German Car Zone

Unless you've sat in a RR and an A8/Phaeton, then that the statement the journalist made is absolutely ridiculous. The Phantom had the softest leather I have ever touched... and hell the carpeting was just about the most expensive thing my Pumas have ever touched. I don't remember if I read it from here or if I heard it when I worked at BMW. But it takes 27 cows to make the leather on the Phantom. Hardly ho-hum if you ask me. I know the Goodwood factory has some seriously ridiculous testing procedures for the RR's.

However, the Maybach does have more technology in the rear seat and that will definitely attract buyers.

^ Nice leather yes -- but the upholstery in the Phaeton is beautifully tailored.

I read this over on e90post, regarding the Rolls; maybe someone here can confirm or refute this:
"When each vehicle is hand built, they save in their warehouse a chunk of the same wood used in that car. If replacement is ever needed, they will mill it from that chunk of wood so that it will match perfectly with the rest of the trim."

If that's true, that's pretty awesome.
But that being said, the Rolls interior (IMO) lacks the precision-look found in the Maybach. It has a blocky style as you'd expect an 80's Phantom might look, and there are some pretty large panel gaps between some of the woods bits on the dash. Some may say this is part of the charm, and design-wise it does keep consistent with the exterior. As for build quality, I haven't rigorously touched or prodded a Phantom's interior so I couldn't say. Would be surprising if it's flimsier than some of the other cars they mentioned. Bad on the writers if they mistook design aesthetic for build quality.

That's quite frequent mistake car "journalists" make: mistaking real build quality & quality of material with perceived subjective quality feel & look.

Believe me: RR uses best materials possible (no cost-cutting here), and interior upholstery & trim is hand built.

Of course today automatized / robotized interior production & assembly can be more precise - with smaller gaps, more perfect fits etc.
But exceptionally well hand-made stuff, made of first class materials still tops anything.

It's like comparing hand-made (hand tailored featuring hand-made stitches) Hermes handbag with some generic automated-factory-made eg. Versace handbag. Or take for example hand-made Manolo Blahnik shoe vs. Chanel shoe made in some Chanel factory in the far-East.

I guess the chunky design can misled someone (like eg. car journalists - who definitely are not targeted RR customers & having same taste as the people who opt for RR) to believe the fit&finish isn't that good that in some high-end car of an economy brand (eg. VW).

RR Phantom is a car of an acquired taste. Of course a reporter whose 10 annual salaries still aren't enough to buy such a car can't understand it.

Car journalists are - by my experience - very common guys. Usually even very narrow minded. And if they do not understand something, and do not like something - they label it "rubbish."

Today everybody can be a "journalist" / "reporter".

No special insight is needed, no special appreciation & knowledge of eg. history & tradition, no real investigation is appreciated (copy-pasting PR statements is easier) etc.

Oh, he likes cars, he can drive, he can write, he can use a computer - yahoo! - he can be an automotive journalist.

Well since I've never been in either I have to take their word or yours....I'll take yours.


I've been in a Vanquish and a Bentley, but not a Maybach or any post-BMW Roller.


M

I'd love to have a seat in a Bentley to see how they compare between the others. I'm not overly critical when it comes to quality so imo, the RR was top of the chain.

That is very true. Regardless of how funny it may sound, but Brits are known in the world that they don't beat their cows almost at all and that makes their skin softer, so that's why their skin is used in ultra luxury cars.

Yes ....except real Chanel shoes are only be made in France.

Ha ha ....


The Rolls does have a lot more evidence of being hand-crafted than the Maybach ...but it does not have anything close to the care and attention to detail of the Rolls-Royces of the past -- Only Bentley still can offer that today.

No argument about the materials used in the Phantom ...they are all first class. But I still think the VW Phaeton has equally beautifully made upholstery -- it is hand made by the same Italian company that makes the upholstery for Ferrari, Bugatti, and Maserati -- and they have even made upholstery for BMW in the past.