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Rolls-Royce Phantom Gallery
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| PERFORMANCE RATING: |
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Weighing around two and a half tons, the Phantom needs a mighty engine to haul it. And this it has, a 6.75-litre V12 optimised for torque - 531lb ft of it, three-quarters of it available from just 1000rpm - but still delivering 453bhp. So the Phantom can glide from a standstill to 60mph in just 5.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 149mph, electronically limited to protect the squashy, high-profile tyres. Unlimited, the top speed would be about 170mph despite the bluff aerodynamics (the drag coefficient is 0.38). As impressive as the pace is the lack of fuss in achieving it. The engine is almost inaudible at idle, and only when you accelerate hard does it discreetly reveal its cultured V12 voice. If you use no more than half-throttle it starts in second gear, and changes into sixth at 62mph; it's a measure of the immense pulling power that if it's in fifth gear, it doesn't change down - even on a hill - until 25mph. There's an L button on the steering wheel to hold a lower gear if needed, but otherwise the column-mounted selector actuates just drive, neutral, reverse and, by pushing in its end, park. There's no opportunity, or need, to shift gears manually. Naturally, the shift action is ultra-smooth.
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