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.

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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