When you think of the most luxurious, opulent automaker in the world, there is likely one name that towers above them all: Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce has been around for over a century now, and even though today's Rolls-Royce is different to the one from the 20th century, the name has always been synonymous with one thing and one thing only: hand-building the best cars in the world.
Back in 1998, BMW acquired the rights to the Rolls-Royce name, alongside Mini and Rover. The British icon's proper comeback came along in 2003, with a revival of one of the most recognizable names from the brand's history: Phantom. That car has since fallen victim to hefty depreciation. Since 2018, Rolls-Royce has been offering the eighth generation Phantom, and now, for 2023, the Phantom's Series II midlife facelift is here.
2023 Rolls-Royce Phantom (Series II)
- Twin-turbo V12 power
- Standard and extended wheelbase
- Luxury
- Model: Phantom
- Engine/Motor: 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12
- Horsepower: 571 hp
- Torque: 664 lb-ft
- Drivetrain: Longitudinal front-engine, RWD
- Transmission: 8-speed automatic
- The peak of automotive luxury
- Very powerful when you need it
- Lots of personalization options
- Tremendously expensive
- Depreciates quite quickly
- Reliability concerns
2023 Phantom Series II Overview
The eighth generation of the Rolls-Royce Phantom, which is in fact the second generation since the Phantom name returned under BMW's ownership of Rolls, arrived in 2018. Right off the bat, not a lot changed with this car's formula. Its sole goal is to be the best, most luxurious car in the world, which many would agree is something that it achieves fairly easily. The new car was an evolution of the previous one's styling, but it carried lots of important changes underneath the skin.
The front end prominently features Rolls-Royce's big, brash, unapologetic grille with the redesigned Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament right on top. Full LED headlights flank either side of the grille. The hood is very, very long, while the side profile is unmistakably Phantom, with the chrome door handles, mounted next to each other because the rear doors are rear-hinged, for maximum ease of entry and exit. The rear is also unmistakably Phantom, with a pair of rectangular taillights and two large exhaust outlets to let the V12 breathe. The Series II also brings along slightly redesigned headlights, and you can spec darker chrome for certain exterior pieces. There are also some new, luscious alloy wheel designs to choose from. As before, the Phantom is available in standard wheelbase, and there's an extended wheelbase version as well. It competes with the likes of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, the Bentley Flying Spur, and due to the market shift towards SUVs, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS and the new ultra-luxurious Range Rover SV, to a certain extent.
2023 Phantom Series II Powertrain And Drivetrain
One thing that Rolls-Royce haven't messed around with on the Phantom Series II is the powertrain. Under the hood is a 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12, developing 571 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque. Those are pretty solid numbers, but that's mostly because they have to be, as even the most basic Phantom tips the scales at over 5,600-pounds. The regular Phantom accelerates to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, the EWB in 5.4 seconds, and they both top out at 155 mph. Obviously, for a Rolls-Royce, this information really doesn't matter. The whole idea behind using a V12 is for smoothness, which is why you see people balancing a coin upright on the Phantom's engine all over the internet. Power still goes to the rear wheels, which is one potential downfall of the new Phantom. It misses out on the new Ghost's standard AWD. An eight-speed automatic transmission takes care of power delivery duties, and the transmission itself has a built-in GPS device, which analyzes the current location of the car and adjusts its shift points accordingly.
2023 Phantom Series II Comfort And Quality
There really isn't a lot to say here. The Phantom's comfort and quality levels are in a class of their own. Rolls-Royce's craftsmen make everything by hand to the highest possible standard, and every surface you touch, feel, or see is either leather, expensive metal, or a combination. Even if you do manage to find plastic, it's of the highest possible quality.
Rolls-Royce is also very proud of their Bespoke program, which allows Phantom buyers to customize and configure the interior exactly how they want, including the Gallery, the decorative dashboard piece on the passenger side, and you can even opt to have the Starlight headliner to display the star pattern of a certain date that's important to you. The Phantom also boasts a lot of rear seat room, Extended Wheelbase or not. Safety tech includes adaptive cruise control, laser headlights, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, and a lot more. The Phantom seats four passengers, and its trunk boasts 19.3 cubic feet of space.
2023 Phantom Series II Pricing And Launch
There is no getting away from the fact that the Phantom is unapologetically pricey. In truth, it's difficult to pinpoint the price of the new Phantom, because there are so many options to choose from, it's pretty much impossible for two identical Phantoms to leave the factory. The regular Phantom Series II starts at around $460,000, whereas the Extended Wheelbase drives that to a ludicrous $540,000. Both are available to order as of September 2022. If you like to play around with options, expect those prices to go way up very quickly. However, for the ultimate luxury sedan, it's a price worth paying.