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What Edmunds Says
The Phantom Coupe is exactly what you'd expect of a Rolls-Royce. It's decadently opulent, wickedly powerful, meticulously engineered and unapologetically grandiose. If you've got the cash, then step right up.
Pros
Regal cabin accommodations; uniquely imposing styling and size; sportier than other Rolls-Royce models; extensive customization options.
Cons
Size is an issue in tight spaces; some awkwardly placed controls; may attract paparazzi.
Base
- 6.7L V12 engine
- Automatic transmission
- Up to 11 cty/18 hwy mpg
- Navigation System
- Bluetooth
- MP3 Player
- Side/Curtain Airbags
- Stability Control
- Traction Control
- iPod input (Optional)
What's New for 2011
Other than a limited edition run of 100 specially trimmed cars to celebrate the centennial of the "Spirit of Ecstasy" hood ornament, there are no changes for the 2011 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe.
Introduction
The 2011 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe isn't your typical premium luxury coupe. Far from it, as here we have a two-door coupe (pronounced "coo-pay" if you're British) that weighs more than a Cadillac Escalade and costs about twice what the average American home does. Furthermore, it's the only coupe with rearward-opening doors.
Being a two-door version of the Phantom sedan, this Rolls-Royce likewise provides size, prestige and presence on the grandest of scales. It's also more responsive to drive thanks to a shorter wheelbase and a sport-tuned suspension. There's even a Sport mode for the transmission that provides more responsive performance. But we suspect that for owners these qualities will always be secondary to the overall Rolls-Royce experience.
Everywhere you look and touch in the cabin is covered in rich leather, adorned with beautifully finished woods or accented with lustrous chrome. The carpets are made of deep-pile sheepskin so plush it'll have passengers taking off their shoes. So as to allow easy and graceful loading of passengers and luggage, the doors open rearward while the trunk opens like a picnic basket with a two-piece lid. Should the interior still not be glamorous enough, there's the optional "Starlight Headliner," which turns the inner roof into a starry night sky via fiber-optic lights that shine through tiny holes.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the iconic "Spirit of Ecstasy" flying lady hood ornament (which automatically disappears into the grille when the car is locked to prevent kidnapping). To celebrate, Rolls has seen fit to issue a run of 100 specially trimmed Phantoms. A few of the feature highlights include an illuminated solid silver hood ornament, unique colors and badges, polished wheels, metal foil instrument facings and a leather headliner. And of course Rolls offers extensive customization options to allow one to further make the Phantom Coupe uniquely their own.
Of course, paying more than $400,000 for any car seems ridiculous. But then again, the Phantom Coupe is as much a "car" as the Queen is a little old lady. You're paying for the entire Rolls-Royce experience, including the ability to cruise down the road and draw glances from everyone with a working set of eyes. You may get a bit of that with an Aston Martin DB9, Bentley Continental GTor Maserati GranTurismo, but not in the same way. There is nothing else like the 2011 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe on the road, and by George, for this much money, there had better not be.
Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2011 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe is a four-seat ultraluxury coupe with two rear-hinged doors. All the usual luxury car items are standard, along with 21-inch wheels, run-flat tires, power-closing doors, a two-piece trunk lid, parking sensors, front and rear heated seats, power front seats, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, front seat memory functions and multizone climate control. Standard technology items include Rolls-Royce Assist emergency telematics, a multifunction controller and LCD screen, keyless ignition/entry, voice command functionality, Bluetooth and a navigation system. The audio system is a 15-speaker surround-sound stereo with an in-dash single-CD player, a six-CD changer in the glovebox, an auxiliary audio jack and satellite radio with a lifetime subscription.
If that list seems incomplete, rest assured that Rolls-Royces can be customized to your heart's content. Should the extensive choice of standard colors not strike your fancy, Rolls will paint the Phantom and tan its leather any color you see fit for an extra fee. Other options include different wheel designs, front and rear camera systems, visible exhaust tips, a brushed stainless-steel hood and the starlight headliner. Individual requests are likely to be accommodated.
Lastly, this year brings the Spirit of Ecstasy Collection, a limited run of 100 Phantoms that celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament. To honor this piece of sculpture, these special Phantoms have a choice of unique exterior and interior colors, unique Rolls-Royce badges, an illuminated solid silver hood ornament, polished wheels, metal foil instrument fascias, a silver clock and instrument dials, leather-lined glove compartment and console box, a leather headliner and a Spirit of Ecstasy desk ornament with a signed letter of authenticity.
Powertrains and Performance
The 2011 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe is powered by a 6.7-liter V12 capable of 453 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission sends power to the rear wheels. Rolls-Royce estimates that the Phantom Coupe will accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds.
Safety
Safety equipment includes antilock brakes, traction and stability control, active front head restraints, front knee airbags, front side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags. Front and rear parking cameras are optional.
Interior Design and Special Features
Believe it or not, the 2011 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe has a pretty nice interior. Almost every surface is adorned in beautifully crafted veneer, shiny chrome, soft cashmere or the sumptuous hides of between 15 and 18 Bavarian cattle. The dashboard has so much wood on it that you might mistake it for a clothes bureau. The driver is greeted by classically simple gauges and a minimalist control panel.
The climate controls are mounted a little low on the dash, however, and they consist of strange thumb wheels instead of dials or buttons with a digital display. More complex functions like the navigation system are managed by an interface similar to BMW's iDrive system, with the trademark mouselike controller hiding inside the center console when not in use and the LCD screen disappearing behind the classic analog clock.
Thanks to the rear-hinged coach-style doors, ingress and egress are far easier than in traditional coupes. The doors are impressively large and quite heavy, though one doesn't have to yank them shut, as they are power-operated. Although not nearly as spacious as the Phantom sedan's enormous rear quarters, the Coupe's backseat still provides plenty of adult-sized comfort for hours of high-class travel.
Driving Impressions
The 2011 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe is really, really big. Driving it through tighter streets can be like piloting the U.S.S. Nimitz through the Erie Canal, requiring you to keep tabs on its wide body while simultaneously peering over the huge front end, which is visible in the distance. Thankfully the optional split-view front camera provides a left-right side view of crossroads ahead. Given its size, the Coupe is definitely happiest out on the open road, dominating high-speed thoroughfares like a road-going racing yacht, though its sport-tuned chassis helps keep it settled on twisty roads. Despite our repeated nautical references, the smooth ride is not floaty, absorbing broken pavement with nothing but muted thumps.
The current lineup of HRE wheels is as impressive as it is expensive. Wheels start at around $1,300 per corner. Curious to learn how the company justifies charging so much for its wares, we traveled to the company's Vista, California headquarters for its recent 2011 HRE Open House. We wound up with an inside view at how the wheels are made and a peek at the company's diverse (and loyal) customer base.
The HRE Open House is an annual event that lets fans of the company check out how their favorite wheels are produced. The open-door get-together is also a chance for people to hang out and check out a wide range of vehicles. Four-wheeled attendees ranges from a Koenigsegg CCX and Ariel Atom, to a Mercedes-Benz 300SL and Chris Rado's wild Time Attack Scion tC.
We'd get a chance to look at the cars in a bit, but we mostly wanted to learn more about the wheels they were wearing. The President of HRE, Alan Peltier was on hand to give tours through his facility and provide insight into how the product moves from a computer design into a finished wheel.
HRE builds two types of wheels; three-piece forged (or spun) wheels and its well-known Monoblok one-piece forged unit (think: HRE P40). All wheels begin life in the head of either a designer or an engineer. From there, the potential design is entered into a computer modeling system called Finite Element Analysis, which allows the HRE team to model how physics will affect their wheel. The FEA program shows an engineer how a given design will respond to the effects of speed, weight and a variety of g-forces. After the wheel gets a green light, it's time to begin the physical process of manufacturing.
The average aluminum wheel found on stock vehicle is created by pouring a molten alloy into a mold. HRE takes a different approach. The three-piece wheels begin with an outer barrel, which starts out as a flat disk of high-strength aluminum that is worked into shape in a manner similar to a potter spinning clay. The barrel is turned into two halves, which allows HRE to build wheels to custom requested widths. The third part of the three-piece wheel starts out as a chunk of aerospace-grade aluminum which gets forced into a disk shape. That disk is then sent to the CNC machine so that the spoke pattern can be created. Put the two halves and center portion together, and voilà! You have an HRE three-piece wheel.
If you're looking for something stronger than the already burly three-piece, HRE might direct you to its one-piece Monoblok. This wheel starts out life as a solid block of aluminum. The metal is forged, thanks to a combination of heat and pressure, into a round shape. That wheel-like chunk of aluminum is loaded into a form-flowing machine to create a barrel, and then into a variety of CNC machines to create the lock initially dreamed up by HRE's designers.
Both the three-piece and Monoblok one-piece aren't done when they pop out of the CNC machine. The wheels are inspected, deburred and then polished by hand. The entire finishing process can take up to eight hours per wheel, and all are certified to meet Germany's strict TÜV standards. It's this sort of attention to detail that helps HRE command premium pricing in the wheel market.
HRE's open house was attended by a range of enthusiasts, as well as a plethora of high-performance machines. eGarage was on hand with a Koenigsegg CCX, Ariel Atom, Bentley Continental Supersports and an sinister old Chevrolet Camaro hiding 2000 horsepower under its hood. Tanner Foust showed up in his BBI-tuned Porsche. HRE fans also drove into the parking lot piloting brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Audi, BMW and Porsche, not to mention a few clean examples of the Acura NSX, a Datsun 240Z, some Ford Mustang models, a handful of Volkswagen offerings and even an Alfa Romeo GTV.
No
The HRE Open House is an annual event that lets fans of the company check out how their favorite wheels are produced. The open-door get-together is also a chance for people to hang out and check out a wide range of vehicles. Four-wheeled attendees ranges from a Koenigsegg CCX and Ariel Atom, to a Mercedes-Benz 300SL and Chris Rado's wild Time Attack Scion tC.
We'd get a chance to look at the cars in a bit, but we mostly wanted to learn more about the wheels they were wearing. The President of HRE, Alan Peltier was on hand to give tours through his facility and provide insight into how the product moves from a computer design into a finished wheel.
HRE builds two types of wheels; three-piece forged (or spun) wheels and its well-known Monoblok one-piece forged unit (think: HRE P40). All wheels begin life in the head of either a designer or an engineer. From there, the potential design is entered into a computer modeling system called Finite Element Analysis, which allows the HRE team to model how physics will affect their wheel. The FEA program shows an engineer how a given design will respond to the effects of speed, weight and a variety of g-forces. After the wheel gets a green light, it's time to begin the physical process of manufacturing.
The average aluminum wheel found on stock vehicle is created by pouring a molten alloy into a mold. HRE takes a different approach. The three-piece wheels begin with an outer barrel, which starts out as a flat disk of high-strength aluminum that is worked into shape in a manner similar to a potter spinning clay. The barrel is turned into two halves, which allows HRE to build wheels to custom requested widths. The third part of the three-piece wheel starts out as a chunk of aerospace-grade aluminum which gets forced into a disk shape. That disk is then sent to the CNC machine so that the spoke pattern can be created. Put the two halves and center portion together, and voilà! You have an HRE three-piece wheel.
Both the three-piece and Monoblok one-piece aren't done when they pop out of the CNC machine. The wheels are inspected, deburred and then polished by hand. The entire finishing process can take up to eight hours per wheel, and all are certified to meet Germany's strict TÜV standards. It's this sort of attention to detail that helps HRE command premium pricing in the wheel market.
Not everyone can – or would choose – to spend the type of coin that HRE asks for its wares, but events like the company's open house are very smart, if for no other reason that they give prospective customers a first-hand look at what makes their products so special.
Official: New R8 Limited Edition celebrates 10 Le Mans victories for Audi
Inside, the R8 V8 Limited Edition comes with satellite navigation and Audi Music Interface with a Bang and Olufsen sound system as well as a unique interior lighting package and Bluetooth hands-free calling. Prices start at £93,935 in the UK. That figure translates to around $150,000 (including Britain's costly Value Added Tax), though there's no clear indication as to whether or not any of the 100 examples will make their way to the States or how much Audi will ask U.S. buyers to pay. Hit the jump for the press release.
Nissan builds one millionth example of vehicle with name nobody can pronounce
You may not be familiar with this particular CUV (pronounced "KASH-ky") because it's not sold in North America, but it's closest in size and mission to our Rogue. Available in standard five-seat and long-wheelbase seven-seat configurations, the Qashqai was launched in 2007 and facelifted in 2010. It's offered with a range of four-cylinder engines, driving either the front wheels or all four through CVT or manual transmissions, and takes on the likes of the Kia Sportage and Mitsubishi Outlander. It's also popular in the Japanese and Australian markets, where it's known as the Dualis.
In addition to production in Japan and Iran (whose nomadic tribe Turkic Qashqai gives it its name), the crossover is built primarily in the UK at Sunderland, where the vehicle's production has just passed the million-made mark, standing as one of the most prolific automobiles ever made there. In fact, no other vehicle has reached that number in such a short time in Britain's considerable automaking history.
According to Nissan, over the course of the four-and-a-half years of production, Qashqai production at Synderland has accounted for as much steel as is being used to build all the facilities that will support London's Olympic games next year. And if you line up every Qashqai produced at the Sunderland plant, they'd measure 2,700 miles end-to-end – that's enough to line Britain's entire coastline.
Not about to stop there, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn recently announced during a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron that an all-new Qashqai will be entirely designed, engineered and built in the UK. Follow the jump for the full press release.
Video: EVO drags the 911 Turbo S, McLaren MP4-12C, Ferrari 458, Noble M600
Not that we have any complaints about EVO's chosen group of supercars. Representing Italy is the Ferrari 458, and from Germany hails the Porsche 911 Turbo S. These two traditional power players are matched up against the best Britain has to offer; namely the McLaren MP4-12C and Noble M600.
Now that the players have been established, naturally we all want to know which was the quickest. Not surprisingly, the results were dependent on the distance measured just as much as they were by the vehicles themselves. We won't spoil the ending for you, but we will say that it was close and that you should never count out the underdog. Check out the action in the video after the break.
Nissan GT-R takes on Aprilia RSV4 at Monticello
Nissan GT-R vs. Aprilia RS4 Factory APRC SE – Click here to watch video after the jumpCar versus motorcycle is a never-ending debate, which can leave both sides of the room shouting and pointing (middle) fingers. Hell for Leather certainly sits on one side of the debate, but the crew also knows a thing or two about four-wheeled modes of transportation. Aprilia came to the HFL team to help produce a video showing what the new 2011 RSV4 Factory APRC SE can do against an automobile on a track.
Monticello's Mushroom track would be the place for the showdown, and the opponent is none other than a 2010 Nissan GT-R. Since these are two-wheel-loving folks, you can excuse them for stating that the 2010 GT-R produces 530 horsepower. It doesn't. The 2012 version certainly does, but the 2010 car "gets by" with 485. Still, the coupe is a track assassin, and a worthy opponent to the Aprilia.
In TRANSLOGIC 49 we visit Zero Motorcycles in Santa Cruz, California to check out the company's low emission electric motorcycles. Although we focused on the new XU model, Zero actually has a full line of electric bikes, each built for a different purpose. The Zero MX is a dirt bike built for tracks and jumps while the Zero X is more of a trail bike. The Zero S is primarily a street bike with a top speed of 67 mph and a max range of 58 miles and the DS is a dual sport motorcycle that's good for both street and dirt – top speed and range are the same as the S
Because these bikes are all electric, there's a few things they can do other bikes cannot. All of Zero's off-road bikes can be programmed for different levels of speed and acceleration. For example, top speed can be limited to 30 mph which will give more riding time and might be ideal for more technical trails. Also, you can flip a switch and set the accelerator to an easy mode which is ideal for beginners; flip it back to sport mode when more aggressive acceleration is needed.
The XU is Zero's newest electric bike and it's intended as a city friendly scooter alternative. It essentially combines the best features of a dirt and street bike. The XU's brakes are similar to the more trail friendly X model with a two piston front brake caliper and a single piston rear caliper clamping 8.66 inch (220mm) discs. Front wheels measure 19 inches while the rear wheel is 16 inches in diameter. The smaller diameter rear wheel helps with quick starts since the transmission is single speed. Front suspension has adjustable dampers with 5.3 inches of travel and the rear suspension has 5.5 inches of travel.
The XU's lithium-ion battery pack is the same one used in the X and MX bikes. Zero says these removable battery packs can be fully recharged in about 2 hours, or a little less if you get the optional quick charger. Electric cars have a built in mechanism that limits over charging as well as excessive discharging. Zero motorcycles proprietary Z-Force batteries have the same ability. You can plug them in for days or weeks without harming the batteries, that way they're ready to go when you are and you don't have to worry about shortening the charge life of your batteries by leaving them plugged in too long.
Retail price for the Zero XU is $7,995. The quick charger will run you $595 and you can order saddle bags for an extra $250. By comparison, a Vespa GTV 300 has a retail price of $6,899. The Vespa has a top speed of 80 mph but uses gasoline – it's estimated to get 65-70 miles per gallon. As with all electric vehicles, the real issue is range. The Vespa has a 2.4 gallon fuel tank so even at just 60 miles per gallon, the Vespa can go 144 miles before it needs to be re-fueled, the Zero has just 30 miles of range. The convenience of having to refuel less may be appealing, but those who have a short daily commute would clearly benefit from the electric XU.
Click the image below to watch TRANSLOGIC 49: Zero Motorcycles:
The XU is Zero's newest electric bike and it's intended as a city friendly scooter alternative. It essentially combines the best features of a dirt and street bike. The XU's brakes are similar to the more trail friendly X model with a two piston front brake caliper and a single piston rear caliper clamping 8.66 inch (220mm) discs. Front wheels measure 19 inches while the rear wheel is 16 inches in diameter. The smaller diameter rear wheel helps with quick starts since the transmission is single speed. Front suspension has adjustable dampers with 5.3 inches of travel and the rear suspension has 5.5 inches of travel.
The XU's lithium-ion battery pack is the same one used in the X and MX bikes. Zero says these removable battery packs can be fully recharged in about 2 hours, or a little less if you get the optional quick charger. Electric cars have a built in mechanism that limits over charging as well as excessive discharging. Zero motorcycles proprietary Z-Force batteries have the same ability. You can plug them in for days or weeks without harming the batteries, that way they're ready to go when you are and you don't have to worry about shortening the charge life of your batteries by leaving them plugged in too long.
Retail price for the Zero XU is $7,995. The quick charger will run you $595 and you can order saddle bags for an extra $250. By comparison, a Vespa GTV 300 has a retail price of $6,899. The Vespa has a top speed of 80 mph but uses gasoline – it's estimated to get 65-70 miles per gallon. As with all electric vehicles, the real issue is range. The Vespa has a 2.4 gallon fuel tank so even at just 60 miles per gallon, the Vespa can go 144 miles before it needs to be re-fueled, the Zero has just 30 miles of range. The convenience of having to refuel less may be appealing, but those who have a short daily commute would clearly benefit from the electric XU.
Click the image below to watch TRANSLOGIC 49: Zero Motorcycles:
Tanner Foust signs multi-year racing deal with Ford
Tanner Foust has carved out a place for himself in motorsports lore as a preternaturally talented drifter and rally racer. Partnered with Ford, Foust has raced in both the European RallyCross Championship and the brand-new Global RallyCross Championship, and dominated ESPN's X-Games. Now, Foust has made the partnership last by signing a multi-year contract to drive for Ford.
Foust's new long-term deal has him at the wheel of his familiar Rockstar Energy-sponsored 2011 Ford Fiesta in both the European RallyCross Championship and the inaugural season of the Global RallyCross Championship. Foust is also headed to X-Games 17 in July to defend his double gold-medal run from last year and his title as the most-decorated rally driver in X-Games history.
As well as his role as Ford's RallyCross and X-Games pilot, Foust is bringing his talent and fame along to help launch the 2012 Ford Focus ST, Dearborn's upcoming 2.0-liter EcoBoost-powered hot hatch
Hockenheim recreated on ice, Porsche taken out to play
Imagine a vast frozen plain of iced-over lakes located 50 miles from the Arctic Circle. Now imagine 500 acres of that expanse converted into a playground for cars. The region is known as Lapland, and it stretches across Norway, Finland, Sweden and Russia. Laponie Ice Driving has turned a portion of it into five icy tracks, two of which are full-scale replicas of famous racing circuits: Le Castellet and the Hockenheim Ring.
Fifth Gear's Tiff Needell ventured out to this frozen tundra to experience the traction-deficient racing for himself. Using a Porsche 911 GT3, Tiff set out to establish a quick time around the iced Hockenheim replica. Former BTTC racer Yvan Muller is on hand to show him how it's done. Click past the jump for the slick action.
Lotus to phase out Toyota-powered Elise and Exige with special Final Editions
Lotus's supply of Toyota 2ZZ-GE engines has finally run out, meaning production of the company's highly popular Exige and Elise will come to an abrupt halt in July. To commemorate its track-day superstars' success, Lotus will send the cars off with an extremely limited number of Final Editions. With Lotus up to its axles in financial uncertainty, this may represent your last chance to get your hands on a new Lotus Elise or Exige.
There are two trim levels planned for the Exige's parting-shot model. Lotus says it will build 30 examples of the Exige S260 Final Edition for North America, with Lotus' Track Pack, Tour Pack and LSD as standard. If that's not special enough for you, Lotus is offering 25 customers the chance to have their S260 painted matte black. Price for the "standard" S260 is $67,500, with the matte-black version ringing the register at $69,900.
American and Canadian fans of the Elise have fewer options, with only 15 examples of the 2011 Lotus Elise SC Final Edition planned. Lotus says the car will get the buyer's choice of four color schemes based on the Europe-only Elise Club Racer. To sweeten the deal, the Elise SC Final Edition will come loaded to the gunnels with options. Price for the last Elise is $57,500. If you're hoping to get your hands on a Final Edition, get in line now
How to make the Honda Accord Crosstour even more disturbing
The 2011 Honda Accord Crosstour is arguably one of the ugliest beasts to beat up the streets in a long time. From its too-high stance to its odd, bulbous profile and protruding grille, the look is wrong on many levels.
For one Massachusetts driver, though, Honda's own design wasn't quite wrong enough. No, this misguided owner took his Crosstour from pretty ugly to downright terrifying, all with the simple application of badges and decals. Starting with an ill-advised Type R badge up front, the madness didn't stop until there were matching Apple decals adorning the rear deck.
In between, the front and rear got red Type R-style Honda emblems, red pinstriping and, as if all that weren't enough, what appears to be a "V6" badge on the grille – you know, to flaunt the 3.5-liter underhood. Hit the gallery and see what else you can decode from this parts-store lettering extravaganza. Thanks for the tip, Frank!
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