V16 Phantom: That's how Mr Bean Rolls

There was a time when Rolls-Royce got a bit shirty over people modifying its luxury sedans. But now, if you're a comic with a taste for the absurd, they'll help you tweak it.

Rowan Atkinson, star of Blackadder, Mr Bean and the Johnny English movies, managed to convince Rolls to bung an experimental V16 in its shiny new Phantom.

Back in the 1960s and 70s, a V12 Merlin engine from a scrapped plane found its way into a variety of bodies, eventually being fitted into a custom "shooting brake" shell called The Beast with Rolls-Royce grille, badges and the Spirit of Ecstasy.    Read More