Rolls-Royce Phantom 2005

		The view as seen by the audience. In the centre of Hamburg. A typical Rolls Royce appearance. Emily in her Grecian temple. Not all Rolls Royce fans approve of the two round spotlights under the rectangular headlamps, but the proportions of the front are beautifully balanced.
Rolls-Royce Phantom 2005 Hamburg, November 2005 Whenever the Queen Mary II docks in Hamburg, thousands are there at the port to welcome her. Hamburgers have always had a soft spot for British class and grandeur. This fascination is not limited to ships, as we had three exciting days to find out. What was originally intended as a review of the Rolls Royce Phantom soon morphed into an on-the-road journal. As I write these words, the NDR television channel is showing live coverage of the arrival of the Queen Mary II in the port of Hamburg. A specialist from the shipyard is explaining just how they are going to get the vast, majestic ocean-going colossus into the dry dock. There are steel girders all around; workers are perched on cranes to the left and right, making sure that there is sufficient space between the vessel and the sides of the dock. For the pilot on board this must be the most nerve-wracking moment of all. Sitting at the helm of the new Rolls Royce, I can begin to understand how he feels: I have never manoeuvred a ship or a boat, but there are certain parallels. I have come to Tamsen Cars in Hamburg to pick up a Rolls Royce Phantom, a mighty four-wheeled cruiser. As I slide in behind the steering wheel, all I can see is what seems to be acres of bonnet and way in the distance the iconic figurehead named "Spirit of Ecstasy" or "Emily". Alexander Stopka, sales director at Tamsen, is sitting next to me in the passenger seat. He briefly explains the many buttons, knobs, switches and functions, shakes my hand, wishes me good luck and is gone. I feel rather as if Iąve been abandoned by the pilot. I'm all alone in the yard, sitting in a rather expensive car. I start the engine by pressing a button, then flick the switch on the left of the steering wheel and deactivate the electronic handbrake (another button, this time on the far left). The engine starts running. I canąt hear it, but I can see that the "Power Reserve" display on the left of the speedometer is at 100%. It doesn't tell you the engine speed. She starts rolling gradually. The slender, graceful steering wheel feels good; it is large, but moves so smoothly that you completely forget that youąre steering a massive beast that weighs in at two-and-a-half tons. I slide out of the yard and onto the road, feeling thankful for my lorry driver's license. I am on my way to the offices of the magazine "Designers Digest". Editor Klaus Tiedge wants to take a good, close look at the Phantom and review it in the next issue. The article is to be entitled "Phantom Design Now and Then". If you wish to reserve a copy, please send an email to: redaktion@designers-digest.de I park the Rolls outside the office. A few people stroll past, enjoying their lunchtime break; they stop to look. A young man inspects the bonnet, probably looking for Emily. I help him: a quick press of the top button on the rectangular key and the world-famous figurehead slips elegantly out of her hiding place. The man laughs perhaps he likes ladies who get to the point quicklyŠ Klaus Tiedge takes a seat in the rear and makes his first mistake: he gets in just as you would in an ordinary car. That simply won't do. He has to get out and try again. The two single seats are straight ahead. Place your right foot on the plush carpet, then bring the left foot in; perform a 90-degree turn to the right and sit down. Itąs as simple as that! We turn on to the motorway, where a traffic jam awaits us. We idle in the middle lane. On our left is a small car; the driver and passenger are embroiled in a heated discussion along the lines of "yes - itąs a real Rolls Royce." The car keeps moving while the two people inside continue to stare at the Rolls, almost crashing into the car ahead as a result. The headline in tomorrowąs paper would probably have been "Rolls Royce causes accident on the Autobahn 1". The jam dissolves after a few minutes. Next to us is a large company limousine; the driver ostentatiously ignores us. I try to look as cool as possible - with slightly less success that I would have liked. At last the long-awaited "no limits" sign appears. I turn round and inform my passenger, "We are about to leave traffic jam speed and will be reaching 240 km/h in a few seconds." The twelve cylinders are working powerfully and silently. Power reserve is 5 per cent. We hit 250 km/h top speed! The sprint from 0 to 250 takes mere seconds the acceleration is very impressive. I start to envy the chauffeurs of Phantoms. What a place to work! Surrounded by sleekness, speed, British elegance and technical innovations. The chassis rocks slightly on curvy roads, but thatąs what motoring is all about. You could almost describe it as the direct transition from QM II to Rolls Royce, because after several days smooth cruising, you donąt want to have solid ground beneath your wheels immediately. The transmission is as smooth as cream; switch into reverse and there are two wing mirrors and a rear-mounted camera to help you. In the highly unlikely event that you should decide that youąve had enough of driving, you know that parking is never going to be a problem. We reach the city centre. Narrow streets in Eppendorf and Uhlenhorst. We take a spin down Jungfernstieg and Elbchaussee, passing by the Reeperbahn and the port. Wherever we go, we get feedback and admiring glances. The British class and grandeur is unmistakable. And while people might not be queuing to see us, we know that Hamburgers have a soft spot for large, graceful vehicles from Britain, be they ships or cars. Please note: Rolls-Royce Classics by Johannes Riedel Rolls-Royce Picnic-Table Autohaus Tamsen Hotel Atlantic, Hamburg Please also pay attention to our OLDTIMER CONSULTING SERVICE here. TOP		One of the natural environments of a Rolls Royce is the entrance to a grand hotel. Thanks to the generous support of the Atlantic Hotel in Hamburg, we left our Phantom in the very capable hands of the doorman. The appearance of the British giant attracted many hotel visitors and even had the chauffeurs of domestic luxury limousines making respectful detours. Grecian architecture plus winged sprite is a rare sight, even in elegant Hamburg. We do not flatter ourselves that all this sudden interest was due to us, rather than the magnificent car we happened to be driving. Thereąs something about the pinnacle of luxury motoring that puts a gleam in the eye of even the most satiated German driver.
		This photo was taken while on the road. Below the monitor you can spy the table that we love for two reasons: First: it is the first and only table mounted on a car seat that does not wobble. Second: the wood is perfectly finished and beautifully lacquered. If you havenąt got anything to put on it, place your hands on it instead. Enjoy tactile pleasure in the luxury limousine. A few more words about the monitors in the back. Both are controlled by iDrive. The controls are similar to those in the BMW version, and are very easy to learn.
		This is the steering wheel in action. The very finest leather. The instruments are not set in aluminium, but in a wooden surround which transforms the cockpit into a peerless, streamlined workplace. Clear lines and handling are guaranteed. Every single switch, button and knob is the result of outstanding craftsmanship.
		Spectacular specifications: Rolls Royce experts know what to expect now: performance is more than ample; the 12-cylinder engine has no problems handling the weight of the Phantom. Rolls Royce will be shipping the LWB version (25 cm longer) to dealers at 2006. The convertible based on the EX 100 will be presented in 2007. V12 - 4 valves per cylinder Performance: 460 HP/338 kw Speed: 150 mph / 240 km/h Capacity: 6749 ccm Torque: 720 Nm Acceleration: 0 60 mph: 5.9 sec Length: 5834 mm Width: 1990 mm Height: 1632 mm Text: Ralf Bernert Photos: Ralf Bernert Please take a look at our Online-Shop and find some very exclusive model-cars