We’ll first see the lightweight, adaptable componentry on the second-generation Phantom, which should debut next year. There will again be standard- and extended-wheelbase versions of the Phantom, but the Phantom coupe and drophead will be discontinued. The price of the sedan will stay about the same, and the BMW-sourced V-12 will still be the only available engine. The next Phantom’s design is said to be more modern and more imposing, and we expect to see a taller radiator grille, a more sculptured front end with rectangular headlamps, more striking signature C-pillars, and slightly less formal flanks with a longer and more naturally flowing lower character line.
Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe
Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II
Another new piece of the Rolls-Royce revival could be a state-of-the-art coachbuilding division that makes one-off models. The first étude we may see is a Landaulet edition or Sedanca de Ville version of the next Phantom. We could also see a stunning two-plus-two proportioned like a famous art deco car, a super-long-wheelbase two-seat convertible with an electrically assisted V-12, or a shorter, smaller all-electric high-performance drop-top. Don’t be surprised to see a design exercise testing the waters sometime before 2018.
To make the coachbuilt concept work, Rolls-Royce would have to extend its Goodwood facility, but there is allegedly no need for an additional building complex. The relatively inexpensive retooling means it would only take a few hundred units to make the coachbuilt concept profitable, seeing how none of the models mentioned would cost less than $1.1 million, some considerably more. Between its all-aluminum modular architecture and proposed coachbuilding division, Rolls-Royce seems very keen to keep that dust from settling ever again.
