The Marysville House hides among the bushy green ferns and towering tropical hardwoods, creating a perfectly quiet retreat that gives back to the landscape just as much as it takes. Steffen Welsch Architects designed this small yet mystifying two story holiday home that replaces a home once devastated by the Black Saturday Fires deep in […]
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Phantom has been one of the most iconic monikers in the history of the automobile. Since its debut in 1925, the Rolls-Royce Phantom has stood to witness some of history’s most defining moments. Everything from treaty signing so celebrity honors, Rolls Royce Phantoms have consistently been present throughout history. The iconic nameplate has become automotive royalty. To honor that legacy and celebrate the continuance of it, Rolls Royce will bring together all seven of the previous generation Phantoms to preface the launch of the upcoming eighth generation. This celebration will be called “The Great Eight Phantoms: A Rolls Royce Exhibit”.
At the end of July, all eight Rolls Royce Phantom models throughout history will gather in Mayfair, London, to celebrate the history of the nameplate and its future. Over the next eight weeks, Rolls Royce will be unveiling each of the cars that will be gathering in Mayfair, one car per week. This will culminate no the eight week when the new Phantom is revealed.
The first car to be launched will be the ‘The Fred Astaire Phantom I’, which will on loan from the famous Peterson Museum.
Fred Astaire’s 1927 Rolls Royce Phantom I
Rolls-Royce began producing the Phantom I in 1925. The car was developed in great secrecy, with the project code-named Eastern Armoured Car. This suggested Rolls-Royce was intent on producing the kind of military vehicles used in the First World War..
The Phantom I was an instant success. The new 7.668-litre straight-six engine gave the car a fresh spring in its step. When General Motors opened a testing ground in Michigan, it was discovered that no cars could manage even two laps of the 4-mile circuit at full throttle without damaging their engines. However, Phantom I performed with consummate imperiousness and more, at a steady 80mph without failure.
Sir Henry Royce’s restless desire to, in his own words, “take the best that exists and make it better” quickly led to the creation of the Phantom II in 1929, this time with a totally new chassis, which significantly improved the handling, as well as a re-designed engine.
The next Phantom, the third in the line, was to be Sir Henry Royce’s last project. He passed away in 1933, aged 70, about 12 months into the development of this next Phantom. The finished model, with its peerless 12 cylinder engine, was unveiled two years later and production lasted from 1936 until the Second World War. The final chassis was produced in 1941, although the war meant it did not receive its coachwork until 1947. No announcement came about a replacement and it looked as if the Phantom was another victim of the war.
In 1950, Phantom IV appeared. The car was originally intended to be a one-off for Prince Philip and the then Princess Elizabeth. However, once seen, a further 17 were exclusively commissioned at the request of other royal families and heads of state around the world. Fitted with a straight-eight engine, it performed superbly at low speeds – essential for taking part in ceremonial parades – and featured the kneeling version of the famous Spirit of Ecstasy bonnet mascot.
The Phantom V was produced between 1959 and 1968 and 516 of this hugely successful model were made for clients including the Queen Mother, governors of Hong Kong, King Olav of Norway and John Lennon.
The long-running Phantom VI (1968-90) carried on the royal connection, notably with the Silver Jubilee Car, a raised-roof version presented to Queen Elizabeth II in 1977 by the British motor industry to celebrate her 25 years on the throne, and later famously used at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
In 2003, a watching world was greeted with Phantom VII, a glowing affirmation of the start of Rolls-Royce’s renaissance at his new home in Goodwood, West Sussex. It was sharply contemporary yet timeless in the manner in which it deftly retained Phantom’s characteristic aesthetic. Built at, the Home of Rolls-Royce an all-new, state-of-the-art centre of excellence, it arrived with a 453bhp 6.75-litre V12 – enough to propel it from 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds – and every possible comfort a new breed of discerning luxury consumer could desire. Exquisite detail right down to the car’s Teflon-coated umbrellas and self-righting wheel-centres, left a curious public in no doubt the brand was in safe hands. Production of the Phantom VII ceased thirteen years later at the end of 2016.
Each of these generations of Phantom will make its way to Mayfair at the end of July. All of them will be present when Rolls Royce unveils its new, eight-generation Phantom. When that happens, there will be a 92 year lineage of one of the greatest nameplates in automotive history together in once place. The Phantom has always been, and currently still is, an automotive icon. When “The Great Eight Phantoms: Rolls-Royce Exhibition” debuts, it will be the first time that this exceptional group of motoring icons will be gathered under one roof. This is an uncommon pageant, it is no exaggeration to say we might never see its like again.
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The last and final test in a series of comparison tests from Drivetribe sees the BMW M2 take on the Porsche 718 Cayman S and Audi TT RS in a track day fun session. These three recently went up against each other in a few different tests to see how they performed. The first of which was just a weigh-in and power check, to see how each car compared on paper. Then there was a drag race between the two, in which the Audi TT RS won. Following that, there were some timed laps, where the Porsche was the fastest. But now comes the most important test. Which of the three is most fun?
On the same Angelsey circuit where they tested each car’s hot laps, they take each car out for some hooligan fun. The best measure of a car’s balance and fun-factor is how well it will let you chuck it around. If a car likes to slide, is easy to hold through slides and can put a smile on your face, it’s a good car.
The BMW M2 is up first and it’s a proper hooligan. On a slightly damp Angelsey, the M2 is so easy to slide all over the place. Jethro Bovington, the host and driver, claims it to be fantastic on track for fun skids. The balance is there and almost perfect, as Bovington and just pick any angle and slide the M2 through it. Come in nice and tidy and powerslide out? No problem. Chuck it in late and and make lots of smoke? It loves it. It’s breadth of sliding abilities is actually pretty impressive. However, that doesn’t translate that well on the road, where its suspension is a bit too firm, and its brakes aren’t so good for proper hot laps. So the M2 is incredibly fun when being a hooligan but does have its issues.
Next up is the Audi TT RS. This being the only all-wheel drive, automatic car in the test, it’s naturally at a disadvantage here. Though, it isn’t all doom and gloom. Yes, the TT RS’ primary driving characteristic on track is understeer. However, if you learn the car and get everything right, it can rotate nicely and be quite fun. The only problem is that it’s a lot of work and very hard to replicate. While some sports cars reward hard work, the TT RS is brutally difficult to consistently get right. It does have some strong suits, though. Its engine is brilliant and exciting, its brakes are good and it is incredibly quick. However, it’s just not playful enough and not as fun as the other two.
Lastly, the Porsche 718 Cayman S hits the track. With a six-speed manual and mid-engine balance, the Porsche has the best advantage here. Its steering is precise, its balance is even better than the BMW’s and it’s just so playful. It also has the benefit of being the only car designed as a proper sports car from the ground up. The Audi TT is a cheaper front-wheel drive diesel coupe in most countries. The BMW 2 Series is the cheapest BMW in America. So both cars have humble roots. The Cayman is a blue-blooded sports car. Its only downside is its engine, which is pretty awful, actually. It makes good power and has a bunch of torque but sounds like a diesel generator and isn’t befitting of a Volkswagen Golf R, never mind a Porsche.
All three cars have flaws, none are perfect. But the best car overall, according to Drivetribe is the Porsche 718 Cayman S. It’s the most fun on a track, fastest on a track and damn quick in a drag race. Its only knocks against it are its price and engine. The other cars have their own faults, too. Porsche just overcomes its problems a bit better.
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