In case you’ve been sleeping, or missed our history piece on the Rolls-Royce Phantom, you should know that one of the world’s most iconic luxury cars just recently celebrated its 90th birthday in 2015, if you don’t count the time from 1939 to 1950 when Rolls-Royce was shut down due to the war. Over its long and illustrious history, it has changed dramatically, keeping with the times and always taking luxury one step further. The most recent generation, the Phantom VII, has been around since 2003 and was in production until 2016, which means it’s time for the next-gen Phantom VIII to make its long-awaited debut. As is the usual case, the car won’t really change much, but it will get all of the modern updates you would expect from a luxury marque like Rolls-Royce. It’s set to debut on July 27 and should bring updated exterior styling with new fascias, LED headlights (possibly laser headlights) and a revamped grille with lots of chrome trim. And, let’s not forget about the suicide doors.

But, it’s not all about the exterior design that comes as a result of this new-gen model. See, the platform is being completely revised and will be an “aluminum-intensive” setup that’s known as the “Architecture of Pure Luxury.” Word has it that it will shed some significant weight, which means more speed and better economy, and AWD or electrified drivetrains could also be brought to the table as Rolls continues to modernize its most iconic model. That modernization will also bring an updated infotainment system to the interior that features a larger screen, and it will likely get gesture control too as Rolls-Royce can’t be beat out by the BMW 7 Series, right? LED ambient lighting is pretty much guaranteed as is an all-digital instrument cluster. The latter may upset those who prefer the classic look, but Rolls could very easily provide the classic look on a digital platform, a move that will make everyone happy. We’re also expecting a massive V12 engine to sit under the hood, but whether it will be a revised unit or just carried over from the last generation remains to be seen.

Are you excited for the new Phantom to make its debut? Keep reading to learn more about its debut event and where you can watch it for yourself.

The Big Day is Coming

As expected, the Phantom VIII is making its debut in the U.K. It was originally expected to debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show, but Rolls decided to go above and beyond by highlighting the model’s long and undeniable history. The event is being called “The Eight Great Phantoms” and will showcase every generation of the Phantom by displaying by displaying a number of iconic examples from over the years. This includes a Phantom VI State Limousine owned by Queen Elizabeth II and A Phantom IV known as the Aga Khan III. We’ll also get to lay eyes on the First Goodwood Phantom from 2003 – the model that is attributed to starting the renaissance of Rolls back in the early 2000s.

The event is set to kick off on July 27 at 21:00 BST or 4 P.M. Eastern time here in the U.S. We have searched high and low for a stream that we can embed here so that you can all enjoy the debut, but so far it looks like you’ll only be able to see it debut at Rolls’ Great Phantoms web page, which currently has a countdown ticker in anticipation of the big moment. Needless to say, it should be a pretty crazy event, and there will surely be some gorgeous models there. What do you expect to see at the debut? Is there anything special that you’re expecting out of the Phantom VIII specifically? Let’s talk about it in the comments section below.

References

Read our full review on the 2012 Rolls-Royce Phantom VII Series II

Read our speculative review on the 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII