Discover the unique design philosophy of the new Rolls-Royce Phantom Aristocrat
With Rolls-Royce having announced a new addition to the Phantom Series II, we headed to the stunning setting of the French Riviera to meet Sina Maria Eggl – the marque’s Senior Coachbuild Designer – to discover more about the design philosophy behind this beautiful motor car. In particular, we were rather impressed by the Phantom Aristocrat; a car which is certainly the pinnacle of beauty and good taste, but her design was largely guided by the requests of Rolls’ clients whom, as it transpired, were not keen for the marque to make any major sweeping changes to what is already an iconic car.
That having been said, the Phantom Aristocrat has been enhanced with a new polished horizontal line between the daytime running lights above the grille (which in itself has undergone a subtle geometric change, and is also now illuminated), adding a sense of modernity.
Every commission for a Phantom usually results in a series of bespoke requests being made on behalf of each client (something which the Rolls-Royce design team seems to rather relish), resulting in motor cars that are artistic masterpieces in their own right. In fact, the real appeal of a Phantom is that a client can add their own influences into the design elements, defining luxury on their own terms – but wherever that point happens to lie, they have the assurance that the Phantom is (both technically and aesthetically) a pleasure to own, and to drive.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information about Rolls-Royce, go to: www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com.
The Luxury Channel stayed at The Maybourne Riviera Hotel, built on a rocky peninsula high above the picturesque French town of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. The hotel is the fifth property of the Maybourne Hotel Group (operators of Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley in London, and The Maybourne Beverly Hills in Los Angeles), and offers dramatic panoramic views of the coastline that take in Cap-Martin and Italy to the west, and Monte Carlo to the east. The building itself sits in restored ancient gardens and features mosaic pavements, with tiles that were painstakingly laid by Portuguese craftsmen. The veritable jewel in the hotel’s crown (aside from its views) is an outdoor infinity pool, built right into the rock, with signature orange sunbeds overlooking the ever-changing panorama of distant sailboats bobbing on an impossibly blue sea. For further information, go to www.maybourneriviera.com.
