Phantom VIII
The Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII is a full-sized luxury saloon car. It is the eighth generation of the Phantom series and of is available in two wheel base lengths.
The design of the Phantom VIII is considered more of an evolution that has a short front overhang and upright front end, a long bonnet and set-back passenger compartment as well as a long wheelbase and a flowing rear end. Typical to Rolls-Royce is the presence of rear suicide doors, which Rolls-Royce label "coach doors".
The suspension system is linked to a stereo camera mounted behind the windscreen. This scans the road ahead and preconfigures the spring and damper rates, and the anti-roll bars, so as to improve ride quality. The system, dubbed the "Flagbearer" by Rolls-Royce, operates at speeds of up to 100 km/h.
The Phantom is the first Rolls-Royce to be fitted with four-wheel steering. The system turns the rear wheels counter to the front wheels through a maximum of 3° at speeds lower than 60 km/h to improve manoeuvrability. The Phantom also uses "Silent-Seal" tyres which Rolls-Royce co-developed with Continental. These use a layer of foam inside the tyre to reduce tyre cavity noise, which lowers sound levels in the cabin by up to 9 decibels.
The powertrain offered is a twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V12 engine producing 563 hp and 900 Nm of torque. ZF's 8-speed automatic transmission is the sole gearbox option and this is linked to a GPS receiver which analyses the car's location and speed to optimise shift timing.
