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2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom First Drive | When only the best will do

Lucerne, Switzerland – Every car, regardless of where it is designed, built, or sold, can be described as a series of compromises. From economy hatchbacks to midsize sedans, fullsize pickup trucks to hybrid supercars, meeting a very specific set of criteria means intentionally missing all the rest. And so it is with the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Except that the only compromise worth talking about is that the buyer must possess a price-is-no-object desire for perfection. Before handing over the keys to a brand-new, eighth-generation Phantom, and shortly after rattling off nearly every positive-tinged adjective in the English language, Rolls-Royce communication director Richard Carter tells us that this car represents "the best that humankind can do in terms of luxury automobiles." A heady claim, but as it turns out, one that is difficult to dispute. Perhaps the biggest single element that advances this new Phantom past the model it replaces is Rolls-Royce's new Architecture of Luxury, a ground-up spaceframe platform that doesn't share its bones with any other product currently under the BMW umbrella. Not only is it 30 percent stiffer than the seventh-gen Phantom, the new architecture is flexible enough that it will form the basis for all future Rolls-Royce products. "Project Cullinan and eventually the next Ghost, Wraith, Dawn will ride on this architecture, as well as future coachbuild projects," said Philip Koehn, Director of Engineering for Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce goes to great pains to make the Phantom as malleable to the whims of its customers as possible. Besides the obvious paint and interior color choices – of which there are a great many – there's now a so-called Gallery option that makes up a large portion of the dashboard. It's a glass-enclosed space designed to house just about anything a Phantom customer could possibly want to put on display. We saw some beautiful ceramic work, jewel-like shell designs, and even a swath of iridescent feathers. Directly in front of the driver is a digital gauge cluster designed to mimic the look of traditional dials. It's resolution is high enough that individual pixels can't be made out from the driver's seat. We think some classically styled gauges would be more in keeping with the Phantom's mission statement, but that's our only gripe inside, and it's minor.

Rolls-Royce builds the Sweptail, a beautiful one-off boattail coupe

When it comes to custom-built cars, Rolls-Royce rarely fails to impress. Its latest creation is this one-off coupe called the Sweptail. According to Rolls-Royce, it was commissioned by a collector of bespoke machinery, and the car's design inspiration was the coachbuilt Rolls-Royces of the 1920s. The end result is an enormous Rolls-Royce coupe with a beautiful trailing boattail design. It looks like a hyper-expensive boattail Buick Riviera in the best way possible. A glass roof sheds light on a particularly plush interior. There are only two seats in the massive coupe. Where rear seats would have gone, are shelves made of wood and glass for storage. Wood veneer, consisting of ebony and paldao, is found everywhere in the car, even in the cargo areas. The darker wood trim is also accompanied by light colored leather. The Sweptail has a few little tricks up its sleeve, too. Opening the suicide doors on either side will reveal platforms for attache cases. The cases are designed to carry the occupants' laptop computers, and they're constructed from carbon fiber, wrapped in leather, and finished with aluminum and titanium hardware. Between the seats is a chiller that comes complete with crystal champagne flutes and a bottle of champagne from the year the owner was born. The trunk is also filled with custom-fitted luggage. Being a one-off, you won't be able to buy one of these coupes yourself. But it does show the capabilities of Rolls-Royce for doing special automobiles. And, who knows, if you have the money and connections, you might be able to have your own unique Rolls-Royce commissioned. Related Video: Featured Gallery Rolls-Royce Sweptail View 14 Photos Image Credit: Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce Coupe Luxury Special and Limited Editions

Rolls-Royce Phantom Limelight is opulence par excellence

Rolls-Royce never tires of putting out limited-edition versions of the company's plush models as a way to show off what its Bespoke team is capable of. The latest in a long line of ritzy Rolls is the new Phantom Limelight Collection, which takes inspiration from the theatrical stage. The luxurious sedan was technically unveiled at the recent Shanghai Motor Show, but detailed images and more info about the custom four-door was just released. Limited to 25 cars worldwide, the Limelight Collection marks the debut of Rolls' latest rear seats, and they are about as lavish as you would expect. The chair backs can recline up to 27 degrees, and a calf rest comes up a further 68 degrees to fully support wealthy passengers. There's also a power footrest hidden in the floor. Beyond the swanky seats, the Limelight also packs a dressers-worth of storage in the doors. Offered in both Ladies' or Gentleman's versions, they include custom places to store perfume, watches and jewelry. The rest of the interior is also available in two schemes that are dominated by either Seashell leather with Navy Blue as a contrast or vice-versa. To complete the theme, the exterior is painted in a shade called Gala Blue, and there's a Seashell and navy stripe painted down the side. Like the rest of Rolls' special cars, the Limelight amounts to some seriously upscale trim on an already high-class vehicle, but there's little doubt the company can sell all 25 of them. Related Video: ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS SHARES THE LIMELIGHT WITH PHANTOM CUSTOMERS 23 April 2015, Goodwood British engineering ingenuity and artistic creativity have proven to be the inspiration behind the naming and creation of the latest Bespoke Phantom Collection to emerge from the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England. The Rolls-Royce Phantom Limelight Collection has been conceived for that select group of people who spend their lives in the public eye and on the world stage. Its name was inspired by the origin of a British invention which became synonymous with fame. The limelight effect was originally discovered in the 1820s by Sir Goldsworthy Gurney, a prototypical British gentleman scientist and inventor of the Victorian era. It was harnessed to revolutionise illumination in the theatres of London's Covent Garden, highlighting leading actors on the stage, thus leading to the phrase, 'in the limelight'.