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2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom spied on the inside

The Grey-Poupon set has a new digital reality in store for 2018. Or at least its drivers will. Today we've captured the next-generation Rolls-Royce Phantom during testing, and decadent sedan will feature a digital instrument panel. These photos show large screens in front of the driver and on top of the center stack – a marked change from the traditional dials. This digital cluster is among a slew of changes that will dramatically update the Phantom. It will also run on a new aluminum platform, which will underpin all Rollers from 2018. The coupe and Drophead coupe will also be killed off with the outgoing seventh generation, which has run for 13 years. Rolls-Royce said from the start the new ultra-luxury sedan would feature significant updates. In a statement, chief executive Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes called it "a contemporary and beautiful Phantom enhanced with cutting-edge technologies and design innovations." Still, the eighth Phantom will look like, well, a Phantom. Despite the "enhanced ... design innovations" Mueller-Oetvoes is pitching, the exterior styling looks largely evolutionary. We're expecting another Roller staple, the traditional V12, to provide the usual mustard-hauling power. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom View 10 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Design/Style Spy Photos Rolls-Royce Technology Infotainment Luxury Sedan rolls-royce phantom

Evolutionary Rolls-Royce Phantom replacement captured for first time

I saw a heavily camouflaged car on the road yesterday. I managed to get up close, but even then, I couldn't tell what it was. That's just the way it is sometimes – you don't always know what you're looking at. But there's no such uncertainty with this latest set of spy photos, though. This is very obviously a new Rolls-Royce. And it's huge, most likely the replacement for the long-serving Phantom, and what we're seeing here is surely the long-wheelbase model. It will be joined by a short-wheelbase version, but you'll want to break out your best princess wave to say buh-bye to the slow-selling Phantom Coupe and Drophead convertible. Despite its immense size, our spies claim the Phantom's footprint shouldn't change much with the next-generation model. That said, it will be far, far lighter than the today's nearly 5,900-pound Phantom. Expect a lot of aluminum, and even some carbon fiber when the new sedan debuts. It might end up lighter, but the new Phantom will still be easily identifiable as a Rolls. There's lots and lots of space behind the B-pillar, and like the current car, the C-pillar is expansive and feeds into a short, drooping rear deck. Up front, the current Phantom's overall style is set for a small evolution, with rectangular lights flanking a powerful, polished, rectangular grille. As buyers of $400,000 luxury sedans can usually afford fuel, it shouldn't be a surprise to hear that Rolls will soldier on with a stout V12 engine under the hood. As for rumors of a plug-in hybrid model, if it happens, it won't show up until after the 12-cylinder car's debut. That glitzy event will likely come at a 2017 auto show. European shows like Geneva or Frankfurt are safe bets, but we wouldn't be surprised to see the new Phantom bow at an event more focused on the brand's exceptionally wealthy clientele, like Monterey or even Villa d'Este. Check out the full round of spy images up top.

Rolls-Royce sketching out SUV for possible 'late 2017' release

With each new story on the Rolls-Royce SUV, the Goodwood automaker comes off as more at ease with their reluctantly birthed yet necessary sport ute. Company design chief Giles Taylor told Autocar that his team is still "sketching to assess the viability of the concept," which to ours ears means they're trying to figure out if such a beast is even possible within the confines of the brand. If it is, Taylor says it will be "a shooting brake, not a crossover with a sloping roof. A proper SUV."
A different company source, unnamed, seems confident that Taylor's team will figure it out, telling the magazine it would start at 200,000 pounds ($335K US). However, that same source said the vehicle will be "a kind of Mercedes-GLK-plus-plus," which is a baffling description in several ways. More reasonable is the speculation that it will ride on Ghost, not Phantom, architecture and make its debut sometime around late 2017.
That Ghost platform is expected to take cues from the carbon, aluminum and steel bones that supported the BMW Vision Future Luxury concept shown at the Beijing Motor Show and destined for the 9 Series. Some of those tricks will also go into the next-generation Phantom, which Autocar says will come in 2017 and not 2020.