Rolls Royce Phantom – The Dream Car

 

Growing up in Cuttack, I came across many vintage cars in my childhood. I got to know the stories of my grandfather’s cars: The Ambassador and The Premier Padmini. The interest grew and I used to read stuff about cars, understanding parts of it. We had a second-hand Maruti 800 when I was in 4^th class.
One day we were travelling in it to Bhubaneswar when I noticed a car, which I didn’t recognise by the logo, but it was mesmerising. It was a Rolls Royce Spur II. I went home, just taking the makes of the logo and the spirit of ecstasy with me. I enquired with petrolheads around and a senior told me about the brand. I read up on it from places I could, since the Internet wasn’t so easily available then.

In my 10^th class, I saw a RR on the streets of Cuttack. Now that I knew what it was, I realised it was a Rolls Royce (Wraith, as far as I remember). It was a treat to the eye of a petrolhead. I went home, learnt all about it. While looking at similar things, I got to know about Rolls Royce Phantom. One amazing ‘caaaaar’ it is.

The current version Phantom – VIII packs a 6749 CC with 563 bhp at 5000 rpm and 900 Nn of torque at 1700 rpm all in a V12 8-cylinder engine. But the magic lies in the quietest cabin and the attention to detail in it. It is one car that can be customised for everything that one sees and feels. You can make a version that is truly yours, without any identical car in the whole world. The umpteen number of choices for each aspect – interior and exterior colour, the type of leather and stitch, the clock to the spirit of ecstasy, one can actually modify it so much that is more than the cost of the original car.

I never sat in one, but I must have seen more than 500 videos on (300 on extended wheelbase option) and read 1000 articles about it, over the years. I had the experience of looking at it very closely during my trip to Mumbai and I stood there for 20 odd minutes peeking into the car until the driver asked me to go away.
That day was like a seal on the cover of a letter of my life titled ‘My dream car’. All I wish is to have one full day with it, on the rent of course. To be able to own one is a distant dream.