Details on the 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost are officially released:

Rolls-Royce has officially dropped dozens of images and plenty of details on its new “baby” saloon, the Ghost. The new Roller won’t be seen publicly for another week, when it’ll formally bow in Frankfurt, but we now know that its 6.6-liter V12 generates an impressive 575 lb-ft of torque at 1,500 rpm, along with 563 horsepower in U.S. trim. The 212.6-inch body stretches over a 129.7 inch long wheelbase, and the whole car weighs in at 5,445 pounds unloaded.

There are no surprises in the styling, which is unchanged from the 200EX concept displayed in Geneva last March. naturally, the Ghost retains the Phantom-style coach doors (don’t call them suicide in the presence of a Rolls rep) with built-in umbrellas. Inside, the Ghost carries over additional Phantom quirks, such as the “Power Reserve” gauge the driver gets in lieu of a traditional tachometer. Aside from that, this is clearly more of a driver’s car than the Phantom, whose opulent backseat accommodations show that it’s more about being driven in. The Ghost’s steering wheel is much smaller in diameter and has a thicker rim than its big brother, and the seats appear to have more contouring for lateral support, as well. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but plan on bringing a Halliburton attache case full of cash if you plan on buying one, just to be on the safe side. A video and an exhaustive official press release follows after the jump.

Source Autoblog

A little while ago, Rolls-Royce released some engineering details on the upcoming Rolls-Royce Ghost but they still kept exact details under the covers. As we come closer and closer to the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show unveiling of the Ghost, we now have more concrete technical specs from Rolls-Royce.

Power will officially come from a 6.6L turbocharged V12 engine that produces 563-hp with a maximum torque of 575 lb-ft. The engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic ZF gearbox. 0 to 60 mph comes in just 4.7 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph (electronically limited).

Rolls-Royce also confirmed that UK and European sales of the Rolls-Royce Ghost will start in late 2009 with prices starting from £165,000 ($271,426 USD). USA and Asia Pacific customer deliveries will start in the second quarter of 2010.

Source Egmcartech

Imagine a Mini Cooper with a Rolls-Royce trimmed interior? According to AutoCar, that’s exactly what BMW is considering offering those willing to pay the price. The German automaker is planning to introduce a high-end Mini that will be re-trimmed by Rolls-Royce if the project is given the green light.

Sources say that the Mini Cooper seen in these pictures is not a one-off model – but a prototype for a premium custom version of the Cooper.

Those willing to pay the price for the high-end Mini will be able to visit Rolls-Royce’s Goodwood factory to select their interior trim, dashboard finishes, and other touches for their exclusive Mini.

We’re hoping to get official details very soon.

Source Egmcartech

Despite the fact that Rolls Royce is still calling its 200EX (aka RR4) a concept, the vehicle that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month is, in reality, a thinly disguised future production model that could possibly revive the Silver Ghost nameplate from the early 1900s. According to the European rumormill, the brand may be considering expanding the new downsized range with coupe and droptop versions that would all be based on the same architecture that’s been borrowed from the latest BMW 7 Series.

We can’t speak to the voracity of these rumors, but the move does seem to make sense as it would follow the same pattern that RR took with its larger Phantom range. In any case, we’re expecting a production model based on the 200EX concept to bow later this year at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Source Autoblog

Auto Telegraaf reports a tidbit on the coming Rolls-Royce 4 that would make the car something special indeed: it claims the car will cost €380,000.

If true, that would make it the second priciest car in the Rolls-Royce line-up, with only the Phantom LWB a scant €20,000 ahead of it. Rolls-Royce CEO Tom Purves did say that the newest model would be ” more expensive than any Bentley,” but we don’t think he meant that expensive.

The actual price will probably be around half of that, €190,000 in Europe, $250,000 or so in the U.S. In addition to coupe and convertible variants to follow its introduction, the car is slated to fit a wide range of powerplants for a Roller: BMW’s V12 and turbocharged V8 are in the picture, and diesel and hybrid lumps are on the table. And soon we won’t need to call it by its codename any more; the car is rumored to wear the Silver Ghost moniker.

Source Autoblog

The Rolls-Royce RR4 prototype was taken to the streets of Dubai. Luckily the video capturer had his camera ready to snap up this video of the car. The new smaller Rolls will be based on the long wheelbase of the new BMW 7 Series and should see its own “exclusive engine” as our friends at WCF point out.

We would like to see a modified version of the twin turbo V8 found in the current generation BMW 7 er. Look for a launch sometime in 2010 , when you will for sure see a few “rollin” around Dubai.The video itself shows the Rolls-Royce RR4 prototype taking to the streets in Dubai. Luckily the video capturer had his camera ready to snap up this video of the car. The new smaller Rolls will be based on the long wheelbase of the new BMW 7 Series and should see its own “exclusive engine” as our friends at WCF point out. We would like to see a modified version of the twin turbo V8 found in the current generation BMW 7 er. Look for a launch sometime in 2010 , when you will for sure see a few “rollin” around Dubai.

A new entry-level model is being developed by Rolls-Royce for a 2010 launch. It is expected to double the ultra-luxury carmaker’s number of vehicles annually. The new car spotted testing in both the UK and Germany called the ‘RR4′ internally.
Former Rolls-Royce CEO Ian Robertson has previously mentioned the carmaker would add a second shift to its Goodwood, UK, plant to build the new car and that up to 800 units per year would be built. Last year, RR sold 805 cars world-wide, so the new model would effectively double the luxury carmaker’s sales.

RR4 will share much in common with parent company BMW’s long-wheelbase 7-series and will be roughly the same size as the German limo. However, the platform and engine for the car would be unique to Rolls-Royce. Most of the shared parts will include various electronic components but the car will have the attributes and behavior of a Rolls-Royce.

The heavy camouflage hides most of the details about the car’s styling but we do get a good sense of the its proportions on the road. As expected it will feature a long hood and short rear decklid like its big brother – the Phantom saloon. The rendering give us a glimpse at a possible design for the new baby Rolls and shows that designers will likely stick with the chiseled looks of the Phantom as well.

RR4 is tipped to enter production late next year and final pricing should fall between $250,000 and $300,000.

CAR Magazine rendered a design concept for the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Phantom Drophead and Phantom Coupe allowing a sneak-peak on a highly anticipated design.

As reported by Autoblog:

The design of a Rolls-Royce is so iconic that it’s not terribly difficult to imagine what the luxury brand’s next model, a smaller sedan priced well below the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Phantom Drophead and Phantom Coupe, will look like. CAR Magazine, however, has enough Photoshop skills to transform an official pic of the Phantom Drophead into the four-door Bentley Continental killer that we’re all so eager to see. Based on the same mechanicals as the next-generation long-wheelbase BMW 7-Series, the new Baby Rolls will eventually give birth to an entire model lineup that includes a coupe and convertible, just like the Bentley Continental spawned the Flying Spur and GTC. The potential for three new models means Rolls-Royce cars will become more commonplace on the roads, as the brand expects to double its sales after the new baby arrives. But Bentley has proven a top-tier luxury marque can cross the threshold of 10,000 sales per year and still retain its luster, and it appears Rolls is right behind them. Thanks for the tip, Phred!

[Source: CAR]

Originally by John Neff from Autoblog on March 18, 2008, 4:29am