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FEATURE ARCHIVE :
Black Banshee: One Mean Phantom Story Colum Wood
Photos Joost Demuynck
When we received word that the German luxury car tuner Mansory was going to
unveil a modified Rolls-Royce at the Geneva Motor Show we were, to put it
lightly, skeptical. While past Mansory vehicles (including Aston Martins and
Bentleys) have been featured in MLE and have always been of the utmost
quality, tinkering around with a vehicle from the most coveted, historic and
revered name in automotive history is not a challenge to be taken lightly.
And so it is not without serious consideration that we categorically assert
that Mansory, if we may be so bold, has beaten Roll-Royce at its own game;
the German tuner offering a more sophisticated and more beautiful vehicle,
with even more luxury and a more impressive road presence. This Black
Banshee is easily in contention for being the most awesome car we at MLE
have ever seen. That being said, such a superlative sculpture can only be
achieved when you have the best clay to work with.
Speaking of the unveiling of the modified Phantom (re-named the
Conquistador) in Geneva, Michael Stein, Mansory’s export manager said the
car was almost unanimously well received. “From Ian Cameron (Rolls’ chief
designer) to Chris Bangle, everyone was there,” he said with pride. “We got
a 99 percent positive reaction. It was a very successful show.”
As to why they would embark upon such an ambitious project, Stein says it
was partially out of a creative desire but also out of consumer demand. He
says that after their successes with Bentley and Aston Martin models, the
remaining and most noble brand (Rolls-Royce) offered a unique challenge and
would complete Mansory’s focus on “individual customization for noble
British automobile brands.” Stein also said they consulted with distributors
and customers in the United Arab Emirates and in Beverly Hills and found
there was a genuine demand for a whole Phantom customization line.
Undoubtedly the key element to the Conquistador’s imposing physique is the
triple-black design highlighted (or lowlighted as the case may be) by the
satin gloss black paint. Designed by Glasruit, BASF’s high end paint
specialists, the satin matte finish is described by Mansory as 'shadow
black', appropriate considering the Phantom moniker.
“After we painted the complete body in this special matte black color,” says
Stein, “we saw that the chromed parts didn’t really match, so we overworked
all those parts with a silver matte paint.”
The list of items included in the operation is extensive and includes the
door handles, trunk badge, mirrors, fender gills, headlight, taillight and
window trim and even that enormous front grille. This detailing was even
extended to non-OEM pieces such as the side-skirt accents and parts of the
rear bumper.
While the use of color and contrasting materials certainly gives the
Conquistador a less than factory appearance, the design of the Phantom’s
body kit is so subtle even connoisseurs might not realize the extent of the
alterations. As is the case with most quality coachbuilders, the level of
change is inconspicuous; except when you place the car next to a stock
model.
The Conquistador, or Black Banshee as we prefer to call it, makes use of a
seven piece aerodynamic kit as well as reworked mirrors. When your face is
your best side, like it is with a Rolls, even small alterations can be
drastic. Which is why Mansory’s work deserves the highest praise.
The new front bumper includes LED daytime running lights, much like the
brand new Drophead Coupé, while the chrome trim surrounding the other lights
has been reworked with a brushed aluminum 'satin silver' finish. Adding even
more presence to the front of the Rolls is an elongated grille in the same
warm but mysterious color. This addition now means the front grille
stretches from the top to the bottom of the Phantom’s front end – giving it
a look that would terrify a locomotive and send Batman in search of a new
ride.
Along the lengthy sides of the Phantom, side skirts have been added. Coated
with the same black paint, the runners also feature brushed aluminum
inserts.
The rear bumper of the Phantom was also replaced in the process with a more
ornate piece which includes cutouts for the Mansory exhaust tips. These
stacked stainless steel pieces do in fact hint at a performance upgrade, if
only a mild one. (But more on that later).
The final add-on is the three piece lip spoiler which gives a bit more
character to the Phantom’s back-end – which is ideal considering the stock
model seems to droop off towards the rear. While functional, it’s unlikely
the 5,577 lb Rolls needs anything but gravity to keep it planted on the
ground.
As though the unique blend of satin black and silver, along with the
wonderful Mansory body kit were not enough, four 24-inch forged wheels in
the same satin black finish and “typical Mansory design” were added. If
you’re lucky you may have seen a Rolls-Royce Phantom with 22s before, but
24s is certainly pushing both the limits of the available space and the
limits of good taste. (Undoubtedly some would argue Mansory crossed that
bridge by even thinking of this project).
Each wheel is 10-inches wide and is carefully wrapped in some of the largest
Pirellis available: Scorpion Zero tires measuring 305/35/24. “We wanted to
do the max,” says Stein, “and 24-inches was the end of the line for good
ride quality.”
Easily visible behind the soft black spokes is a Mansory by Brembo brake
upgrade – doing their job to reign in what Stein calls the Rolls’ “gigantic
weightiness.” Doing most of the work are 16.2-inch rotors and six-piston
calipers in the front with almost-as-massive 16-inch rotors and four-piston
calipers behind. It may just be a coincidence, but the color of the big
Brembo rotors matches the larger design scheme of the Conquistador
perfectly.
As mentioned above, Mansory did venture into the engine bay, touching, if
only mildly, on the performance of the Phantom. Resulting from a mild
reprogram of the engine software the Black Banshee now produces 490 hp, up
30 from the stock number. Increases in torque are even more significant with
the output being raised to 575 ft-lbs (a gain of 40 ft-lbs). The exhaust
tips are, just that, tips, but Mansory promises a full system is in the
works. As well, the beast’s top speed was increased to 168 mph from the
stock 149.
When it comes to the inside of the Conquistador, Mansory transformed it to
what Stein refers to as an “extravagant classy level.” Swing open the doors
and enter into a world of opulence that knows no bounds. With carbon fiber,
leather, wood and Alcantara accentuating the Rolls-Royce designs, when you
get behind the wheel of this black beauty you are transformed from a modern
day aristocrat to a conqueror of roads.
Theater lighting was added throughout the cabin, a true necessity
considering the ultra black windows. This is not just a traditional tint
job, however, but state-of-the-art technology. From a knob on the dash or a
remote control in the back, a driver or passenger can actually adjust the
level of light which comes through the windows – an “unquestioning
highlight” says Stein.
First seen on the glass roof of the Maybach 62, the glass contains a layer
of liquid crystals which can be manipulated by applying an electrical
current. Unlike the Maybach, however, the Mansory Rolls makes use of this
technology in every window except the windshield.
With the sheer level of interior customization performed,
it is simply
impossible to document it all here. The most obvious changes include the use
of carbon fiber across the dash and on the top portions of each door. Carbon
can also be found running alongside the center console in the passenger
compartment. Each chair is lined in magnolia leather with the center
portions covered in a black leather with matching magnolia stitching in a
unique cubed design. This same pattern can be found on the doors, directly
under the carbon strip at the top. The magnolia stitching then helps to
transition to full magnolia leather with maple wood accents.
The Conquistador’s sport steering wheel is also worth a second look. The
double-Rs still sit in their rightful place but are now
surrounded by black
Alcantara. The two top spokes are coated in carbon fiber with carbon
accenting on the top and bottom of the wheel. Magnolia leather then flows
down the bottom spoke and covers the rest of the powerful wheel.
Neither the last nor the least of the interior treatments, in the back seats
two power folding business tables (with carbon fiber tops surrounded by a
thin maple wood trim) give passengers something to rest their
laptops on.
Alternatively, these tables make a great place to put down your
tumbler of
Scotch while watching either
of the two LCD screens. Stein refers
to this
last interior touch as Mansory’s “final statement of exclusive imagination.”
Arguably, the same could be said about the whole Conquistador project. Never
before has a car of this level been utterly transformed and done so in a way
that is so closely in keeping with the original manufacturers design
philosophy.
The Conquistador exaggerates the already impressive factory aspects, such as
the luxurious interior and the powerful head-on look of the Phantom. At the
same time it modernizes and stylizes those vital details. In the interior,
carbon fiber and
a unique blend of carefully chosen materials is used, with
the aesthetic balance kept in check through the use of classical wood
highlights. Outside the satin gloss black paint and larger brushed aluminum
grille keep true to the tenants of the Rolls-Royce ideology while at the
same time taking them to a whole new level of classy excessiveness. Even
Stein admits, it does look “a little gangster.”
All that being said, we doubt Mansory has in fact made their 'final
statement'. They’ve had such tremendous success at outdoing themselves in
the past we have no reason to think they won’t surpass this monumental
achievement.
SPECIFICATIONS & DETAILS
CHASSIS, BODY
Seven piece Conquistador aero kit including front bumper with integrated LED
daytime running lights, side skirts with brushed aluminum accents, rear
bumper and three piece decklid spoiler; brushed aluminum color painted
front grille extension;
custom black and brushed aluminum mirrors with
integrated turn signals; brushed aluminum trim for headlights and
taillights;
brushed aluminum color painted side gills, door handles, trunk
badge and parts of rear bumper
WHEELS, TIRES, BRAKES
(f) Mansory 24x10-inch wheels with 305/35/24 Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires;
Brembo 16.2-inch rotors with six-piston calipers
(r) Mansory 24x10-inch
wheels with 305/35/24 Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires;
Brembo 16-inch rotors
with four-piston calipers
INTERIOR
Black and magnolia Alcantara headliner; magnolia Alcantara dash top;
carbon
fiber dash front and instrument panel;
magnolia leather seats with black
checkered pattern leather inserts;
Mansory three spoke sport steering wheel
with carbon fiber, black Alcantara and
magnolia leather;
doors which feature
carbon fiber, black checkered
leather, magnolia leather and maple wood;
Mansory pedals; Mansory floor mats; illuminated 'Mansory' logo door sills;
theater lighting; seatback power rear tables made of carbon fiber and maple
wood;
seatback LCD monitors
