2013 Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended Wheelbase Bows at Beijing

Rolls-Royce debuted its new Phantom Extended Wheelbase today at the Beijing Auto Show, adding new technology, drivetrain options and styling to the car.

Long wheelbase cars have become hugely popular in the Chinese market, and Rolls-Royce as a leader in luxury is looking to cash in on the trend with its stretched Phantom. Running the Rolls will be the company’s V12 direct-injected engine, mated with a new eight-speed automatic gearbox which the company projects will help with fuel consumption by 10 percent.

The nose of the new Phantom has a more vertical stance, enhanced by new standard fully-LED headlamps. Technology which allows the headlamps to change beam shape and contour according to road conditions and road orientation will also improve the driver’s ability to see at night, especially on unpredictable roads. A new satellite navigation system capable of displaying three-dimensional maps complete with landscape topography, guided tours and composite route planning has also been implemented in the LWB Phantom. All of this new information is displayed on a larger 8.8 -inch control center screen.

Owners know that the true luxury of a Rolls-Royce lies in the little details. For example each Phantom gets five layers of paint and a coat of clear lacquer, or seven layers for two-tone paint jobs. Up to 43 pieces of wood finish can find their way into the design, with each one coming from one log which is carefully selected so that the grain detail is fluid throughout the interior. The leather is sourced from hand-selected alpine bulls and cut into 450 individual leather parts for the interior by a computer guided laser.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom long wheelbase rounds off the Phantom family, which now offers a coupe, drop-head coupe and sedan variant.