Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II Extended Wheelbase, Matte White

The eighth-generation Phantom is the still point at the top of Rolls-Royce's range, the car the Spirit of Ecstasy was made for. This is the Series II facelift of that platform, recognisable here in extended-wheelbase form by its long rear door and the limousine-length cabin riding on the aluminium Architecture of Luxury spaceframe. The Pantheon grille is now illuminated and set flush into the bodywork, the lighting is finer, and beneath the serene matte-white skin sits a 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 tuned for silence rather than drama. Nothing about it asks for attention; the proportions, the coach doors hinted at the rear, and the red leather glimpsed through the glass do all the talking. It is built for the back seat as much as the front.

H&H captures the Series II's restraint well: the satin paint reads as a genuine matte rather than a flattened grey, and the contrast of the dark Pantheon grille, red cabin and black-and-chrome stepped wheels gives the model its tension. H&H renders it at 1:18 on a presentation base.