2022 Rolls-Royce Phantom Performance

Effortless performance is the order of the day in any high-end luxury sedan, and the Phantom obliges with a 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V12 producing 563 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. Sending power to the rear wheels, the big Rolls can reach 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds, and the heavier extended wheelbase version is just a tenth of a second slower. A top speed of 155 mph is possible, something that is easily achieved when it's so difficult to hear any hint of external noise. Bentley's Flying Spur W12 is quite a bit quicker to 60 mph, getting there in a mere 3.7 seconds with the aid of all-wheel drive, so the Phantom isn't the quickest luxury sedan you can buy. It was never intended to be the fastest, though, and for what it is, the Phantom's performance is plenty.

Just a single powertrain is offered for the Rolls-Royce Phantom, but it's all the engine this car needs. Displacing 6.75-liters, the V12 gains twin turbochargers to generate meaty outputs of 563 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Like the previous naturally aspirated V12, this power plant operates in near silence, wafting the Phantom away from traffic lights or past a sea of ordinary cars with ease. With the addition of turbocharging, low-down torque is much greater than before, so the Phantom now requires only delicate throttle inputs to make serene, yet potent, progress. The eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox is similarly imperceptible in the way it operates.

Owners won't be bothered, but the Rolls-Royce Phantom enjoys taking big gulps of premium gasoline. Regardless of whether you go for the standard or extended-wheelbase version, EPA ratings work out to 12/20/14 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycles. Despite using a large 26.4-gallon gas tank, the Phantom's range is restricted to around 370 miles.