The video of a Rolls-Royce Phantom tearing sideways through the British countryside went viral and for good reason. The real mystery of the video was who was behind the wheel of the $400,000 car. Now we think we know the identity of the Stig's uppercrust cousin.

The 2012 Rolls-Royce Phantom has a new bumper, some changes in the interior, and a rectangular LED lower light instead of the round one from before. You can even order it with an eight-speed automatic in case the six-speed ZF unit seems prehistoric.

Rolls-Royce — the luxury car brand that makes all other luxury carmakers feel young, vibrant and West Egg-ish — saw a seemingly astounding 31% increase in sales in 2011. Rolls sold 3,538 Spirit of Ecstasy-ornamented barges of bountiful bank accounts — making it the best year of sales in the brand's 107-year-old…

As part of a tuning package for the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Russian tuner Dartz (they of the whale penis interior) replaced the storied "Spirit of Ecstasy" hood ornament with a couple engaged in sexual relations. It's dubbed the "Spirit of Xtasy."

Even for a metal-suited superhero film, Iron Man 2 destroyed an awful lot of cars. The list contains everything from smashed Rolls-Royce Phantoms to formula cars sliced in half by laser whips. Here's how the magic is made.

Communism fading into the past, Russia has become one of the most decadent consumer markets in the world. Want some proof? Here's a customized $450,000 Rolls Royce Centurion left as garbage by the side of a commuter rail line.

For those who own a business, vehicle write-offs are one of the tastiest tax deductions you can take make. This lusty (and very pricey) Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe touting "Chase Vodka" ought to rouse the auditors. [Torquespeak]

If you answered "three" without skipping a beat, with nary a hint of sarcasm and you found your nose turning slightly upward, then you're just the kind of person Rolls is looking for to buy a Phantom. [via TwitPic]

Yesterday, LeBron James turned 25 and after winning against Atlanta, teammate Shaquille O'Neil announced he'd gotten LeBron a white Rolls Royce Phantom birthday present. Why don't we have friends like that? Shaq, make ours a Silver Cloud, please.