A couple of weeks ago Hong Kong entrepreneur Stephen Hung spent $20m buying a fleet of Rolls-Royce Phantoms to chauffeur guests to and from the super-exclusive Louis XIII hotel in Macau which is due to open in 2016.

Of all the cars in the world, Rolls-Royce is one of only a few brands with the stature for a hotel which will have a suite costing $130,000 per night. People willing and able to afford that kind of room rate expect nothing but the very best and cars don’t come any closer to perfection than the Phantom.

This car is truly awe-inspiring and if you are the kind of person who likes to be driven around in a status symbol then it doesn’t get any better than this. However, per­sonally speaking, I have always found them to be a little too stately, almost to the point of being pomp­ously intimidating – the sort of car Royalty and the super-rich, would be chauffeured to and from the pal­ace or the boardroom in.

All very nice, but not particularly appealing as a driver’s car… or so I thought until I had the chance to get behind the wheel of the magnifi­cent Phantom Coupe. It’s not quite a wild child but in the refined world of Rolls–Royce this is a bit of a rock and roller, if you’ll pardon the pun.

The Coupe is designed to please people like me, who want to get be­hind the wheel and enjoy the pleas­ure of driving, rather than being driven around in a seven-star hotel on wheels.

The Phantom Coupe, which first appeared in 2008, still has an air of decadence but it also has a strong sporty appeal. It combines awe­some power with refined luxury which has been the mainstay of Rolls-Royce since the first one hit the streets in 1904 with a 1.8 engine, a top speed of 63kmh and what was, in those days, a hefty price tag equivalent to Dh816.

Aesthetically, the Phantom Cou­pe has authority and muscular ap­peal with the iconic RR grille and Spirit of Ecstasy mascot finishing off a classic, yet modern look. It sits on 21-inch alloy wheels and our test car, provided by Dubai’s RR deal­ership, AGMC, came in a fabulous two-tone black and brushed stain­less steel.

The Phantom has rear-hinged doors, known as suicide doors, but called coach doors by Rolls-Royce, and although they seem a little odd at first they actually make getting out of the car a lot easier, and more dignified for ladies. There are but­tons to close the doors electroni­cally once you get in.

The hand-built interior is sump­tuous with the highest grade leath­ers, wood, veneers, polished metals, and an instrument panel which, whilst being cutting-edge, retains a traditional feel. There is no rev-counter, merely a power reserve meter which tells you how much of the engine’s considerable muscle power remains untapped.

To drive, this car is very spe­cial indeed. There is something strangely satisfying about sitting behind the wheel and seeing the Spirit of Ecstasy sitting majestical­ly on the bonnet. It’s all part of the Rolls-Royce experience but the real beauty of this car is the immense performance which is delivered in almost total silence. Driven slowly you can’t hear the engine at all, leaving you cocooned in ultimate luxury, and when pushed it propels what is a very heavy vehicle from 0-100kmh in just 5.8 seconds with refined ease.

This car also has what Rolls-Royce calls Starlight headlining where the interior roof is made to look like the night sky. Essentially, it is 1,600 fibre-optic lights, each one placed by hand, which have the appearance of stars. There is no question that this is a dream car and at Dh2.1m that’s the way it will stay for mere mortals like me.

Verdict

Rolls-Royce does opulence better than anyone else and the Phantom Coupe continues this fine tradition whilst introducing a new, driver-focused appeal to the marque’s flagship model. The slight drawback is that because it’s a coupe there’s not that much leg-room in the back which might be a problem for tall passengers.

Specifications

Manufacturer : Rolls-Royce
Production : 2008 onwards
Class : Luxury GT
Body style : Four-seater
Layout : Rear wheel drive
Engine : 6.7 litre V12
Output : 453bhp
Torque : 720nm
0-100km : 5.8 seconds
Transmission : Eight-speed automatic
Kerb weight : 2,665kg
Top speed : 250kmh
Price : Dh2.1million

Rating: 9.5/10