New phantom born with right spirit

When it was first unveiled, the Roller got a mixed reception. Its looks didn't please everyone, especially the purists. But this is a modern vehicle - a Rolls reinterpreted by its new owner, BMW - although the vast leather and wood interior is instantly recognisable as a Royce. Slide into the armchair-like driver's seat and it wraps around you to give a supremely comfortable position. It has been placed deliberately high to provide an excellent view out over the extraordinarily long bonnet.

At first, the sheer size and scale of the Phantom is daunting, and it takes half-an-hour to get to grips with the car. But the all-round air-suspension delivers an excellent ride and helps to smooth out the roughest of roads. The passive roll of the vehicle as it corners rocks passengers gently without throwing them around. Its naturally aspirated engine has been set up with torque rather than power as the priority, and the six-speed automatic box reflects this. The ratios are very long, to avoid the need for constant downchanging.

However, when you kick down on the accelerator for extra power, there's a distinct time delay before the surge is delivered. Once it arrives, though, there is more than enough. On tight, twisty roads, the car understandably struggles. Its sheer weight means throwing the nose into a corner isn't possible, while the size leads to inevitable understeer. It's not for a lack of power, however - the 6.75-litre engine provides more than enough, propelling the car from 0-60mph in 5.7 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 149mph.

On motorways, the Phantom comes into its own. The car glides effortlessly and the steering is very light and requires the minimum of effort. It really is uncomplicated and very relaxing, although a large blind spot means you need to take great care when changing lanes. But on these kinds of roads the longer you're at the helm, the more you want to drive the Phantom. Few motors leave you this chilled-out after a 300-mile journey, which explains why R-R is so confident owners will want to drive it.

That's not to say being a back seat passenger is unpleasant. The feeling of space and the sumptuous seats make the Rolls a very exclusive place to be, although, unlike its German Maybach rival, there is a distinct lack of executive toys in the rear. Neat touches in-clude a button to close the back doors electrically from the inside, while the double R badge in the wheel hubs is weighted to remain upright constantly.

The engine is virtually inaudible from the cabin, which means it is easy to travel at 60mph-plus without realising how fast you're moving. But because of this tranquility, wind noise at speed can seem intrusive, although the firm's engineers claim this will be ironed out before the car reaches customers.

If that happens, the Phantom will be everything a modern Roller should be - graceful, easy to drive, smooth and powerful. When it comes to luxury motoring, it doesn't get much better.