最近谍照记者再次拍到了2018款劳斯莱斯幻影照片，新车遮盖得很严实。仔细看会发现新车的格栅更突出，LED前大灯造型的形状改变，同时尺寸增加。新车侧面轮廓也有所改变，重新设计的C柱使第八代幻影车顶线条更倾斜。此外，后视镜也更接近A柱，预计轴距也将进一步增加。这次在德国拍到的测试车是标准版，但很明显还将有长轴距版，后排腿部空间无人能及。车尾可以看到尾灯组仍然部分进行了遮盖，但即便如此也可以发现尾灯组更陡直。尾灯内部似乎与车身采用相同，类似菲亚特500改款车，但中间的红色部分和上下的发光点却并非如此。虽然车身外观变化不大，但内部却完全不同。2018款幻影内装采用重新设计仪表板和两个硕大数字显示屏，更突出现代风格。截至目前，拍到的原型车的内装都没有最后成型，只能看到类似奔驰S级的双显示屏，但预计最终量产版将有更多变化，使新车比老款车更豪华。新车重量也将大幅降低，未来还有可能推出混动版以提升其燃油经济性。莱斯莱斯在2011年日内瓦车展推出的基于幻影的102EX概念车就是一个信号，这表明未来的幻影将朝着电动化的方向发展。不过新一代幻影不太可能增加纯电动版本，但有可能采用插电混动版。预计新一代幻影将于明年下半年发布，随后将于明年底或2018年初上市。

2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom looks majestic even with full camo
Caught on camera for a second time in a matter of days, the all-new Phantom had problems hiding its stately body. The first impression is Rolls-Royce’s designers are only making very subtle changes, but look closer and you’ll notice the grille is even more prominent than before and the LED headlights have been reshaped and appear to be a tad larger.

The side profile has also been subjected to a few changes, with a redesigned C-pillar lending the Phantom VIII a more sloped roofline. In addition, the mirrors have been mounted closer to the A-pillar, and we are also expecting a stretched wheelbase. The test vehicle spotted roaming on the streets of Germany was the standard model, but obviously there’s also going to be a LWB model with rear legroom second to none.

Moving at the back, the taillights remain partially covered underneath the disguise, but even so we can observe the clusters are now sitting more upright. The inner section of the taillight appears to be painted in the same color as the body, much like in the facelifted Fiat 500, but the red central area and the dots above and below it suggest otherwise.

While the changes on the outside are not significant, it’s an entirely different story on the inside where the 2018 Phantom will get a more modern look courtesy of a redesigned dashboard hosting two massive digital screens. Prototype spotted so far had an unfinished cabin, with only the S-Class-like dual screen layout visible, but we expect the production-ready version to have a multitude of other changes to make the new generation even more luxurious than the outgoing Phantom VII.
In the case of the Phantom, it will enable a massive weight loss and there also might be a hybrid later on to further boost the car’s efficiency. The Phantom-based 102EX prototype unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show was a sign of an electrified future for the Phantom, and while the new model won’t likely spawn a pure EV version, it should receive a plug-in hybrid derivative.

Expect the Phantom VIII to be introduced in the second half of 2017 and go on sale before the year’s end or early 2018.