Simply Abu Dhabi XXII

3 0 0 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I Set back from the rear doors, there’s a button on the C-pillar which allows you to close the doors electrically and they gently idle into their locked position with the accuracy and weighted feel of a bank vault. Continuing the subliminal theme is that the doors are square cut and don’t open over the rear wheel arch, which at first makes you think the door opening is not as wide as others, and you’d be right. But once closed, you sit back behind the door jam and peer out through the tiny port window embedded in the C-pillar at the rear. If the Phantom wasn’t long enough already, this only adds to the impression of length, space and limousine-like luxury. There are surprisingly few of the buttons and contraptions that typify many luxury cars, as the definition of luxury for Rolls-Royce is a feeling of being in something special instead of just a well-appointed car. Using this theory, updating the Phantommust have seemed like a near impossible task. Howdo you improve onwhat many describe as perfection, and howdo youmake theexperiencebetterwhenyou’renotrelyingonaspecsheetfullofmarketinghyperbole? The truth is, it didn’t really need anupdate. In the first half of the 20th century, SirHenry Royce famously urged his employees to strive for perfection in all that they did and “to take the best that exists and make it better,” so on this work ethic and as the Phantom has been around since 2003, time was moving on and something had to be done. External changes comprise a pair of rectangular LED light strips which intersect the main beams and replace the previous oval versions, some new options for the 21- inch wheels, new bumpers and a few tiny mods to the chrome. Rolls-Royce is the first to include full LED headlamps as standard on a production car. As well as delivering a characteristic whiter light, augmenting safety and preventing driver tiredness, these allow for the introduction of new technologies that better control lighting.