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Forbes Life AUTOS

launching redesigned versions of the cars that But here is the proverbial fork in the road: THE
started this renaissance 15 years ago. While Bentley plans to accelerate growth by lever- HAUTE
For Rolls-Royce, it’s the 2018 Phantom VIII, aging the engineering might of Volkswagen, in- LIST
the stately sedan that is the epitome of bespoke cluding new electrified power trains, Rolls-Royce
luxury. For Bentley, it’s the redesigned Continen- shares little with BMW. Instead, it has developed
tal GT, a refined Grand Tourer delivering a com- its own, scalable platform, which underpins the
bination of performance and luxury. Phantom and future models, including Project
New Rolls-Royce Phantoms don’t come along Cullinan, its first four-wheel-drive utility vehicle,
very often: The 2018 model is only the eighth edi- due to be revealed later this year.
tion since the Phantom was introduced in 1925. Bentley’s ambition is to grow sales to 20,000 ve-
Men as diverse as Fred Astaire and John Lennon hicles a year, while Rolls-Royce aims to stay more
owned Phantoms throughout its history. As with exclusive, at fewer than 6,000. By comparison, Mase-
all Phantoms, the newest edition was designed for rati sold 46,186 vehicles last year, Lamborghini just
the rear passenger. When the coach doors gently 3,104.
close, you are embraced in a plush, silent sanctu- At prices frequently north of $400,000, Rolls-
ary, soothed by a starlight canopy that can be cus- Royce can afford to thumb its nose at the notion of
tomized to reflect your birth constellation. sharing platforms with a “mass-market” brand. Its LAMBORGHINI
Up front, the Phantom’s dashboard can be trans- biggest challenge is shedding the stodgy image still TIME
formed into a rolling art gallery, where owners can lingering from those notorious Grey Poupon com-
display works behind a single piece of glass that also mercials from the 1980s. Fast times call for
houses the instrument cluster and a retractable in- Bentley, by contrast, occupies a unique middle a watch built for
speed. The Swiss
fotainment screen. ground between the highest-priced Mercedes-Ben- watchmaker Roger
zes and the cheapest Rolls-Royce mod- Dubuis will begin
els. It’s done a good job of creating sex a partnership with
appeal, says Rebecca Lindland, a senior Lamborghini Squadra
Corse this spring
analyst at Cox Automotive, “but the real- to produce limited-
ity is these brands have to make money.” edition watches. The
With the average price of a Bentley Excalibur Aventador S
is made in a carbon-
around $250,000, you’d expect the com- fiber case with a
pany to be raking in profits. But its op- movement inspired
erating margin through September 2017 by the engine block
of the Lamborghini
sank to 2.5%, well below that of proletar- Aventador. (Another
ian automakers like General Motors and model is inspired by
Ford. So modifying a Porsche platform the Huracàn Super
Wheeling: Bentley’s Continental GT is designed for drivers, not passengers. Trofeo EVO.) Like the
could help Bentley keep costs down and
legendary Italian sports
And with the average age of Rolls-Royce buyers boost margins, as long as it doesn’t sacrifice its brand car, the Aventador S
dipping to the low 40s (thanks to younger custom- DNA, notes LMC Automotive analyst Jeff Schuster. timepieces will have
ers in markets like China), the new model was also Besides, he adds, “leveraging Porsche isn’t exactly very limited production
engineered to be as pleasing to drive as it is to be slumming it in terms of technology and capability.” and come with luxury-
car sticker prices—88
driven in. The Phantom floats along on an electri- The reality is both automakers have found vi- pieces will be produced
cally controlled suspension, called Magic Carpet able business models. “If I compare the cars and with accents of
Ride. And a new twin-turbocharged, 12-cylinder drive them, they are different,” says Wolfgang Lambo’s Neptune
engine delivers 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. Dürheimer, the recently retired CEO at Bentley. Blue and Giallo Orion
yellow (retailing for
Meanwhile, Bentley’s new Continental GT, like- “Rolls-Royce is ultimate luxury. We are luxury and $194,500) while
ly to start at around $240,000, was designed for a performance.” an 8-piece orange-
driver who loves performance, while still swaddling And Rolls-Royce doesn’t disagree. “We are accented edition will
cost $216,000.
passengers in luxury. Its twin-turbo, 12-cylinder en- operating in a completely different price segment
gine powers the car to a top speed of 207 mph and than Bentley,” says CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös.
goes from 0 to 60 mph in a dazzling 3.6 seconds. Of course, in this rarefied air, where wealthy
The dashboard also astonishes. An optional owners possess an average of seven cars, it’s not
THE HAUTE LIST BY MICHAEL SOLOMON
three-sided display rotates, allowing the driver to about price anyway. “Our clients have garages like
choose between the sleek wood veneer, a 12.3-inch we have wardrobes,” Müller-Ötvös reasons. “For
touchscreen and three elegant analog gauges. every occasion there is the right car.”

FINAL THOUGHT
“Whither goes thou, America, in thy shiny car in the night?” —JACK KEROUAC

120 | FORBES FEBRUARY 28, 2018