Finally, a Rolls-Royce Phantom for the rich and famous

ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM LIMELIGHT EDITION WILL CATER TO CELEB DEMOGRAPHIC

Another month, another limited edition Rolls-Royce Phantom. The latest model out of the gleaming glass and steel factory at Goodwood is the Limelight, a special long-wheelbase sedan custom tailored for the rich and famous -- a demographic that Rolls-Royce has been trying to court for some time.

Setting this Phantom apart from other Phantoms are items like a unique rear door pannier that can store small personal belongings. Famous gentlemen, whom we picture looking like The World's Most Interesting Man, will receive two fragrance bottles which can be stored in the top right pocket of the rear doors, while famous ladies will have access to two watch or jewelry holders in the same door pocket. The bottom left door pocket, meanwhile, houses a universal vanity pouch for items like sun glasses, business cards or one of many credit cards. The bottom left pocket also contains an accessory box made from carbon fiber and milled aluminum, with a leather cover.

But the main new item in the Limelight Phantom is the redesigned rear seat, which Rolls-Royce has reportedly worked with physicians to develop. Rolls-Royce opted for a seat back that can recline 27 degrees, and a calf rest that can raise by 68 degrees. An extandable footrest incorporated into the floor is also a part of the redesigned rear seat, and can raise its famous passengers' feet up to 30 degrees.

A new reclining rear seat will be featured in the Limelight Phantom.PHOTO BY ROLLS-ROYCE

When it comes to colors, the Limelight edition Phantom will offer the Light contrast scheme which will feature Seashell with Navy Blue leather and Seashell tone-on-tone stitching. The Dark contrast color scheme, meanwhile, will feature Navy Blue with Seashell leather an Navy tone-on-tone stitching. The Limelight Phantoms will also feature two-veneer wood surfaces for the interior, with Piano Seashell and Smoked Chestnut veneers.

The reclining rear seats and the door panniers sound like items that should be available in all Phantoms as a matter of course, which makes the fact that just 25 of these sedans will be offered somewhat odd.

We were actually pretty impressed with the last few special edition models, like the Metropolitan Phantom and the Pinnacle Travel Phantom due to their unique wood marquetry themes found on just about every interior panel. Those two, the Pinnacle Travel Phantom in particular, drew a clear connection to the time of transcontinental luxury and city skylines, even though we couldn't pinpoint which city skyline the Metropolitan Phantom was trying to recreate. (Perhaps that was the whole point, as not to offend customers in any one given city). And we were intrigued by last month's Serenity, a long-wheelbase Phantom featuring images of cherry blossoms throughout the interior -- a car that could have taken the opportunity to also reference the works of Joss Whedon.

The Phantom is going on 12 years now -- an eternity for most other automakers product cycles -- so we're bound to see more special editions before a replacement arrives.