One of the oldest names in the car business, the Rolls-Royce Phantom has, for 100 years, been a “byword for luxury, exclusivity, and world-class engineering”.

After lying dormant for a decade, the brand was revived by BMW, who then launched the seventh generation Phantom in 2003.

Explains Business Insider:

For 13 years, the Phantom VII served Rolls-Royce with distinction as its flagship model while also becoming a catalyst for the brand’s recent renaissance.

With annual sales topping 4,000 cars, the past few years have been happy times for the rarefied luxury automaker.

Then, on Thursday, Rolls-Royce unveiled the next generation, the Phantom VIII.

Take a look:

Rawr.

CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös told Business Insider in an interview that:

“The Phantom is the pinnacle of the Rolls-Royce brand in its truest sense.

“It embodies all of the qualities Rolls-Royce is well known for. It starts with the magic carpet ride, the quality, the precision design, and engineering.

“It embodies what (company founder) Sir Henry Royce said, ‘Take the best that exists and make it even better,’ and that is exactly what the Phantom is in every single detail.”

The starting price for the new Phantom, available early next year, is $450 000 (R5,8 million) but, as usual, there’s a wide range of bespoke options for the cars for an extra $150,000 (R2 million).

Like this, The Gallery, an “art installation” which you can have any which way you like:

Ridiculous.

You can check out all the other sexy additions available for the Phantom via Business Insider.

However, if it’s a roof tent you’re looking for, you’re going to have to go here.

[source:businessinsider]