Simply Abu Dhabi XXII

2 9 8 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I How do you define luxury? It’s the age-old question. For a car, is it the number of gadgets, the amount of chrome-dipped brightwork, its Bluetooth connectivity or even a champagne chiller? Truth is, it’s a bit of all of that, but there’s something else that on initial approach is hard to define. Why is sitting in the back of the Rolls-Royce Phantom II such a regal experience when in reality it’s a leather-covered rear seat just like those from Bentley, Maybach and many others? Yet climbing into the rear of the Phantom II is different from any other car out there. It’s somehow more of an experience. The fact that you neither step down nor up into the rear is part of its allure. The car sits high enough so that you just walk into the back as you would into your private library or smoking room. No ducking of heads, bending down or fumbling for grab handles to lever yourself up, and having the back doors hinged from the rear makes it easier to enter and exit as well. The next thing you probably wouldn’t notice is that the rear seat is positioned slightly higher than the front, so you have a clear, uncluttered view ahead over its long bonnet that directs your eyes to the elegant Spirit of Ecstasy mascot. The bench seat itself has not conformed to modern trends of being individual buckets with a million electric settings. It’s a simple, elegantly curved opera lounge that’s immensely comfortable without the need for a multitude of electric motors and is more social, encouraging conversation with its outer edges facing slightly inwards for easier eye contact with other passengers. Rolls-Royce Phantom II