Rolls-Royce engineers are still in Germany, working on the redesigned Rolls-Royce Phantom. Our spy cameras photographed a prototype of the ultra-luxury sedan testing on public roads, and upon closer analysis, we discovered that this is the identical test vehicle that we spotted in January of this year. Surprisingly, it has more camouflage now than it had previously.
The car had very little camouflage concealing the radiator grille and headlights the last time we saw it. The front fascia and elements of the front fenders have been further concealed in these fresh photos. The camouflage foil doesn’t appear to be concealing any big changes to the front, though it’s still too early to know what the final design will look like.
One thing we know for sure, however, is that the headlights will get new internal graphics. The thoroughly masked radiator grille could also gain small changes. At the back, there’s also a surprisingly big amount of camouflage considering everything looks exactly as the model that is still on sale. Given that, we expect this to be a very minor facelift with very few and minimal visual touches.
As a side note, the Spirit of Ecstasy logo on the front grille is tucked away. All the badges around the body remain hidden under a black tape, including those on the self-leveling center caps. We don’t expect new visual expressions for the exterior ornamentation, though.
Not much new is expected in the engine department, as well. The 6.75-liter V12 engine with two turbochargers will likely carry over with almost no changes. Software tweaks could make it slightly more efficient in order to meet the ever-stricter emissions standards on the European market.
Judging by these new photos, the Phantom will likely get a new model year rather than a traditional facelift. We should know more in the coming months so stay tuned.
