2009 Rolls-royce Phantom Coupe on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Rolls-Royce hosts first ‘Cars and Cognac’ event in the U.K.

For more than 100 years, Rolls-Royce has produced some of the world's most desirable and expensive automobiles. The British automaker has now gone one step further, by instantly making any future "cars and coffee" gatherings pale in comparison to the brand's first-ever "Cars and Cognac" event, held June 8, in the U.K. Yes, we're guessing our invitation got lost in the mail, too. "The 'cars and cognac' meet demonstrated the wonderful spirit of our customers as well as their deep passion for the brand," said Julian Jenkins, regional director for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. "This evening was reflective of the rich dialogue between Rolls-Royce and its patrons; a truly unique and extremely rare relationship, one which we are privileged to nurture." We couldn't help but notice the comment about "rich dialogue," which is fitting for a brand whose least expensive offering, the Ghost sedan, starts at roughly $300,000. The evening borrowed heavily from California car culture, where cars and coffee meet-ups can see anything from slammed economy cars, customized muscle cars, or hyper-cars with multimillion-dollar prices gather at the same place. Of course, very few — i.e. none whatsoever — have featured cognac tastings conducted out of a customized Rolls-Royce-endorsed picnic basket. That's correct, a sommelier stationed at the tail-end of a Phantom sedan was handing out quaffs of fine cognac courtesy of an official Rolls-Royce Picnic Hamper. This is a thing, and you know you want one. Other cars making a cameo appearance during dinner included a Rolls-Royce Dawn Black Badge fitted with the new "Aero Cowling." This hard tonneau cover fits snugly over the rear seats, to give the 593-horsepower convertible the look of a true two-seater. The event was held at the Soho Farmhouse, a member's only club located on a 100-acre property in Oxfordshire, approximately two hour's drive northwest from central London. On its homepage, Soho Farmhouse details its indoor and outdoor pools, multiple club rooms for special events, tennis courts, horse stables, football pitch (that's soccer for you silly Americans), and the intriguingly named Electric Barn Cinema. The entry-level membership, called Local House, with access only to the Soho Farmhouse facility, starts at about $1,700 at current exchange rates. To have access to all Soho House properties around the globe, the price runs around $2,200 (depending on whether your membership application is accepted).

Artistic Rolls-Royce Phantom challenges the Cybertruck for 2019's most polarizing ride

Rolls-Royce has been getting in touch with its artistic side all throughout 2019. With a variety of custom features, bespoke options, and exclusive partnerships, Rolls-Royce has shown a Phantom with a rose garden interior, a basket of pastel-colored rides for Pebble Beach, and a red Phantom that supports AIDS research, among others. Each model stands out for its own reasons, but none are remotely as visually eye-popping as the newest project, a Phantom by U.S. artist Bradley Theodore.  Although no official announcement was made, Rolls-Royce of Abu Dhabi posted the polarizing work across its social pages. The batch of photos might immediately look a bit, umm, messy, but the style perfectly aligns with his usual themes. Theodore, who is from Turks and Caicos and was raised in New York City and Miami, is known for his bold use of color. He and Rolls-Royce have partnered up in the past, and he previously painted a Wraith. He's also created unique interpretive paintings of other Rolls-Royce cars, the Spirit of Ecstasy, and the R-R badge. Those pieces can be seen on his website. This Phantom's new skin combines shades of blue, purple, red, yellow, and white over a dark paint job. Some lines follow the Phantom's curves and edges, while others create new shapes. Inside, there's two-toned dark blue and cream leather,  blue contrast stitching and glossy wood accents. A starlight headliner adds some sparkle to the package. Explore the full work of art in the gallery below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.   Related Video:      

Rolls-Royce Phantom to soldier on through 2020?

The more a car costs, the less frequently it's replaced - usually. Take, for example, the Bugatti Veyron. It's one of the most expensive cars on the market, and it's been there for eight years now. Eleven years passed in between the launch of the Ferrari Enzo and that of its successor LaFerrari. Now comes word that the Rolls-Royce Phantom could stick around essentially unchanged until the year 2020.
The report comes from LeftLaneNews, which cites Rolls-Royce communications chief Richard Carter in stating that the Phantom isn't going anywhere fast - despite its massive 6.75-liter V12 engine. The Phantom is the car that essentially relaunched the brand under BMW ownership way back in 2003. It has since spawned long-wheelbase, coupe and convertible models, and underwent a few minor upgrades in 2009. It may yet get another series of enhancements before it's replaced entirely, but don't expect anything drastic within the next half-dozen years or so.
For what it's worth, Rolls-Royce has other things to focus on, and we don't just mean an endless parade of special editions and one-offs for emerging luxury markets in Asia. After launching the Ghost, the company followed up with the Wraith coupe and is said to have a convertible version in the works. An SUV is reportedly under consideration, as is a sixteen-cylinder roadster. But that's not even why the Goodwood-based automaker is stretching out the Phantom's lifecycle like it did its wheelbase: the average Phantom buyer pays a good half million for their new ride, and they wouldn't be too happy to see it replaced quite so soon.