Background

BMW acquired the Rolls-Royce name in 1998, but only in 2003 could it begin building cars due to the acrimonious way in which RR and Bentley were separated, with Volkswagen taking control of the latter.

The Phantom saloon came first, followed by a LWB version and then the Drophead Coupe last year. The Phantom Coupe you see on these pages has joined the saloon and Drophead Coupe to become the third, and final, body style in the Phantom line-up.

A smaller, sportier Rolls-Royce will complement the Phantom range from 2010, creating a fourth model line. Until then, the three-strong Phantom range features this Coupe as its most driver-oriented model.

The huge, 2.6-tonne Phantom Coupe is still as far from a sports car as you’re likely to get, but it has the stiffest bodyshell of the Rolls trio and also offers the least space and comfort for passengers; it promises to be marginally firmer riding, has less space in the rear than the saloon and, unlike the Drophead Coupe convertible, denies occupants the luxury of travelling in fresh air.

Which begs the question: can a 5.5-metre-long car really offer enough extra driver appeal to make it a viable sporty alternative to the saloon or convertible?

Design

Ostensibly, the Phantom Coupe shares most of its underpinnings with the saloon and Drophead. But of the two, it’s the convertible with which it shares most. Its rear-hinged doors are the same, for example, as is the bodywork from the nose to the A-pillars.

From the doors backwards, things are rather different. The aluminium panels are draped over a welded aluminium spaceframe like other Phantoms, but the rear bodywork kicks up behind the driver’s seat, from where an aluminium roof is formed forwards, meeting the steel header rail above the windscreen not entirely smoothly if (as in our test car) the two are the same colour. It works rather better if the windscreen surround and bonnet are finished in brushed steel.

Otherwise, rather like the saloon, the Phantom Coupe is an imposing piece of design; there’s no denying its presence. At 5609mm long, it is only 225mm shorter than the saloon, and at 1592mm and 1987mm respectively, it gives very little away in height or width.

Mechanically, the Coupe’s drivetrain is identical to that of other Phantoms. The 6.75-litre V12 engine makes a solid 453bhp and a not-insubstantial 531lb ft of torque, driving through a six-speed automatic transmission.

Some elements of the suspension have been changed. It’s still by double wishbones at the front and multi-link at the rear, but the spring rates and anti-roll bar thickness have been adjusted to suit the Coupe’s demeanour as a car developed for drivers rather than passengers.

To that end, the steering wheel is also thicker, the steering itself has been slightly adjusted for greater feel and there is a new ‘sport’ button which adjusts the gearbox programme, providing a revvier drive.

On The Road

It almost feels wrong to be talking about performance in this test; surely it’s too vulgar a word for such a monumental car?

Either way, quantify and rate its performance we must, so here are the figures: 0-60mph in 6.1sec and 100mph in 15.7sec.

How does this feel in a car weighing 2655kg? At first, frankly ridiculous. With familiarity, though, comes the realisation that the Coupe’s pace is more brisk than truly rapid.

Bentley’s more powerful but similarly conceived Brooklands marches to 100mph in 11.9sec. But does the Phantom have enough performance?

In almost all circumstances, yes; only on prolonged high-speed ascents would more power help.

Something BMW could provide, but perhaps not without sacrificing the sense of achieving without ever really trying that you only get with Rolls-Royce. The 6.75 V12 never sounds strained, it’s just a distant and refined hum as the 531lb ft of torque goes to work.

It is in the area of ride and handling that the Coupe promises to differ most from any other Phantom.

With a 200mm shorter wheelbase, broader rear tyres, stiffer rear dampers and springs and a thicker rear anti-roll bar, the Coupe is noticeably sharper than its saloon and Drophead relatives.

The Coupe might weigh 2.7 tonnes, but it does have the advantage of being perfectly balanced front to rear, meaning that beyond the initial body roll it progresses through a corner with remarkable balance.

The unavoidable flipside to the improved handling is a slight deterioration in ride quality, most noticeably at low speeds.

By any normal standard the Coupe rides very well, but where a Phantom saloon’s passengers wouldn’t notice the slightest movement, the Coupe’s may register a small thud.

Although blessed with its own character, the Coupe remains true to the Phantom DNA: fabulously comfortable and luxurious but still rewarding and involving to drive.

Living

It’s probably best to start with what’s bad, as it won’t take long. There is too little rear leg and shoulder room, the iDrive-style control system (derived from BMW’s and developed too little from there) is a pain to operate, and the seat adjusters require too much time and attention to operate safely on the move.

There’s also a surprising amount of wind noise at speed, and the boot should be a little larger.

There the complaints end. For all the inefficiencies in packaging, which mean the Rolls has less rear room than a typical D-segment saloon, those who do fit into the rear will find its seats sumptuous and the fittings exquisite.

Front-seat occupants will care not a jot either, because the driving or passenger experience is second to none, enjoyed in seats that are slightly more bolstered than the saloon’s. Otherwise the front-seat experience mimics the saloon’s and convertible’s.

The dashboard and other trim feels beautifully constructed, with a pleasing weight to all major controls, and the stereo is quite possibly the finest-sounding system fitted as standard to any current road car.

The Phantom Coupe is a conspicuously large car to pilot, but forward visibility is helped by thin A-pillars, and the front edge and corners are relatively easy to place.

Generally, running costs on a Rolls-Royce will be less relevant on the Coupe than the Phantom saloon, because it is less likely to be run by luxury hotels or fleets and instead be used by private buyers. Most of whom will have more cars than you can count on one hand. Service intervals are a generous 25,000 miles, but its 14.3mpg average could be better.

With as many as 44,000 colour options, it’s unlikely that many Phantom Coupes will ever be the same, so the level of depreciation they suffer will depend partly on the specification and the tastefulness of the exterior colour.

Verdict:

It is easy to be overwhelmed and awed by the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe, a car that cossets wonderfully and goes out of its way to make the driver and his passengers feel special like no other car on sale. But it would be naïve to leave it there; this is a £300,000 coupe and, as such, should stand up to the absolute strictest scrutiny that you can level at a car.

To our eyes, this is a car that imposes more than it impresses with grace and elegance. It is also almost inexcusably packaged for rear passengers, who may be prepared to swap a modicum of their snugness and feeling of wellbeing for a greater feeling of circulation in their legs. A tad more compliance in the ride and a little less wind noise should be expected, too.

Beyond that, the Coupe is all it should be: a wonderful way to travel and a car that feels as exquisite as any made today.

For: Uniqueness, precise steering, beautiful interior, peerless stereo

Against: Too much wind noise, firmness of low-speed ride, limited boot space.

Source: Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe – Autocar.co.uk