Say hello and goodbye to the final Rolls-Royce Phantom VII
Naturally, the final Phantom to roll off the line is a positively posh, bespoke creation.
All good things must come to an end. Rolls-Royce is saying goodbye to its seventh-generation Phantom, and the last model to roll out of the factory is quite the fancy-pants ride indeed.
In traditional Rolls-Royce form, it appeared to hire a poet to write the press release for this final Phantom VII. To cut through the fluff, this last Phantom is designed to resemble a 1930s ocean liner, per the customer's request, from the powder blue interior leather to clocks designed specifically to resemble old-school naval timepieces.
I don't think there's a single thing in my house -- or the homes of my extended family members -- that looks this nice.
The lambswool carpets have "wakes" cut into them, and the primary clock has a time-zone dial, which makes it sound like this car will accompany its undoubtedly well-traveled owner around the world. There's also a mention of HG Wells' time machine, because if we're going this far with metaphors, we may as well take it to the extreme.
Rolls-Royce's seventh-generation Phantom has packed a 6.8-liter V12 since it debuted 13 years ago. That makes it good for about 454 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque. The automaker originally planned for a V16, but the times dictated something a smidge more economical.
The 2013 model year saw a number of Phantom updates including new wheels, new bumpers, revised seat designs and updated infotainment features. The six-speed automatic went away in favor of a new eight-speed box. It was available with an extended wheelbase, as well as in coupe and convertible variants.
Of course, the Phantom isn't going away forever -- it's been kicking in various forms since about 1925. An eighth-generation Phantom will be with us soon enough, although Rolls-Royce hasn't yet confirmed when that will happen.
