The latest in combustion technology - variable valve lift, variable valve timing and direct fuel injection - helps produce excellent fuel economy for a motor car of the Phantom's size and power. On the EU extra urban cycle it returns 25.7 mpg (11.0 l/100 km) and a combined figure of 17.8 mpg (15.9 l/100 km).
As well as the main features of the Phantom, there are a number of delightful detail touches which help to make this such a special motor car - something in which Rolls-Royce has always taken pride. For example; the electrically retractable Spirit of Ecstasy, which can be lowered out of sight whenever the Phantom is parked; the wheel hub centres, bearing the interlinked double-R logo, which remain upright; and the umbrellas which will be found stowed within each rear door.
Tony Gott, chairman and chief executive of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, says: "For nearly 100 years, Rolls-Royce has been the icon of motor engineering and design. The name has entered the language as an expression of perfection. The new Rolls-Royce Phantom is, we believe, entirely in keeping with that long and illustrious heritage, yet is totally contemporary in its design and technology."
"Its name evokes the personality of the Phantom I and II models of the 1930s and reflects timeless values of quality, distinction and authority, combining the best of the past with the best modern design, engineering and technology to take Rolls-Royce firmly into the 21st century."
A new home at Goodwood
When sites were being considered for the new manufacturing plant and head office, it was established from the start that it should be in Britain - the home of Rolls-Royce - but a number of other factors were taken into account. Chiefly these were to have a large enough site, with good transport links, access to a test track and proximity to a skilled workforce. Also, as many Rolls-Royce customers would wish to visit the plant, it was important that it should be in an attractive part of the country. Goodwood stood head and shoulders above the other sites under consideration when measured against these criteria.