Rolls-Royce teases Phantom face

Rolls-Royce has released an official ‘tease’ of its eighth-generation Phantom limousine ahead of its world debut next week on July 27.

The new pic, released late last night, suggests this week’s leaked images are accurate.

The BMW-owned storied company’s flagship limousine will feature an evolution of the last car's styling that features a small sprinkling of design cues lifted from the wild 103EX concept that was unveiled last year.

Indeed, 'bold' best describes what the designers have achieved, not shying away from the previous Phantom's imposing styling.

Like before there's an upright grille and a pair of slender full-LED lamps. Sitting above the familiar vertical-slat grille the famous Spirit of Ecstasy takes pride of place.

The Phantom, set to go on sale in 2018, can't come soon enough following production of the old car (that first went on sale in 2003) ended in December 2016.

Like before, the range-topper will be offered in standard and long-wheel base. An even longer 'extended wheelbase' version is also likley to be in consideration.

From the earlier leaked images, it's clear the bumper design of the Phantom 8 incorporates plenty of additional cooling vents over the old model. That's because under the bonnet it's expected to swap its old naturally-aspirated 6.75-litre V12 for a more powerful twin-turbocharged 6.6-litre V12 lifted from the current Ghost, Wraith and Dawn.

Soon after launch a plug-in hybrid will join the range. It will have a pure-electric range of at least 50km.

Inside, the next Phantom will get a classy paired-back, minimalist design - but one that won't skimp on the latest in-car tech. That’s because most of it will be lifted from BMW, Rolls-Royce's parent company.

That means, as well as featuring the most up-to-date levels of connectivity, the large widescreen infotainment system is almost certain to feature gesture control.

Like before, the Phantom will be based on a full aluminium architecture that will be unique to the brand. To cut costs, the same platform will underpin the forthcoming Cullinan SUV.

Engineered to accommodate all-wheel drive hardware and a full plug-in hybrid powertrain, plus all the hardware needed to support semi, and eventually full-autonomous driving aids the all-new Phantom will be as technically advanced as cars like the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S-Class.

Reducing weight will have been a chief priority for engineers developing the Phantom and, for the first time, as well as widespread use of aluminium the large sedan is tipped to incorporate even lighter carbon-fibre reinforced plastics to reduce mass and boost performance.

More will be revealed next week when the famous British car unwraps its luxury flagship on July 27.