2004 Rolls-royce Phantom on 2040-cars

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Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II introduced for 2023

Rolls-Royce sent its Phantom off to finishing school for 2023. What came back is the Series II, which Rolls itself acknowledges as a "subtle" evolution of the iconic superluxury sedan. To mark the occasion, the company commissioned a one-off model named Platino (for "platinum"), which is pictured below.  "The subtle changes we have made for the new Phantom Series II have all been minutely considered and meticulously executed. As Sir Henry Royce himself said: ‘Small things make perfection, but perfection is no small thingÂ’,” said Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos in the company's official announcement.  The Phantom Series II received what Rolls-Royce described as a "light-touch" aesthetic update. The grille is just a touch more upright and is now illuminated (a cue borrowed from the Ghost) and the headlights now feature a laser-cut pattern designed to mimic the Rolls-Royce-signature "Starlight" headliner in the Phantom's interior. Two new wheel options have been added. The first is a 3D-milled stainless wheel featuring triangular facets; the second is the 1920s-style disc available in either stainless or black lacquer finish.  Inside, nothing has really changed, but you'd be unlikely to notice one way or the other since no two Phantoms ever really look alike unless they're deliberately commissioned thusly. Rolls-Royce says the steering wheel is the only interior upgrade of note; it was made slightly thicker. The infotainment system was also updated to incorporate Rolls-Royce Connected, which talks to its digital concierge smartphone app, Whisper. That allows owners to monitor the Phantom's vitals, send destinations to the navigation system or schedule service.  The Phantom Platino (that white one above) is a perfect illustration of what we said above about no two Phantoms looking the same. Rolls-Royce's Bespoke individualization program is busy pretty much 24/7 putting together one-of-a-kind creations for its uber-wealthy customers. The Platino's fabric rear seats are a nod to the early days of Rolls-Royce, when front seats were leather-adorned but the rear were covered in upholstered cloth.  Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Rolls-Royce planning one or two new models based on the Ghost

Fourteen years after Volkswagen bought Bentley, its English brand has two distinct lines, Mulsanne and Continental - with numerous variants at the Continental's lower price point - an SUV on the way and perhaps a sports car and a Mulsanne convertible, too. In the 14 years since BMW bought Rolls-Royce, its English brand has the Phantom and Ghost - with three variants at the Phantom's much higher price point. Rolls-Royce doesn't chase sales, but the difference in the brand direction helps explain why Bentley has sold more cars in the first six months of this year than Rolls-Royce sold all of last year.
And even though Rolls-Royce isn't solely about the tally, it would still like to improve on the 3,538 cars it sold last year - a sales record that eclipsed a mark set in 1978. To do so its CEO is planning one or two more Ghost-based models beyond the as-yet-unnamed Ghost Coupe due next year, perhaps to be called the Corniche, according to a report in Autocar. A convertible version of the Ghost Coupe is the obvious guess for one of them, and it would get the double-R "closer to 4,000" sales, where the CEO would like to be.
Sales might not be the only part of it, though; the headline of the Autocar piece says the CEO wants the new models because they're "required to give Rolls-Royce a proper identity." If that is accurate, we have no idea what kind of identity Rolls-Royce could be missing that would be served by a wider range of cars in the Ghost range, which by their place in the brand's own lineup are admittedly not the most opulent carriages on the planet.

The Rolls-Royce Dawn leads this month's list of discounts

If you're one of the few readers of this site who is in the market for a $350,000 Rolls-Royce Dawn, well, first of all, good for you. And you should be prepared to keep some extra money in your pocket, too, as the drop-top Roller leads this month's list of the largest monetary discounts with an average of $14,733 taken off the machine's $359,250 sticker price. That means buyers are paying an average transaction price of $344,517 for the 2020 Rolls-Royce Dawn this month, according to data provided to Autoblog by TrueCar, which equals about 4.1% off the price on the sticker. An intriguing pair of supercars land in second and third positions this month. The 2019 Acura NSX is selling for an average of $145,174 this month, which represents a 9% discount, or $14,373. With an eerily similar 9% discount of $14,079 comes the 2020 Aston Martin Vantage, which has an average transaction price of $142,002 this month. The Maserati Quattroporte is up next with an average discount of $13,634. Another Rolls-Royce model lands in the fifth spot, but instead of the aging Dawn it's the brand-new Cullinan SUV. Although the luxury 'ute boasts a large discount of $12,427, its staggeringly high retail price of $332,750 means buyers are getting a little less than 4% off the sticker. More interesting to most buyers will be the 2019 Lincoln Navigator, which is one of our favorite full-size SUVs in America. Buyers of Lincoln's range-topping vehicle are getting average discounts of $11,761. That represents a 13.4% savings for a final price of $75,940. For a look at the best new car deals in America based on the percentage discount off their suggested asking prices, check out our monthly recap here. And when you're ready to buy, click here for the Autoblog Smart Buy program, which brings you a hassle-free buying experience with over 9,000 Certified Dealers nationwide. Related Video: