130kgs of sound-deadening material - it's even found in the tyres. Power, as before, comes from a 6.75-litre V12 engine - though Rolls-Royce says that this one's all-new, featuring twin turbochargers and delivering the same power output - 563bhp - as the brand's smaller Ghost saloon. But I digress. What's really relevant of course is how this car feels to ride in. And you probably don't need me to tell you that it feels exquisite, the last word in comfort, refinement and luxury. You waft silently over even the most seriously potholed surfaces as though they weren't there. A whisper valve in the exhaust system means that at wafting speeds, the car is virtually silent. With air springs and aluminium multi-link suspension, ride comfort is also superb. You wouldn't expect anything less, would you? The extra body stiffness of the all-new platform should make quite a difference through the turns - that's if you've given your chauffeur the day off. Surprisingly, Rolls-Royce hasn't incorporated the BMW Group's latest autonomous driving tech: apparently, owners don't really want it. Most of them already have someone to take over the helm if necessary, after all.

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