Best 2009 prestige car (over $75,000)

Cory Klinkenburg FOR THE TORONTO STAR

Rolls-Royce Phantom

John LeBlanc

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

BEST: 2009 Rolls-Royce Phantom

Ever since its stunning debut at the 2003 Detroit auto show, the Rolls-Royce Phantom has held the top spot as The Car to Be Seen In.

Truthfully: What other vehicle that you know of can make the paparazzi swivel their lenses away from a Maybach or Bentley Arnage? Or intimidate a Cadillac Escalade because of its size?

The details, if you must ...

Okay, starting at $440,000, the Phantom takes a big swipe out of your secret Cayman Islands bank account – bigger than a $392,750 Maybach 62 or $345,990 Bentley Arnage RL.

But at least you get a monster of an engine. A 6.8-litre V12 with 453 hp and 531 lb.-ft. of torque, to be exact.

Compared to a Maybach visually, the Phantom's interior design is almost austere. All of the controls and features are hidden behind wood or leather panels that give the impression of cutting-edge, European interior design.

NEXT BEST: 2009 Bentley

Brooklands

As anyone looking for prestige will tell you, exclusivity counts for a lot. So with less than 600 planned to be made, the half-million-dollar 2009 Bentley Brooklands is rarer than Blue Jays fans this past summer.

Named after a famed closed-down racetrack in England, the Brooklands is a two-door coupe version of the discontinued Azure convertible sedan. But with a hardtop roof hand-welded into place.

There's more wood and leather inside than a London gentlemen's club. And Bentley says this is the most commodious coupe in the world, which is one way to justify its Lake Shore condo pricing.

The Bentley's ancient (based on a Packard design in use since 1959) 6.8 L twin-turbo V8 offers a massive 774 lb.-ft. of torque. Naught to 100 km/h is a sports car-like 5.3 seconds.

For 2010, Bentley looks like its about to enter the 21st century with it new Mulsanne sedan. And a more modern version of the Brooklands will surely follow.

ALSO CONSIDER:

Land Rover Range Rover: The Rolls-Royce of SUVs.

Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640: Over-the-top supercar.

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