2008 Rolls Royce Phantom from UK and Ireland - Comments

Nothing yet, but I haven't had it for too long. Judging by my previous experience with this marque, I shouldn't be in for too much trouble.

Well, it all started in the seventies when I won a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow in a competition, beautiful car and I will never get rid of it, but it's traveled so far and it's quite unreliable these days. It was the first thing I had ever won and wow, what a prize! I drove that car for more than thirty years and somehow, when it came time to switch, I could not bring myself to buy anything else other than a new Rolls Royce. The short version of this potentially long story is that I sold my house and bought a smaller one so I could afford this car and I have not regretted it.

I was not sold on the looks, but I don't think it's ugly, and it's the interior that I really wanted it for and the Phantom certainly does deliver as far as interior comfort goes. The silence, the comfort, it's just a lovely place to spend time. And the fact that although it's a rather large limousine, you would be surprised how unnoticed you are driving up the motorways, at least with Grey paint.

The Phantom is tasteful too, something the unsightly Maybach just isn't.

The fuel economy is amazing for an engine of this size. I get about sixteen MPG most of the time and I wasn't expecting much more than the ten or eleven I got in my Silver Shadow. I suppose that's BMW's input for you.

Another small touch, and one of my favourites, is the dial that shows you how much power you have in reserve. It's so satisfying to be cruising at seventy MPH and see that you still have ninety-five percent of the power in reserve.

This car just wafts along. You would never believe that it took less than six seconds to reach sixty MPH, I didn't believe it when the dealer told me, but there you go.

Somehow, it's also nimble enough to keep up on B roads without feeling like it's going to waft off into a field, but I suppose that's the sort of engineering you're paying for.

I didn't want this car to be flashy or to look rich, if you could buy a silent and effortlessly comfortable BMW 5 Series I would have jumped at it, but this is a Rolls Royce and there is no competition and unfortunately, after driving a Rolls Royce for such a long time, it's really quite hard to climb into anything else day after day and that's why I paid the price. This will probably be the last car I own as I am getting on bit and I certainly can't afford another one, but I could think of no better car to be my last.

PS - From other comments I have read on this website about expensive cars, you can believe that I own this car or not if you choose, but I would prefer if I wasn't left twenty comments saying I'm making this up as after all, I can never prove to anybody leaving comments that I own this car so there is really no point.

What a wonderful review.

I`m still fairly young, but can see that I just might go your way and buy a Roller for myself, even if it costs that much more.

It`s a great pleasure to glide along and be at total rest when chauffeuring an engineering marvel that a Rolls Royce certainly is.

In my world I call it the art of motion on wheels, and I feel the world would be a bit happier if more people would be able to experience the true joy of motoring that an excellent car or motorcycle can surely provide.

I`m glad there are still people who are willing to put themselves in front of money and buy great things for enjoyment instead of appeal.

Dear friend, I wish you the best of joys with your beloved Phantom.

Though it sounds quite unbelievable at first glance, it CAN happen. I agree with previous comment. I really couldn't bring myself that far, I think. Although, maybe I could... Cars have always been my passion. Drastic measures, but if you are certain age, you don't have to bother about what other people think of you anymore (if the wife agrees, mine never would). Always driving in heaven. Be careful with it, treasure it, but we don't have to worry about that would we? What contest was it? This could only happen in Britain, and in the seventies. No other time, nor place for it.

Certainly.

I also drive cars out of pure enjoyment. Amongst other toys, I own a Bentley Cont-R (1994, I wrote a review in this site). People sometimes think that you want to flaunt it, and I am reluctant to park it in the city even for half an hour, because of vandalism: people thinking that you drive it to flaunt. I drive my Bentley because I really like it.

But there are positive points: you get many nice reactions from passionate car fans who are actually also enjoying seeing such a wonderful machine on the road.

Earning a Rolls in a competition must be a shock (whether the review is true or not is not important). But I must say, in case you would have kept your 30 y.o. Rolls well maintained, you should not have any reliability problems even now. So do not save on maintenance for the Phantom... and you might be driving it in 30 years.

Cheers.