Inside Rolls-Royce’s A$150,000 option for the latest Phantom

There aren’t many luxury car makers that can match the extensive customisation levels of a Rolls-Royce. The eighth-generation Phantom is testament to this fact, especially in the Extended Wheelbase specification that now gives owners the choice of a lavish A$150,000 Privacy Suite option – the pinnacle of the CEO lifestyle on the move.

While the latest Extended Wheelbase Phantom officially debuted at the end of 2018, the first example equipped with the Privacy Suite has just arrived in Australia and we were in line to find out what makes it one of the world’s most expensive dealer options.

What is the Privacy Suite?

As the name suggests, the Rolls-Royce Privacy Suite is essentially an executive’s office built entirely within the Phantom’s Extended Wheelbase cabin. The specially lengthened and widened chassis profile makes the Phantom an ideal recipient for such an audacious complement to a formidable name in the luxury class.

The most notable feature of the Private Suite is the new electrochromic glass, which acts as a privacy partition between the driver and the rear occupants. The innovative glass is completely transparent when it’s not activated, allowing passengers to see the road ahead. When passengers require privacy to conduct phone calls, meetings or other important business affairs, they can turn the glass fully opaque at the touch of a button.

Rolls-Royce have also built enough soundproofing into the cabin (130kg of it to be exact) so that standard decibel conversations don’t escape the cabin’s confines, allowing for an absolute level of privacy. Getting in touch with the driver is a simple case of using the integrated intercom system. In the case of pressing matters, the driver can call the rear passengers who can choose to answer or reject the call.

For passengers who tend to do most of their dealings on the road, there’s even a large discrete aperture, which allows documents or other objects to be easily passed between the front and rear cabins. When open, the aperture is illuminated to ensure passengers are satisfied with the nature of the documents or objects before they receive them. Rear privacy curtains complete the Privacy Suite seclusion zone at the touch of a button.

It’s not all work without play though. The Privacy Suite receives a Bespoke Rear Theatre Entertainment system, which includes two high-definition 12-inch monitors linked to the motor car’s suite of fully connected software as well as an HDMI port that allows passengers to synchronise their highly secure personal devices.

Pair all this with the Phantom’s signature Starlight Headliner and Bespoke Clock and passengers have a highly personalised workspace for making the transition between office and transit luxuriously seamless.

How much it will cost you?

Given the bespoke and handcrafted nature of all Rolls-Royce vehicles, the base model Phantom Extended Wheelbase will set customers back a cool AU$1,100,000 plus on-road costs. The Privacy Suite adds an additional AU$150,000 to that price tag.

Who’s buying the Phantom with Privacy Suite?

According to Rolls-Royce, the Phantom is currently one of the biggest-selling models in the Asia–Pacific region with 50% of all Phantoms being the Extended Wheelbase variant. Of that group, a small percentage have been fitted out with the Privacy Suites – a popular choice in both the Middle East and Asia.

The Goodwood car maker believes that the Privacy Suite customer comes from more of a business background rather than a feudal one. Celebrities who need an escape from cameras and the public eye are also the car’s biggest target market.