by "sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
Published 02/01/2017 at 15:56
by "sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
Published 02/01/2017 at 15:56
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STARS: 8
Today is a day of mourning. Yesterday marked the end of a nearly 14 year production run for one of my favorite cars: the Rolls-Royce Phantom VII. For many of us, who like our cars cheap, light, unpretentious, and bought off Craigslist, the Phantom is the antiChrist. I’m not in that camp. I believe a car, or at very least a daily driver, should in an ideal world prioritize the comfort of the occupants above everything but perhaps their safety. In other words, if someone gave me a blank check and told me to pick out any new car in the world for me to drive (or be driven in) every day, I would currently be in a Rolls-Royce showroom, personalizing my new Phantom to my heart’s content. I love everything about the Phantom. I love the looks and the size, which I find to be a wonderful blend of beautiful, imposing, elegant, and yes, showy. A Phantom is arriving. I love how everything, every last little minute detail, including the silent yet swift acceleration from the huge V12, is designed to relax you. When you own a Phantom, being stressed or uncomfortable is for the poor.
It is doubtful that I will ever come anywhere close to owning a new Rolls-Royce. If I do, however, it will not be a Phantom VII, or whatever the successor to that car is, or whatever comes after that. If I’m able to afford one by the time I’m 60, at the rate Rolls comes out with new flagships, the Phantom VII will be four generations old. I’m brimming with excitement to see the next plutocrat’s chariot to come out of Goodwood, but I’m going to miss the old Roller. So now, I’m going to find the most expensive bottle of alcoholic drink in the house, peel the $35 price sticker off of it in the hopes that perhaps the big limo won’t notice what an affront I am, and pour one out for what has been, for the last decade and a half, the best car in the world.
"Land_Yacht_225" (nadenator)
02/01/2017 at 15:58, STARS: 0
Meh, the Maybach Type 62 had more toys...
"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
02/01/2017 at 15:59, STARS: 5
And less style.
"EL_ULY" (uly)
02/01/2017 at 15:59, STARS: 1
Phantom > Maybach, Ghost, all of them!
"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
02/01/2017 at 16:01, STARS: 1
2nded. I love the Maybach, both 600 and 62, but it’s no Phantom.
"Land_Yacht_225" (nadenator)
02/01/2017 at 16:02, STARS: 0
No, I think you mean MORE style. More toys and more style and more wood veneer.
"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
02/01/2017 at 16:05, STARS: 0
I love the Maybach, but it never did quite touch the Rolls. You’ll notice that when they brought it back, Mercedes positioned it at less than half of what they were asking for a Phantom. That’s because, much like the Jeep Wrangler, you don’t just build a competitor to the flagship Roller in this day and age & expect it to work.
"Vítor" (vitorcesar)
02/01/2017 at 16:06, STARS: 1
I would prefer a Bentley Mulsanne Speed if given the choice, but in black or BRG, as every Bentley should be. That 6.¾ V8...
"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
02/01/2017 at 16:07, STARS: 0
And that face...
"Vítor" (vitorcesar)
02/01/2017 at 16:10, STARS: 0
The facelift did it wonders.
"djmt1" (djmt1)
02/01/2017 at 16:10, STARS: 3
As far as I am concerned, Aston, Bentley and Rolls are the only true luxury car manufacturers at the moment and even within that small group the Phantom stood head and shoulders above the others. What a car.
"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
02/01/2017 at 16:11, STARS: 1
Indeed. As in, “I wonder why they decided to ruin it like that?”
"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
02/01/2017 at 16:11, STARS: 0
A true automotive God among men.
"RT" (rt-p)
02/01/2017 at 16:19, STARS: 2
Timeless design, lasted over a decade but always looked great - and actually had style, something which most rivals couldn’t quite match.
"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
02/01/2017 at 16:22, STARS: 1
Agreed. The Maybach 62 was attractive but a bit dull for the price-half a million bucks should look dramatic. The Mulsanne good except for that quirky retro face...quirky retro has its place but the front of a top-shelf limo isn’t it. And then they facelifted it and made it look like more of a Chinese knockoff Phantom than the actual Chinese knockoff Phantom .
"EL_ULY" (uly)
02/01/2017 at 16:24, STARS: 0
pushrod V8 is always rad!
"BritishLeyland™" (leylandcars)
02/01/2017 at 16:33, STARS: 0
Pretty sure thats a Bimmer, dude.
"Land_Yacht_225" (nadenator)
02/01/2017 at 17:49, STARS: 0
All I can say is a Phantom was never able to do this:
"V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches" (jbv12)
02/01/2017 at 19:26, STARS: 2
While I love the phantom, I’d rather travel by Zeppelin.
"V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches" (jbv12)
02/01/2017 at 19:28, STARS: 1
False
"V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches" (jbv12)
02/01/2017 at 19:29, STARS: 0
"Vítor" (vitorcesar)
02/01/2017 at 19:31, STARS: 1
SOO much better in that color combo.
"Vítor" (vitorcesar)
02/01/2017 at 19:36, STARS: 0
I would prefer it without the chrome slates on the grill like in the original, but the shorter, longer grill in the facelift makes it looks wider and sportier than before
"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
02/01/2017 at 19:39, STARS: 1
Interesting that the two people so far who have commented in favor of the Maybach are also the two people who have S600s.
"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
02/01/2017 at 19:40, STARS: 0
Fair enough. The chrome slats really are what ruin it for me.
"RT" (rt-p)
02/01/2017 at 19:41, STARS: 1
Absolutely, the Maybach was basically a W140 with TV screens glued to the back, except without any of the things which made the W140 so great. And the Mulsanne was ruined by that face, no doubt about it.
Replacements should be on the way though, in the meantime here’s hoping they depreciate enough by the time we’re approaching 60.
"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
02/01/2017 at 19:42, STARS: 0
You are correct in stating that the Phantom did not have a tread plate at the bottom of the footrest of the reclining rear seats unless the customer specified it.
"Vítor" (vitorcesar)
02/01/2017 at 19:50, STARS: 1
I was surprised that Bentley, being “bespoke everything” and stuff, doesn’t offer not even an option to remove the slats. But I’m sure the Mulliner division will happily remove them for the right price
"Land_Yacht_225" (nadenator)
02/01/2017 at 19:55, STARS: 0
No no no, see, it’s about standard equipment. In a Maybach, you get anything you could possibly want, listed in the brochure.
With a Rolls, you have to ask for what you want. There is no standard equipment list, because that’s vulgar. I have never seen a Rolls for sale that had properly reclining seats and extending foot rests.
"V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches" (jbv12)
02/01/2017 at 20:19, STARS: 1
UHHHHHHHH....Nothing to see here, move along!
"Nauraushaun" (nauraushaun12)
02/02/2017 at 05:31, STARS: 1
I’m with you. Given how badly Rolls cocked it up for so long, and how badly Maybach went, what BMW did with RR is incredible. It’s been such a great looking car for so long. 14 YEARS!? People say the DB9 is timeless, it’s got nothing.
"Nauraushaun" (nauraushaun12)
02/02/2017 at 05:31, STARS: 0
THE MAYBACH IS TRASH IT WAS ALWAYS TRASH
"V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches" (jbv12)
02/02/2017 at 08:03, STARS: 0
YOU CAN LEAVE NOW
"StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8" (stndibnz1)
02/02/2017 at 09:20, STARS: 1
That Bently......so damn stately. Never seen one on the road, but they have a nice presence.
"Nauraushaun" (nauraushaun12)
02/02/2017 at 16:15, STARS: 0
:(