The latest Rolls-Royce series, the Phantom Limelight, comes with what it calls Ladies’ and Gentleman’s panniers, plus the most comfortable rear seats your butt has ever encountered. Anybody can buy a Maybach, but to get this, you’ll need to hurry because RR is only make 25 of them.
I’m going to quote Rolls-Royce a lot here, because their press release is just brilliant.
First of all, let’s go through why Limelight:
The Rolls-Royce Phantom Limelight Collection has been conceived for that select group of people who spend their lives in the public eye and on the world stage. Its name was inspired by the origin of a British invention which became synonymous with fame. The limelight effect was originally discovered in the 1820s by Sir Goldsworthy Gurney, a prototypical British gentleman scientist and inventor of the Victorian era. It was harnessed to revolutionise illumination in the theatres of London’s Covent Garden, highlighting leading actors on the stage, thus leading to the phrase, ‘in the limelight’.
Indeed. And here’s how Sir Gurney’s invention works:
Brilliant stuff in case you ever run out of electricity but need to hit that stage.
But who will buy those 25 special Phantoms?
The Bespoke designers at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood have used their deep understanding of the habits and behaviors of those powerful people, who make and influence world-changing decisions every day, to create a collection of 25 super-luxury motor cars that cater directly to their busy lives like no other car maker can. Whilst mass-luxury car manufacturers simply offer a means of conspicuously getting from A to B in some luxury, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars seeks to understand and exceed the demands of super-luxury customers who are always on the move, preparing to arrive for their next big life moment.
Them. And since both genders have to be satisfied here, the Limelights can be fitted accordingly:
With this in mind they have created the “Phantom Suite” comprising unique personalized rear door panniers to ensure cherished personal possessions fall easily to hand for preparing for the next engagement, and a new luxury seating configuration in which to relax in before arriving.
The Ladies’ and the Gentleman’s panniers can also be personalized to suit what particular personal possessions are required for the occasion.
In the standard configuration, the Concealed Fragrance Holder for three individual fragrances is located in the top left pocket of the Ladies’ pannier whilst in the Gentlemen’s pannier the concealed section holds watches. The concealed panel opens at an effortless push of the hand.
The top right pocket, which is open, contains the fragrance bottles in the Gentlemen’s pannier whilst in the Ladies’ are two watch or jewelry holders.
The fragrance bottles, which ensure the passenger always has the right fragrance available to them whatever the time of day, are handmade in the famous Bresle Valley in North West France – home to 75% of the world’s luxury bottles for perfumes and spirits.
The bottom left pocket houses a universal vanity pouch made of the finest materials, with space for credit cards, business cards, spectacle storage or makeup, whilst Ladies’ and Gentleman’s Accessory Z-Boxes, constructed from carbon fibre, milled in aluminum and hand covered in the finest leathers, complete the door pannier.
Either way, it’s going to be so comfortable back there that you might as well just bring your pajamas.
Whilst some mass-luxury car makers have gone so far in their wish to install an aircraft-style flat-bed seat in the rear that they have had to created safety devices to compensate for the resulting body posture, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars engineers and ergonomists have worked closely with the medical profession to establish the optimum seat position that relaxes the body most whilst in motion. The result is the new rear seat to feature first in Phantom Limelight.
The Phantom Limelight seat back reclines the body by a recommended 27° helping to rest the head on the headrest cushion. Lower down the body, a new calf rest raises electrically by 68° to support the calf, whilst a foot rest emerges out of the floor to raise the feet up to 30°, all contributing to the perfect relaxed posture in motion.
You see? Your mass-luxury Maybach has nothing on those seats! And as far as the rest of the goodies go, well, you can’t possibly go wrong with Gala Blue...
The Light contrast scheme features Seashell with Navy Blue Contrast Leather and Seashell tone-on-tone stitching, whilst the Dark contrast scheme offers Navy Blue with Seashell Contrast Leather and Navy tone-on-tone stitching.
Complex embroidery inspired by a diamond shape, in homage to the legacy of great Rolls-Royce motor cars of the past, has been applied to the central seat flutes, door cards, rear console and for the first time to the Picnic Table backs.
Unique to this Collection and a first for Phantom, is a two-veneer finish that shows off the unique skills of the woodworkers at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Piano Seashell specific to this collection is applied to the door cappings, blending the veneer with the leather schemes. Smoked Chestnut completes the colour scheme, the first time that this veneer has been used in Phantom.
A specially created Limelight Bespoke Clock draws influence from the rich Gala Blue paint exterior and the diamond motif design that runs throughout the collection.
Not bad, but I still prefer their art deco speedboat on wheels...
Photo credit: Rolls-Royce
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