Special Car, auto, cars, vehicles

Let me submit another entry for this not-so-august title. Check out the attached camphone snap of a Phantom Drophead painted this intoxicating (or toxious) combination of bright and I mean bright yellow with black trim. This nighttime photo does it no justice, and if it makes you feel better (or worse) know that the entire interior is trimmed in the same shocking combo.

Note that there is no stainless hood or wood deck here; it's all just yellah. I had seen the earlier in the day, and recalled a comment from DHC's launch program I had attended a year ago. Seems this particular customer paints ALL his cars the same colors, whatever their breed. I know, I know; everyone's entitled.

Time to vote. Which Rolls is uglier, Frank's '54 custom bodied Wraith, or my Screaming Yellow Zonker Drophead Coupe?

The Blackhawk auction brochure says this 1954 Silver Wraith Vignale was built on a long-wheelbase chassis custom-ordered by Joseph Maschuch of New York. It's unclear how many of the various styling cliches that were trowelled onto this monstrosity he personally ordered, but he reportedly insisted that the engine block, head, generator, starter, air cleaner, carburetor, and intake manifold be painted green and the rocker cover and underhood pipes be highly polished or chromed.

Could he possibly have wanted the rear axle tucked right up directly under the back seat? Well, maybe. Beneath the right rear seat is a toilet that dumps onto the ground. I didn't stick my head under there, but perhaps the right rear halfshaft includes some sort of impellors to chop up whatever's being flushed. (Note, there are no curtains installed now, so this convenience was probably only employed at speed.) Curiously, the brochure indicates the toilet was used mainly to keep champagne chilled. Mr. Maschuch was clearly an exceedingly eccentric customer. Other interesting features: electric front seats, a full bar, and a television. The expected price? $550,000! That'd buy at least 10 or 15 Camargues, which altogether wouldn't be as homely. Oh, well, somebody will love it...

I've just spent two days and about 600 miles in the Phantom Coupe, driving from the factory at Chichester in the south of England to Crozet, just outside Geneva. A long-distance trip like this is exactly what Rolls-Royce says the car was designed to do, though in truth the folks who can afford to spend $400,000 on a two-door coupe are more likely to use their Rolls-Royce-powered private jet for the journey.

I guess that only goes to prove money is wasted on the rich because the Phantom Coupe is a very pleasant device in which to cross a continent. Under a hood long enough to double as the flight deck of a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is the now-familiar BMW-based 6.75L V-12, with 453 hp on tap at 5350 rpm and 531 lb-ft of torque at 3600 rpm. Rolls-Royce claims 75 percent of the torque is available from just 1000 rpm, though, in practice the big V-12 likes to rev, becoming more responsive as engine speeds build.

While much of the rolling stock -- front and rear suspension, hubs, wheels, brakes -- is shared with the Phantom, the Coupe rolls on a wheelbase that's 9.85 in. shorter than the sedan's. The smooth-shifting ZF 6HP32 six-speed automatic transmission is also shared. Detail changes include revised spring rates to stiffen the ride, a thicker rear stabilizer bar to improve turn-in, and reprogrammed power steering. The brake modulation has been tweaked to provide more aggressive tip-in, and the transmission has been remapped with different shift points.

Even so, the Phantom Coupe feels...languid. Its natural rival, the Bentley Brooklands coupe, launches like a Saturn V, accompanied a rolling-thunder soundtrack that resembles the USS Missouri delivering a broadside. The Rolls oozes away from a standstill with the quiet murmur of a Buckingham Palace garden party. Hit the sport button on the giant steering wheel, and the car will launch in first gear instead of second and hold on to each gear longer. Selecting sport mode also sharpens the steering response, though in no way could you call the result truly sporty.

Like the Phantom sedan, the Coupe is best driven with your fingertips, guided rather than hustled. Driven smoothly, the Phantom Coupe is deceptively quick, though it's clearly best suited to fast, open roads than sinuous mountain passes. On the freeway it's so smooth, so quiet -- and so big -- you easily find yourself wafting along at an effortless 100 mph.

I arrived here at Crozet a few hours ago, relaxed and ready to watch the sunset with a chilled glass of champagne on the hotel terrace. Instead, I came back to my room to write this and a first-drive story for Motor Trend magazine. Like the rest of us, I might not be able to live how the super-rich live. But at least I've driven their car.

We'll have a more complete story on the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe -- with more photos -- here at motortrend.com in the next couple of days.

We've agreed not to release any information on that model until the embargo breaks at 12:01am Sunday morning, but in the meantime, we can offer up some very interesting information about how Rolls is doing and what have they in store for the future -- including some tidbits on the rumored small Roller.

Here are the goods:

* The new, smaller Rolls-Royce should debut in 2009 as a 2010 model and is internally coded the RR4, following the naming convention for the Phantom (RR1), Drophead (RR2), and model whose name will be revealed on Sunday (RR3)

* RR4 is significant for the brand as show of strength and expansion. Rolls-Royce had record sales in 2007, breaking the 1000 unit sales mark (1010 vehicles sold worldwide) for the first time ever. Understandably, it is looking to expand production capacity with the introduction of the RR4. To this end, Rolls-Royce's sole plant, on Lord March's 12,000 acre estate in Goodwood, England, has recently been expanded to include a new assembly line and another shift (up from one shift to two) that should double output. For a company that only sold 300 units in 2003, this is big news indeed.

* RR4 should retail between $250,000-280,000, which puts it squarely in Bentley Arnage territory, though it should be sized more like the smaller Flying Spur. Rolls-Royce executives are quick to point out that there are few comparisons in this competitive set, not just in price, but objective -- smaller and sporty, but still the utmost in ultra premium transportation.

Graham Biggs, Rolls-Royce Corporate Communications Director, put it this way, "In the $100,000-200,000 price range, there are lots of cars. The RR4 buyer might have had a Flying Spur, an S-Class, or 7-series, but is looking to upgrade."

* Though it will be built in Goodwood alongside the Phantom and Drophead, the RR4 will not share architecture and will built on the new line. RR4 will share technology from BMW, including engine parts and electronics (iDrive) but only where it makes sense. Biggs explains, "It makes perfect sense to use BMW tech, but not at customer touch points; where customers, see, feel, etc..."

More interesting news from Ian Robertson, Chairman and CEO of Rolls-Royce on the current state of the brand:

* Of the 1010 Rolls-Royce models sold globally in 2007, just under 400 went to the United States, making it far and away the largest market. The UK was second with 130, while China finished a strong third at 110 units sold. That fact is particularly interesting, given that all Chinese buyers pay a 300 percent tax, which turns a $400,000 Phantom into a cool million car.

* Which are fourth and fifth largest markets? Taken together, the United Arab Emirates accounts for fourth place, but if you separate them into their respective countries, primarily Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Japan moves from fifth to fourth.

* The split between the owners that prefer to drive or be chauffeured is also telling. In North America, Robertson says 90 percent of Rolls-Royce owners drive their cars. In Asia and the Middle East, the ratio is reversed -- 90 percent of owners prefer to be driven.

* Buying habits also say a lot about North Americans. We're the only market where the dealer specifies the cars that are to be sold, partly because the North American consumer is impatient and will not wait the 4-5 months it would take to custom build a Phantom, or join the 18-20 month list for the Drophead. Apparently, we Norte Americanos want it now, and want to drive it right off the lot.

* Asia is different, says Robertson. There the customers are excited about the bespoke business model, and are perfectly happy to wait 10-12 months as their car is built to order. In fact they will often visit the factory one or two times to check out the progress on their vehicle and make last minute changes. Robertson says the Asian consumer seems to enjoy on the uniqueness of the car; in fact they sell more extended wheelbase (EWB) models in Asia because the longer chassis allows for greater customization.

* On the topic of the long wheelbases, you should know that due to the aluminum space frame construction of the Phantom, you don't have to stop at the 10-inches of extra wheelbase on the EWB. If you'd like a longer saloon, Rolls-Royce can accommodate nearly any length you'd like -- though the typical extensions are 15.7-inches (400mm) and 47.2-inches (1.2 meters), at which point you get another set of seats (facing the rear) and doors that open ahead of the scissoring rear doors. As far as the breakdown goes; EWB Phantoms make up 90 percent of the models sold in the Middle East, 60 percent in China, and only 10 percent in the US.

* If a custom EWB is not enough, Rolls-Royce also sells an armored version of the Phantom, which Robertson admits adds a lot of weight and complexity, since their armor is rated at a Central European Norm (CEN) protection level of B7. This means it will stop most standard military-grade small-arms fire and explosives, including mines, hand grenades, and those cool plastics you see in movies. For armoring, Rolls use of aluminum presents some problems, since heavy steel plating and aluminum don't mix. Special measures must be taken to insure that corrosion via electrolysis doesn't occur at the places where the two come together.

* More interesting sales trivia overheard: In the UK, BMW's Rolls-Royce marque outsells Mercedes-Benz's Maybach brand ten to one. No idea what the ratio is in the U.S., but the single largest Rolls-Royce dealer in the world's biggest Rolls-Royce market is just down the street from our office in Bevery Hills, California.

And that's it for day one of the BMW Group Press Event 2008. Check back with us regularly, as over the next three days we'll have drive reports on the BMW M3, 128, and MINI Clubman. Stay tuned.

The rich, as F. Scott Fitzgerald once observed, are different from you and me. I remember when the Phantom was launched in 2003, more than a few of my colleagues openly questioned whether there were enough people in the world with the means to spend what many of us would spend on a reasonable house on something they would only park in their garage. Apparently, there are.

So here's a profile of your typical Rolls-Royce Phantom owner: They generally own two to three homes and have five to seven cars, with typically a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, a Bentley, and a Range Rover (well, you need something to run down to the marina) among those sharing the garage with the Phantom. One in three has access to a private jet, and most have at least $1 million sitting in the bank not doing much.

The Unites States is unique in that it's the only country in the world where Rolls-Royce dealers routinely hold inventory. Elsewhere, buyers spend time ordering their Phantom exactly to their requirements ("You want leather the same shade as your wife's favorite Chanel bag? No problem, sir") and some even travel to the factory to watch their car being built.

Not here, though. Between 80 and 90 percent of buyers walk in, check out a Phantom on the showroom floor, and drive it away that afternoon. Financing is not an issue, as basically most of these guys effectively pay cash. They drive a hard bargain, however, says my source: "These are smart business people and tough negotiators. They are not careless with their money." Very few Phantoms are leased.

For that reason, perhaps, even though Rolls-Royce boasts a bespoke color palette of 44,000 different hues, some 40 percent of Phantoms sold here are black, with white, silver and dark blue accounting for the majority of the rest. Boring lot, these dealers, though you probably wouldn't want to bet your commission on trying to shift a salmon pink Phantom on spec, either. Even so, the typical Phantom runs about $20,000 to $25,000 in options, usually special wood and leather trim combinations chosen by savvy dealers. Triple black -- black paint, black leather, and black piano-finish wood -- has been a popular seller. Pictured is the Rolls Phantom Tungsten, a special-edition model that sounds perfect for U.S. showrooms.

I find all this faintly depressing. The Rolls-Royce Phantom is a glorious automotive experience. I love the stately manner in which a Phantom glides down the road, even at 100 mph. I love the imperious view over that long runway hood, past the Spirit of Ecstasy. I love the lounge room interior that quietly reveals the high technology contained within only when you need it.

Riding in a Phantom seems to make this hyper-wired, interconnected, multi-tasked world run a little slower, which is why it's one of the few cars in the world that truly makes you feel special, that truly defines that much abused term -- luxury. Yet most of these guys seem to put no more thought into buying one than they would plucking a new Camry off the lot. F. Scott Fitzgerald was right. The rich are different from you and me.

The yet-unnamed coupe will be slightly shorter than the Phantom, with its suspension and chassis slightly retuned to place more emphasis on the driver -- within the constraints of being a Rolls-Royce. The 6.75-liter V-12 will be unchanged from its 453-horsepower and 531-lb-ft output in the Phantom and Drophead Coupe. Price will be somewhere between the Phantom's $340,000 and the Drophead Coupe's $407,000, with production beginning next summer.

Though the Rolls will not cross the block at the Monterey event -- it is on preview for potential buyers at this December's auction in England -- it is a unique opportunity to view the oldest remaining vehicles from two iconic luxury automakers, built just one year apart. The Rolls-Royce is expected to sell in the $2 million range.