Rolls-Royce does have a coupe model right now: the Spectre EV. So there is really no need to chop off a pair of two of the doors of a sedan. Well, Ares Modena seems to disagree. So here is their take on the Phantom.
Rolls-Royce dropped the Phantom Coupe variant back in 2017, with the shift from the seventh to the eighth generation, keeping only the sedan in production.
Now, Italian coachbuilder Ares Modena brings into the spotlight the coupe version of the Phantom, derived from the sedan. Rolls-Royce does not sell an internal combustion engine-powered coupe. They do have a two-door, but that is the all-electric Spectre. Thus Ares Modena is filling a void in the lineup of the luxury carmaker.
Ares has been teasing the model for quite some time now, so we pretty much knew what to expect. Their take on the Phantom predictably comes with a shorter wheelbase, which translates into less space for the rear passengers than in the regular Phantom. But considering the generosity of legroom and kneeroom in the sedan, that might not come as a big compromise.
From the sides, the massive doors get all the attention. They used to be rear-hinged doors, now, they are the only doors on the car. The design looks somewhat strange, as the handle of the missing door is placed on the front fender. But that one is not really supposed to open.
The former sedan/current coupe also comes with a slightly redesigned rear end. The area of the greenhouse was also reduced.
Photo: Ares Modena
The Italian coachbuilder will only make a limited number of such exclusive examples. It must indeed be expensive to chop off brand-new and perfectly functional Rolls-Royce Phantoms. All of them will be exclusively available in either black or white in bi-tone configurations, with both the hood and windshield frame coming in rose gold.
New materials and handmade finishes are on board. The coach builder claims that no two examples of the models they build will be alike, because each of them will be made according to the customer’s specifications. There will be rose-gold piping as well as inserts with a quilted pattern on the dashboard, door cards and central armrest.
There is no information on any powertrain interference. Therefore, the Rolls-Royce Coupe by Ares Modena should be powered by the twin-turbocharged 6.75-liter V12 engine in standard specification. It generates 563 horsepower (571 PS) and 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) of torque, delivered to both axles.
There is no information on pricing yet, but this is the ‘if you have to ask, it means that you can’t afford’ type of car, just like the Bentley Coupe Sport, based on the discontinued Mulsanne, that Ares Modena unveiled back in March.
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