Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud Reviews

Worried about how to keep the champers perfectly chilled in the Caulfield and Flemington carpark during Spring Carnival?  Rolls-Royce has come up with the perfect solution. Buyers can now specify an $18,000 custom-made fridge in the boot of the $1.4 million Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead coupe.  The fridge, along with enough room for three bottles of Krug and eight custom-made cut crystal wine glasses, fits snugly into the Drophead's boot, which can be lined in your choice of leather, carpet or teak.  The fridge sits out-of-sight under the luggage floor. If you need picnic tables to go with the Krug, they will set you back a modest $2000.  The fridge is one of hundreds of special options available through Rolls-Royce Bespoke, which as the name suggests personalises cars to the whims of the owners. The 25-strong Rolls Royce Bespoke team can do just about anything and obviously, money is no object.  Bespoke's product and sales manager, Thomas Jefferson, and manager of interior design, Gavin Hartley, have just finished a whirlwind tour of Australia to meet clients and spread the message about Bespoke.  Jefferson says personalisation is big business, with more than 80 per cent of Rolls-Royce customers choosing something from the Bespoke range. "When it was launched in 2003 Bespoke accounted for about a third of Rolls-Royce business," he says.  "Today it is running between 80 per cent and 90 per cent so it's gone from being quite a minor player to being a major part of the company." It is not surprising that Rolls-Royce customers are not averse to spending up big.  As a rule they generally have millions in their bank accounts, own two or more houses and usually have a garage with more than five cars.  Some are known to have his and hers Roll-Royces, while others have a Rolls-Royce at their disposal in each of the homes around the globe.  One client, which we assume were from the Middle East, bought 10 Phantoms at a $1 million apiece for Christmas presents and then commissioned Rolls-Royce Bespoke to individualise them. Not surprisingly, Middle East royalty and oil money are big clients, followed by customers in Japan and North America.  The nouveau riche in Russia and China are also hopping on the bespoke bandwagon.  Hartley expects demand for the service to grow over the next few years in the emerging powerhouse countries, particularly once the global financial crisis is behind us.  He says that despite their wealth, Bespoke clients still expect value-for-money and the exquisite attention to detail that comes from the hand-crafted cars. Australia remains a small market but Trivett Classic, which sells Rolls-Royce here, says there is growing interest from Rolls-Royce owners.  Trivett Classic general manager, Bevin Clayton, says as word spreads buyers are becoming more interested in personalising their cars.  "We're interested in the Bespoke program because it's a great way of getting someone out of their four or five year old Phantom and personalising their new car," he says. Hartley says Bespoke services are restricted to trim and paint.  There is nothing so crude as chipping the engine for better performance, he says.  "Generally speaking our clients find the power more than adequate," Hartley says.  Hartley says Bespoke can match an exterior colour to just about anything and has even had one request to match a colour to a particular hand cream.  "People can also reserve an exterior colour for themselves and have it named after them," Hartley says. Apart from specific colours, which can cost more than $11,000, Bespoke also has 44,000 colour combinations available for customers so no two Rolls-Royces are the same.  "We have customers bringing us a handbag, lipstick or a tie and we'll colour match it," Hartley says.  The same goes for the interior, where options are only limited by the clients' imagination with the extensive range of leathers and hand-crafted woods. The cheapest item ranges from a few hundred dollars for personalised lambswool mats to one-off features that are done upon customer request that can run into telephone book numbers.  One customer wanted - and got - his wood veneer from a particular tree on his estate.  Another female Phantom owner wanted her car in lilac and Rolls-Royce Bespoked obliged. She also got a full leather lilac interior. Rolls-Royce can also measure customers, as you would for a suit, to determine the exact position and angle of the rear footrests in a Phantom.  No task is too small, minor or considered insignificant.  On one occasion, the Bespoke team asked an owner what drinks they preferred and engineered the cupholders to a particular-sized drink can so it would fit snugly without rattling. Among the more popular ‘options’ in the Phantom are the Starlight headlining with minute fibre optic lights inset into the roof lining for a cool $18,000 and a jewelled illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy radiator mascot for $7400.  If the illuminated variety is not to your liking, you can order the Spirit of Ecstasy in solid silver or gold plate for $10,000 and $11,396. Need privacy? The partition wall between the driver and rear passengers in the long-wheelbase Phantom will set you back a cool $100,000.  To date the most expensive Bespoked Rolls-Royce was a $780,000 Drophead coupe but a special one was recently auctioned for charity and fetched $2 million at a US wine festival. Bespoke guides its customers with a polite but firm hand. Yet if you really want a hot pink paint scheme and lurid interior, the Rolls-Royce folk will reluctantly oblige.  Ultimately though Jefferson says Bespoke is the arbitor of quality and craftsmanship.  "Style is very uniquely personal and it's important to allow the customer to have the final say in their personal style," he says. What you can buyStarlight headlining in oatmeal leather $18,480 Tilt sunroof $10,230 Vanity mirrors for rear passengers $3795 Picnic tables with veneer backs $5005 Individual rear seats $17,435 Drinks cabinet for individual seats $22,605 Drinks cabinet in rear doors $40,040 Solid silver Spirit of Ecstasy $9988 Gold-plated Spirit of Ecstasy $11,396 Humidor in the glovebox $7766 Pen set in the glovebox $10,560 Secure safe with electronic lock $15,950 Silver bezel clock face $7128 Silver bezel white clock face $7128 Partition wall/glass $100,056 Drophead Coupe Lambswool floor mats $2706 Leather trimmed boot $14,410 Starlight headlining in bamboo or dark grey $26,620 Teak decking $19,305

...plus, we put the Mercedes 320cdi through its paces and Rolls Royce CEO Ian Robertson tells us more about the Rolls Royce Ghost.

The Spirit of Ecstasy which sits as the guiding light on the front of every Rolls-Royce Phantom can now also be lit for night-time impact. The illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy began as a motor show tease and was fitted to the front of the Rolls-Royce 101EX, a concept car which was first seen at the Geneva motor show in 2006. The idea was supposed to start and finish there. But Rolls-Royce has some very persuasive customers with giant cheque books and so the spotlight was shifted to the mascot, with the company's 'bespoke' division swinging into action. The result is a very special mascot made, instead of steel, from an innovative polycarbonate material called Makrolon. This gives a frosted-glass effect but, more importantly, allows the light source to be piped up into the Ecstasy mascot. The system uses a pair of tiny LED bulbs in the base of the figurine which are activated when the Phantom's owner triggers the welcome lighting system which also turns on the headlamps. But this special light show does not come cheaply - it's close to $10,000 - and only 24 have been fitted so far. None have made it to Australia yet, but that could change easily if Rolls-Royce decides to shine the light on the upcoming Ghost, a model that will at least double production and sales of the historic British brand.

The smaller, cheaper — less costly — luxury limousine is still firmly on track for a production preview at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September ahead of the first sales in 2010.Undisguised test cars are now a relatively common sight in Britain, where Carparazzi photographers caught this Ghost during on-road trials close to Rolls-Royce headquarters at Goodwood.Work is also well advanced at the Rolls-Royce factory, where a second production line is being installed for the Ghost alongside the existing Phantom assembly line. The plan is to double production from 800 to 1600 cars, although this number could be adjusted during the expected early rush for the Ghost.More information has just come on the car, which will have an engine producing 420 kiloWatts and 780 Newton-metres of torque. Rolls-Royce says this will be enough for a top speed limited to 250km/h and a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.9 seconds.

Well, you will in 2010 when the newest Rolls-Royce hits the road. The baby brother of the hulking Phantom has just been named, and it's officially the Ghost. The name takes over from the RR4 tag used during development of the compact new Rolls-Royce and was announced today at the opening of the Shanghai Motor Show. The Ghost name has a long history at Rolls-Royce, starting from 1906, although it has not been used since 1925. The company's best-known car is the original Silver Ghost. The Ghost will become Rolls-Royce's fifth model when it joins the Phantom, Phantom extended wheelbase, Phantom Drophead coupe and Phantom coupe. It will be built on a dedicated production line at the Rolls-Royce factory at Goodwood in the UK, and is expected to more than double sales from the 1212 sold in 2008.  

...every so slightly and ever so briefly, suggest that the latest Rolls Royce offering is simply a smaller version of the flagship Phantom. “This is absolutely not a pocket Phantom,” Cameron, chief designer for the famous British marque, counters as the `experimental' 200EX exerts its considerable presence in the background. “If you use the analogy of clothing this is not a different sized suit it is a different style ... but at the same time you want to be able to recognise the hand of the tailor that cut the Phantom. “So, you will see the same sort of strong surfaces but this car is all about informality where the Phantom is about formality. “If you think of the Phantom as a tuxedo then this is maybe the business suit.” Cameron has just finished introducing the baby Rolls — expected to be badged as the RR4 when it goes into production at the end of this year — and is clearly unimpressed with any suggestion that the latest car is any way the result of an “if it ain't broke don't fix it” expansion of the marque. “The brief was to produce a Rolls Royce that would have a different clientelle, a youthful clientelle,” Cameron says. “Typically our customers have garages with five or six cars. They use that garage like a wardrobe — different cars for different ocassions.” In Rolls speak the 200EX is still an “experimental car” but Cameron concedes it will be very close to the production model due to be revealed at the end of this year. “Truth be told I think it bears the same relationship to previous experimental models such as the 100EX (Coupe) and 101EX (Drop Head Coupe) ... it is very close to what the final production car will look like.” At this stage the 200EX is all about visual appeal with precious little information on the engineering and technical specifications of the car released. The four-door five seater rides on 3295mm wheelbase with an overall length of 5399mm, compared to the Phantom's 3570mm wheelbase and 5834mm overall length. The engine is described only as a “new” V12 but will certainly be comparable to the 338kW and 720Nm 6.7-litre unit used in the Phantom and coupled to a similar ZF six-speed automatic. The 200EX performance figures are likely to be slightly more sporty than the Phantom given the younger target market and the car's smaller size. The Phantom is governed at a top speed of 240km/h and can put the 0-100km/h sprint away in 5.9 seconds. Cameron says that the genesis of the 200EX was to produce a complementary model that would attract customers apart from those interested in the Phantom — an objective early feedback seems to indicate has been met. “That is the feedback we have had ... tremendous enthusiasm from people who think that the Phantom is just too much over the top,” Cameron says. “I personally think the whole car is cool but we always say with a Rolls Royce that you have to deliver something special. When you live with these cars and drive them it is not something you can describe. It is rather like a piece of music ... and that is what design is like. “You have all these elements that you have to pull together and at some point it becomes music — or that is what you hope happens. When it does you have a great design.”  

Fast and flashy. That's the Geneva show of 2009 in two words.

The only time the 200EX looks small is when it is lined up beside the flagship of the British luxury fleet, the Phantom. The 200EX - officially only a concept car for the Geneva Motor Show next month but already confirmed as the RR4 for production - is a full 327mm longer than a BMW 7 Series, as well as 46mm wider and 81mm taller. When you see the RR4 - or 200EX as Rolls-Royce now prefers - the car comes into crisp focus as a potential leader in the $350,000-ish luxury class which is about to become a hotbed of competition with everyone from Bentley to Aston Martin, Lamborghini and Porsche. It is clearly a Rolls-Royce, yet much less imposing and formal than the Phantom. Even the giant chromed grille, a RR signature for generations, has been moved aside and replaced by something which is just as recognisable but far less confrontational. "This car is for a new group of Rolls-Royce customers. They will be considerably younger than Phantom buyers," says Ian Robertson, chairman of Rolls-Royce and now also head of marketing for the BMW Group in Germany. He is speaking at an exclusive press preview of RR4, at Goodwood in Britain last September. I am one of a small group of journalists to see the car before it is confirmed as the 200EX concept and the impact of the car is immediate and surprising. It looks smaller than I expect, and less like a Roller, at least at first. But as I slide into the back seat, and luxuriate in more space and luxury than a long-wheelbase 7 Series, I can feel that this is something different. The smoother look is good, too. If only the dreaded iDrive controller, picked up as part of the electronic package from Rolls-Royce's owners in Germany, was not so obvious in the centre console... There is also a BMW-style shark-fin aerial on the roof as a reminder of the family tie, although Rolls-Royce's chief designer does not see it that way. "I prefer to think of it as as Rolls-Royce beauty spot," says Ian Cameron. The 200EX is being unveiled as Rolls-Royce gears up for production in 2010. The factory has already been split, as I see in September, to allow two cars to be built at the same time without disrupting production of a Phantom family which already has four members. It is the latest in a series of near-production concept cars which have also previewed the Phantom coupe and convertible since Rolls-Royce became part of the BMW Group in 2003. The big surprise is that it is confirmed with an all-new V12 engine. The car still has the rear-hinged 'coach' doors used on the Phantom but the design is much more modern, including the grille. "200EX is a touring saloon with more than a little panache and perhaps more bravado than one might expect," says Cameron. "We wanted this to be less reminiscent of the traditional 'Parthenon' style and more like a jet intake." The bottom line, says Rolls-Royce's chief executive Tom Purves, is simple. "200EX is a modern execution of timeless Rolls-Royce elegance, breaking with some areas of tradition but retaining the core values that make our marque unique," he says. But there is one thing Rolls-Royce is not talking about - a name. The car is being shown as the 200EX at Geneva, and internally it is known as RR4, but it will be called something different for production. It could be a traditional name, like Silver Cloud or Wraith, but no-one at Rolls-Royce is giving any hints and there is strong talk that - like the car - the name will be completely new. News of the 200EX comes as Rolls-Royce makes some minor revisions to the Phantom for 2009. There is a streamlined front bumper that is closer to the design of the Phantom Coupe and Drophead, finished in stainless steel. The car also gets 21-inch alloy wheels, LED illumination for the door handles, new door cappings with grab handles and double reading lamps for the rear seats. There is other stuff but it is very minor. Rolls-Royce says it sold 1212 Phantom series cars in 2008, the best for the brand in 18 years, and that it has recently spent $100 million on its factory at Goodwood in preparation for production of the RR4 in 2010.  

News cruisers are parked-up and beaming pictures before 6am as the temperature hovers around minus 10 and snow flurries drift through the pre-dawn blackness.By 9am there are union workers carrying placards in support of the Big Three outside Cobo Hall in downtown motown, as the great and the good from the world's motor industry arrive for the first major event of 2009.The buzz is down from recent years, with less security and fewer journalists jetting in for the action, but still there are major unveilings, technology, important speeches and so much more over the first two days.The North American International Motor Show is more than just glitz and glamour for General Motors, Ford and Chrysler in 2009 - this is the day when they have to deliver for the first time on the promises in Washington which have earned a government-backed rescue package.That means GM opens the action with a rolling cavalcade of 17 models which promise exactly what the government wants - hybrids, electric cars and regular production models which do better than 10 litres/100km in fuel economy.The headliner once again is the Chevrolet Volt, except this time it is wrapped in Cadillac bodywork and called the Converj - with the added bonus of a plug-in connection to its onboard battery system.Lexus is next and does its number around the brand's first dedicated hybrid, the HS250h, which was originally only planned for America but will now go to more than 80 countries.Then Ford becomes the second of the Big Three to present its position for 2010 and beyond, with an all-new Taurus family car - perhaps a pointer to something on the Falcon front - and the promise of an all-new electric car with a 160-kilometre range by 2011.Company chairman Bill Ford takes the stand to deliver on the company's promises to Washington, even though it was the only local not to take a multi-billion dollar loan."Ford is heading in the direction America and our customers want us to go, which is a green, high-tech and global future. I think that is where society would like to see the entire industry go, and Ford is going to lead that charge," Ford says.Then Chrysler, which many American analysts believe cannot survive the global economic meltdown, gets its turn and does a top job with the great looking new 200C family car and a range of electrics which shows it has not given up hope.It's best looker is the Dodge Circuit, which is most like a battery-powered Lotus sports car."The Dodge Circuit EV offers an extremely fun-to-drive, expressive sports car without fuel consumption and with virtually no impact on the environment,” says the vice-president of design at Dodge, Ralph Gilles.By now, after just two hours of the first press preview day, the pattern for Detroit '09 is set.The home team is going big on the cars it needs to make - even if Americans are still buying BIG with the drop in pump petrol prices - but there is more sizzle than steak because they have started way behind the Japanese and Europeans.And Cobo Hall looks sparse. There are fewer brands, fewer cars and none of the bold-and-brassy unveilings - Chrysler has always led the world in motor show stunts - which have been a signature of the Detroit show.“All I know is we took about 50 per cent out of the cost of our stand,” says the car boss at General Motors, Bob Lutz.“We took away a lot of the structures, such as salad bowl-shaped Saturn stands, and towers with holographic displays.”But he still applies some positive spin as everyone talks up the chances for the Big Three, even in the face of a selloff of the Hummer and Saab divisions at GM.“The fact that we don’t have any of that stuff gives our stand a much more businesslike and cleaner appearance. I think they cluttered up the stand. I imagine it’s going to be much the same around the show," Lutz says.As usual, the 80-plus former fighter pilot is right.BMW joins the hybrid rush at Detroit with news of its petrol-electric X6, thankfully with the all-new Z4 sportster to provide some glamour, as Volkswagen provides the best looking car of the show with its Concept BlueSport.The gorgeous VW is most like a Mazda MX-5, but promises Prius-buster fuel economy in the 4.3 litres/100km range and, without any promise of production, it clearly could have a future.“The Concept BlueSport is evolving into a car that that is a lot of fun to drive and at the same time makes an unmistakeable statement in terms of sustainability," says Volkswagen.“The Concept BlueSport is evolving into a car that that is a lot of fun to drive and at the same time makes an unmistakeable statement in terms of sustainability.”The next big mover in Cobo Hall is Kia, which shows a funky pick-up built on its baby Soul. The Soul'ster is never going to be an Aussie workhorse but will hit the Gen-Y button for America, and California in particular.As the first day in Detroit winds into darkness and more frigid weather, Subaru kicks the action with a preview of its new Liberty - called the Legacy in the USA - Jaguar runs out its high-performance R version of the landmark XF and Volvo shows the most adventurous concept car in its history, pointing to the next S60."The sporty design gives visual promise of an enthusiastic drive and I can assure you here and now that the all-new S60 will live up to that promise," says Volvo boss, Stephen Odell.Ford goes again to start day two at Cobo, with its Lincoln-Mercury models, then its back to Maserati and then GM pushes the home game hard with an announcement that the batteries for its Volt will be built in the USA. It's a boost for local jobs, more hard news on the Volt, and just what Washington will want before the Big Three report back on their survival plans at the end of March.And then there is a shock - at least for the Americans - as Chinese cars make the mainstream in Detroit for the first time and little-known BYD confirms it will be selling the world's first production plug-in electric car by 2010.The last big event of Detroit '09 is the one everyone already knows about - the new Toyota Prius.The list of 'firsts' is impressive as the car is unveiled, from its drag co-efficient to more luxury and a more-efficient battery system. But Honda has already undercut the third-generation Prius on price with its Insight, which is headlining for the brand in Detroit, and there is no sign of a cutting-edge lithium-ion battery pack.But the Prius has solar-powered air-conditioning to cool the car when it is parked, is bigger and quieter inside, and is certain to become the world's best selling hybrid. The car comes with more than 1000 new patents on technology and a claim of 3.9 litres/100km economy."Prius is more than a hybrid, it’s a solution. No longer is it a second car or a passing fad. In many households, it has become the primary family car," says Bob Carter of Toyota USA.There is other stuff to see in Detroit, and some things are obviously missing _ the Mercedes E-Class was an invitation-only event and Rolls-Royce is holding its all-new RR4 for the Geneva Motor Show in March - but the overall verdict on 2009 is surprisingly positive.Cars are still big news, look good and make promises of a better and more enjoyable life on the road.But the big question remains. Did the Big Three do enough, and show enough in Detroit, to convince the American government that they deserve the support it will take to get them through the biggest crisis in the history of the automobile? 

It's not even that expensive an undertaking.Holden and, especially, Ford would be only too glad to sell you the means to do so for substantially under $50,000. So you needn't wear a white collar on a professional basis in order to afford this particular sensation, much less a crash helmet.But there is getting there and then there's getting there in unparalleled style and comfort without appearing to exert the least effort. That's a feeling only the several super rich Australians who will take delivery of the new $1 million plus Roll-Royce Phantom Coupe this year will come to know.And, of course, this obscenely fortunate Carsguider who has been given a sneak preview of the only Coupe currently on the continent.So what, I can hear a few of you murmuring? How is this automotive emblem of excess relevant to the other 99.98 per cent of us? For that matter, isn't this exposition bordering on bad taste during this time of encroaching austerity?Valid points - to which we'd respond that anyone who cares for cars (as opposed to those who claim to but whose enthusiasm goes no further than Holden or Ford) would care to know of what is arguably the world's best. The other point is the last thing relevant to the subject of Rolls-Royce is relevance itself.“No-one needs a $1 million car,” says Bevin Clayton of Trivett Classic Rolls-Royce, the man who will sell 22 of them this year. Indeed, for the approximate equivalent of the Luxury Car Tax on the Rolls - some $300,000 - you could buy a Maserati GranTurismo.“But once you have driven one, it's awfully hard to go back.”That's something likely to be appreciated by the first time Roller buyers that the Coupe is expected to attract. Clayton posits these would have been intimidated by the sheer scale of the Phantom sedan (to say nothing of the long-wheelbase version there of) and who also shrank from the exposure of the gorgeous Drophead Coupe.In reality, the hardhat Coupe is scarcely any less physically imposing on the road either in form or in sheer presence. In some respects, it's the most aesthetically pleasing of the three to date, combining the best attributes of both.From the front three-quarters it really couldn't be anything else on earth. The Spirit of Ecstasy emblem is as ever perched on a silver grille that fills rear vision mirrors and silently bids those in front to merge left. The bonnet is the now familiar polished metallic, contrasting in this case to deeply reflective Diamond Black paint.The lines are emphasised with twin deep red pinstripes, painted by hand with ox-tail brushes. The Coupe's individuality becomes apparent as you reach the small rear window and peer through at the cabin-long mahogany panelling that culminates in the traditional rear deck. If backseat passengers lack the amenity of the sedan, even the tallest have more than ample room while they stare at the ceiling in which dozens of tiny LED lights convey the impression of a brilliantly starlit night.Crack either of the rear-hinged suicide doors and all is as you would hope - expanses of mahogany hide, silver switches, and what Clayton says is an ever so slightly thicker version of that spindly, old-world steering wheel. Glorious.The third of the new generation of Phantom-based cars since 2003, after BMW rescued the hallowed marque from penury, offers something besides than two fewer doors than the sedan and a more solid roof than the Drophead. A hint is provided by those unique chrome exhaust pipes.“Sporty” is the most sorely abused term in the auto lexicon, but the Coupe's take on this notion is as departed from normal usage as Roll-Royce itself is from mere mortal marques. Engage the silver “S” button on the steering wheel, punch the accelerator and the Coupe's 2.6 tonnes and 5.6 metres consumes the landscape both with the Roll’s trademark “waft” and a newfound assertiveness.The damping seems keener and gearing calibrated to do the standard sprint distance in a claimed 5.8 seconds. When shoved, the otherwise almost silently purring 6.75-litre V12 permits itself a resonant timbre. Not a rumble. That would be uncouth.Mainly, though the driving experience - at least on our jaunt through the Coupe's natural habitat of Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, remains a case of effortless majesty, a nearly ethereal feeling that puts every pretender to the ultra-luxury throne firmly back in their place. ROLLS ROYCE PHANTOM COUPEPrice: est. about $1millionEngine: 6.75L/V12 338kW/720NmEconomy: 15.7L/100km (claimed)Transmission: 6-speed automatic RWD