Rolls Royce Phantom VIII LEAKS online as the newest ‘Great Eight Phantom’

The new Rolls Royce Phantom VIII has leaked online ahead of a debut at the end of July, showing a Phantom which is evolutionary, not revolutionary.

Rolls Royce has been busy teasing the arrival of the Phantom VIII with an ever-growing collection of the greatest Phantoms in history, including Phantoms owned by as diverse a bunch as Fred Astaire, Monty, Sir Malcolm Campbell and John Lennon.

They’re part of the ‘Great Eight Phantoms’ exhibition planned for the end of July as Rolls Royce reveal their new Phantom alongside the seven other ‘Great Phantoms’.

But RR’s big reveal has been slightly spoilt by China’s Autohome, which has today published photos of the Phantom VIII which look like they’ve been grabbed on a phone from a brochure. But they do look authentic.

What we see is a Phantom which has evolved, rather than being a new take on ultimate luxury, which says something about the integrity of the Phantom VII’s design after getting on for 15 years.

All the Phantom design cues are there, including its imposing stature and statement grille, but it’s all a bit more ‘current’.

Inside is familiar too, but technology, although much of it hidden, seems to be much in evidence, with a bigger central infotainment screen (still behind a flap) and a digital dash.

Under the skin is a modular aluminium platform to save weight – and heading for the Ghost and Cullinan – and, almost certainly, a tweaked V12 from the Ghost, and a hybrid version to come.

The full debut at the ‘Great Eight Phantoms’ exhibition – and the official reveal of the Phantom VIII – is on 29 July at Bonhams in Mayfair.