The Ultimate Pickup From Rolls-Royce
Illustration Copyright: Theophilus Chin/Chris Doane Automotive
Ever wonder what the most expensive pickup in the history of the world might look like? We suspect it's only a matter of time before the likes of Rolls-Royce jumps into the highly profitable world of luxury pickups, especially since Ford and Ram have come out with the new over-the-top Platinum and Laramie Limited trim packages. Still, we're guessing neither of those two models could hold a candle to what a specialty luxury brand like Rolls-Royce could do.
No, this is not a real model that some sheik near Dubai ordered from a catalog. But we thought it might be an interesting idea to look at.
The original idea came from the new Rolls-Royce Phantom B12 hearse from Italian coach builder Biemme Special Cars, which has become world-renowned for making ultraluxury hearses and custom performance vehicles. The Phantom B12 hearse is just over 23 feet long with an awkwardly long wheelbase. Our Phantom Pickup B12 has a shorter wheelbase and is just under 21 feet long.
Other wish-list details to this "Phantasy Phantom" include military-quality air suspension and a sophisticated Borg-Warner TOD transfer case. Under the hood, many would assume the BMW-sourced 6.75-liter V-12 would work fine, especially since it's rated at 453 horsepower and 530 pounds-feet of torque, but we'd opt for the engine upgrade and go with the 9.0-liter V-16 Ultimate Tow Package. We'd guess the overall weight of such a luxury pickup truck would clock in around 6,500 pounds, depending on various interior option packages.
Pricing for the Biemme B12 was announced at well over $600,000, so we'd assume the bigger engine and more flexible body package would price out closer to $700,000 if someone could persuade Biemme or Rolls Royce to give the new model a try. Feel free to offer up your own name for the RR ultimate option package.
Could there be anything more luxurious than a Diamond Supreme Ultra-Platinum option package?
Our Phantom Pickup B12:
Rolls-Royce Phantom B12 hearse:
