"Baby" Rolls, stretched Phantom, cabriolet & possibly a coupe . . .
Press release :
STATEMENT FROM ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS
29.09.2006
Rolls-Royce new model series
At a private function at the Paris motor show yesterday evening, Ian Robertson, Chairman and Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, confirmed that work has begun on a new model series. It will be launched within the next four years. The new car will be smaller than the Phantom and cost between 200,000 Euros and 300,000 Euros before tax. Planning permission has been granted to expand business operations at Goodwood. Further details will be announced in due course.
Sales of Rolls-Royce Phantoms are forecasted to be around 800 cars by the end of 2006, marking a fourth consecutive year of growth. The Phantom and extended wheelbase version will soon be joined by a new convertible model that will be unveiled in 2007.
BigVIPness
09-29-06, 09:33 AM
How do you stretch a Phantom?? Theres 6 feet from the front of the car to the start of the windshield!
Gojirra99
09-29-06, 09:36 AM
I think it's the wheelbase, to make the rear seat room even better.
Tammy
09-29-06, 09:42 AM
The added length is between the driver and the rear wheels... on a Rolls anyway.
It usually includes a partition window and larger fold down tables, along with added rear passenger leg room.
rominl
09-29-06, 09:50 AM
hahhaa it will soon become a limo i guess :)
Lexmex
09-29-06, 10:53 AM
After I read this, I had this picture in my head of a wider than normal Rolls Royce.
Gojirra99
01-15-07, 05:33 PM
“Budget” Rolls to get its own platform
Posted on Monday 15 January 2007
Rolls Royce is currently developing a new entry-level model for launch in 2010 with an estimated sales price of between $250,000 and $300,000. Automotive News reports that the car’s design work was completed and approved last month and the project is now in its engineering phase. RR’s CEO Ian Robertson stated that the company will add a second shift to its Goodwood, UK, plant to build the new car, with an expected output of roughly 800 cars annually.
Last year, RR sold 805 cars world-wide, so the new model would effectively double the luxury carmaker’s sales. The car 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 company still hasn’t decided whether to use its 6.75-liter powerplant or a new engine.
There is a gap between cars like BMW’s 7-series and the mega-expensive Phantom that could be filled by an all new segment of “budget” luxury cars. Key features of the new model will be a tall seating position, instant acceleration and a whisper quiet interior.
We’re glad that BMW has decided to allow RR to build cars “the right way,” unlike rival carmaker Volkswagen, which has taken the Bentley brand downmarket through parts-sharing and less exclusivity.source : motorauthority
1SICKLEX
01-15-07, 05:35 PM
Good move by RR but I hope they don't dilute too much. You think RR, you think THE BEST sedan u can buy.
Gojirra99
01-15-07, 06:02 PM
Before they got taken over by BMW, the Rolls Royce Silver Seraph which the current Phantom replaced is a $220K+ car, not a $300K + car like the current Phantom, so I don't think if they make this "budget" or "baby" Rolls to sell at between $250K to 300K, it will dilute the brand at all.
1SICKLEX
01-15-07, 06:06 PM
Before they got taken over by BMW, the Rolls Royce Silver Seraph which the current Phantom replaced is a $220K+ car, not a $300K + car like the current Phantom, so I don't think if they make this "budget" or "baby" Rolls to sell at between $250K to 300K, it will dilute the brand at all.
U know I read what I said and I can't buy either so whatever they decide is fine by me.:D
JessePS
01-16-07, 03:01 PM
"DETROIT -- Rolls-Royce plans to launch a smaller car in 2010 and price it between $250,000 and $300,000." (Courtesy of Autonews)
Story (http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070115/REG/70112077/1115/BREAKING&refsect=BREAKING)
JessePS
01-16-07, 03:06 PM
Let me post in my own thread. Plus Maybach (Daimler Chrysler) suppose to also bring out a shorter version, probably same time as Rolls Royce.
Interesting that they are finally going into that type of market, seeing Bentley been in it for a bit since they were bought by VW.
BMW 760Li - $121,000
Rolls Royce (SWB) - $250,000
rai
01-16-07, 03:54 PM
I like the idea of a 'cheaper' RR
But I'm not seeing 2x the cost of a 760i
Maybe I'm cheap, but $250K seems like a bit much. I like the Bentley idea better with the step-up car from the A8 costing under $200K.
Like this 760i ($120K)
>-----< Something in the middle (IMO $250K-$300K is closer to $330K than $120K) I'd like to see something in the $180K-$200K range.
RR Phantom ($330K)
Not that I'm the target buyer so it doesn't matter what I think.
However if I was tempted to buy a car over $100K it'd have to be closer to $100K than it was to $200K LOL.
There is always pre-owned, I suspect these cars will lose just as much if not more than an ordinary car, so what I mean is today Bentley Conti costs $170K in 4 years it's selling for the price of a new A8.
There would be hope if RR came out with a tasty sedan built off the 7-series that some day it will sell for similar price to a new 7
But look at me talking about money when the typical RR owner has so much that to them a baby RR would be to me like buying a Civic.
Gojirra99
03-12-07, 08:05 AM
http://www.motorauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/Rolls_Royce/Spy_Shots/RR_small.jpg
Posted on Monday 12 March 2007
The CEO of Rolls-Royce Ian Robertson has told reporters at last week’s Geneva Motor Show that the introduction of a new entry-level model will likely double the prestige label’s annual output to roughly 1,600 cars. According to Automotive News, the smaller car is expected to enter the market in 2010 and will be priced between €200,000 and €300,000.
Robertson wasn’t willing to give a description of the new model but said it will be “unmistakably a Rolls-Royce,” and that it will remain a niche model so as retain the exclusivity of the marque. A second shift will be added to the Goodwood factory in England, where some 800 units will be produced on top of today’s output of 800 vehicles. The company has already sold-out its Phantom Drophead Coupe convertible until the end of 2008, and that car isn’t even due to hit the market until August.
This latest rendering give us a glimpse at a possible design for the new baby Rolls and shows that its designers will likely stick with the chiseled looks of the larger Phantom saloon. To cut development cost and time, engineers will use parts from BMW’s long-wheelbase 7-series but will utilize a powerplant that’s uniquely 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” said Robertson. source : motorauthority
Maybe I'm cheap, but $250K seems like a bit much. I like the Bentley idea better with the step-up car from the A8 costing under $200K.
Like this 760i ($120K)
>-----< Something in the middle (IMO $250K-$300K is closer to $330K than $120K) I'd like to see something in the $180K-$200K range.
RR Phantom ($330K)
Not that I'm the target buyer so it doesn't matter what I think.
However if I was tempted to buy a car over $100K it'd have to be closer to $100K than it was to $200K LOL.
There is always pre-owned, I suspect these cars will lose just as much if not more than an ordinary car, so what I mean is today Bentley Conti costs $170K in 4 years it's selling for the price of a new A8.
There would be hope if RR came out with a tasty sedan built off the 7-series that some day it will sell for similar price to a new 7
But look at me talking about money when the typical RR owner has so much that to them a baby RR would be to me like buying a Civic.
I read a while back BMW trying to see what they can make too close the gap between the 7-series and the new smaller RR
JessePS
09-05-07, 06:32 AM
After launching the company's first ever pre-owned car program, it appears as though Rolls-Royce is once again trying to make the marque more accessible to potential buyers. Rolls-Royce, which is now owned by BMW, will introduce a new model in 2010 that will be smaller and cheaper than the Phantom, hoping to double world-wide output to 1,600 cars.
According to Automotive News, Rolls-Royce's new model will be positioned between the BMW 7-series and the Rolls-Royce Phantom. While the platform and engine will be unique to Rolls-Royce, the new car is expect to be around the size of the long-wheelbase 7-series. Rolls-Royce is still deciding on what engine the new car will use but the 6.75 liter V12 seems likely. Prices for the "baby" Phantom are expected to start north of $260,000.
Rolls-Royce is also planning to bow the Phantom coupe in late 2008 or early 2009. The concept version, called the 101EX, made its debut at the 2006 Geneva auto show.
The first 30 Phantom Drophead Coupes are set to be delivered this month, with Rolls-Royce hoping to sell 150-200 of the $412,000 convertibles in the U.S.
(Courtesy of Leftlanenews)
One thing the "baby" will be the same price as the Bentley Arnage T.
Richie
09-05-07, 12:44 PM
LOL, a baby rolls.
GS3Tek
09-05-07, 04:03 PM
Replace "expand" with "dilute":D:woot:
Ice350
09-05-07, 04:25 PM
Well, I think it's a good thing. What company can survive on one product these days. We fickle humans are too apt to do the "here today, gone tomorrow" thing. Look at Porsche, all those years living off the 911. They wouldn't be here today if they hadn't diversified.
BMW has started testing its new baby Rolls-Royce – and our spies were on hand to capture the moment this mule took to the roads around Munich. Size is relative, of course; this might be the smallest Rolls for generations, but it will still dwarf the majority of cars on the road.
Nestling under the disguise of this long-wheelbase 7-series lie the innards of the baby Roller, codenamed New Generation Saloon. The smaller Rolls will slot beneath the Phantom uber-saloon in the range and officials talk of it as ‘a Silver Shadow for the 21st century’. Strip away the BM bodywork, and the baby Rolls will look like the car depicted in our artist’s impression above.
Classic four-door proportions
CAR Online understands the NGS has a classic four-door silhouette that stretches to five-and-a-half metres long. Even Rolls-Royce owners downsizing won’t put up with cramped cabin conditions after all. Will it have the suicide – sorry, coach – doors so beloved of £265,000 Phantom owners? Nobody is certain yet, but it seems likely if customers are to be lured out of their top-spec BMWs, Mercedes and Bentleys.
Analysis of our exclusive scoop shots reveals a platform whose track is noticeably wider than a 7-series’, and the raised ride height is another indicator of what lies beneath this BM body. Check out the size of the brake discs too – required to halt a couple of tonnes of luxury car. The unknown at this stage is the material used to build the NGS; the Phantom’s aluminium spaceframe could be deemed too expensive for the smaller, more affordable car.
Many of the next-gen 7-series’ underpinnings will be used on the secret new Rolls-Royce, and a BMW-derived V12 is likely to provide the propulsion. In the longer run, we’d expect the British luxury brand to dip into parent firm BMW’s hybrid technology; not that Rolls-Royce owners worry unduly about their fuel bills - but they do worry about what people say about them. Even the world’s most exclusive uber-brands will need to face up to their environmental responsibilities in the 21st century.
Inside the baby Rolls
The inside will be as luxurious as you’d expect of a Rolls-Royce; the company’s artisans employ know-how and materials from the world of yachts and bespoke furniture to craft the sumptuous cabin of the Phantom. We hear there will be a high level of pampering in the smaller Rolls, with quality wood, soft hide and opulent paint choices aplenty.
But the NGS is aimed at a younger buyer than the Phantom, so this cabin will be available with much high-tech gadgetry. Expect radar-based cruise control, auto-shutting doors and fibre optic headlining for that star-studded sky effect, and there will be a new generation of digital read-out screens that are immune from bright sunlight and problems with shadows.
Baby Rolls: the timeframe
Expect a concept car to hail from Rolls’ Goodwood HQ at some point later in 2008 or, more likely, in 2009. This year the company is busy concentrating on the new Phantom Coupe which launches at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, and the smaller car won’t arrive in production form until late 2009.
Prices aren’t fixed yet, but the baby Rolls-Royce won’t wear a truly bargain price. It will be significantly cheaper than the quarter-million pound Phantom and its £307,000 Drophead Coupe convertible sibling – but we’re still talking about an entry price of some £175,000.
But when it does finally go on sale it should swell the production figures at Goodwood significantly, with BMW targeting around 2000 units a year. A second assembly line is being installed to cope with the upshift.
Ten years after BMW bought Britain’s most prestigious car company, it seems that Rolls-Royce is finally getting into its stride.via carmagazine
JessePS
01-09-08, 07:26 AM
I hope it has the suicide doors. It is like Lamborghini removing the scissors doors from the Gallardo
2SAVVY
01-09-08, 10:09 AM
U know I read what I said and I can't buy either so whatever they decide is fine by me.:D
Mike,
I can so see you in a Rolls in FLA when you all do the "What the "F" event". Now that would be big pimp'n.
BTW you all have fun down there!
2008 Detroit Auto Show: Rolls-Royce Develops New Engine for RR4 Model Series
Date posted: 01-15-2008
DETROIT — Rolls-Royce Chairman and Chief Executive Ian Robertson said on Monday that the company's new model series, code-named RR4, will get a "brand-new" engine. Details were sketchy about the new engine, but Robertson characterized it as "a further substantial advance.
"To date I haven't been able to tell you much about the RR4, but I can announce today that we are developing a brand-new engine for this model series," he said. "Phantom is already the most efficient car in the superluxury segment, and the new engine will be a further substantial advance."
He said the RR4 "is due for launch in 2010." Robertson elaborated: "The engineering development is now well underway — in fact, I recently drove an early test car and can confirm that it is an outstanding product and, as importantly, an authentic Rolls-Royce."
Robertson's speech included the update that the new member of the Phantom family, a series version of the two-door four-seat experimental coupe, the 101EX, will be in customers' hands in the summer. He noted that the reaction to the Phantom Drophead Coupe, which launched in July, has been "outstanding." He said the company had sold more than 250 Phantom Drophead Coupes by the end of 2007. "Our order book is currently full through this year and well into 2009, with no signs of demand slowing," Robertson added.
Rolls-Royce also achieved a significant milestone in 2007, selling 1,010 vehicles. "This is a significant point in the history of our company," Robertson said, noting that it's "the first time our annual sales have reached four figures, and our fourth successive sales increase since the company was launched."
What this means to you: Rolls-Royce continues on a healthy track, but it's getting increasingly difficult to get your hands on popular models. via edmunds
JessePS
01-16-08, 10:25 AM
Might at least see one in Montreal.
jmd93
01-16-08, 03:46 PM
id buy quatraporte then a baby rolls and keep the extra 100 grand
JessePS
01-16-08, 04:14 PM
id buy quatraporte then a baby rolls and keep the extra 100 grand
or a Lexus LS460L
GFerg
01-16-08, 04:20 PM
I really love the newest genration of RR's. They are all about the old school luxury. Design, tons of leather and wood, and chrome. :thumbup: Cant wait to see what they have planned for the baby RR.
via edmunds
How long has the current engine been in production?? It seems like forever. :uh: I know the engine in the Lambo Murci dates back to the model before the Countach some 30-40 years ago (with obvious updates).
World exclusive: Rolls-Royce 'RR4' spied
29 January 2008
The most important new Rolls-Royce in a decade is coming closer to a road-going reality, and these are the pictures that prove it. According to Autocar’s information, you’re looking at one of the first full-bodied prototypes for the car known internally at Rolls' Goodwood HQ as ‘RR4’ - the firm's all-new smaller saloon model due to go on sale in 2010.
A Phantom that will fit on your driveway
Our spies have exposed the new smallest Rolls-Royce in its entirety for the first time. These shots, snapped recently in Munich, show how faithfully the new car will adopt the Phantom’s design language (reference the car’s thick C-pillar and suicide rear doors). However, it’s also significantly lower and shorter than a Phantom, has a shorter bonnet, and a much less upright grille, than its bigger sibling.
Rolls-Royce’s plans to build RR4 have been public knowledge since the Paris motor show in 2006, when CEO Ian Robertson announced them on the eve of first press day. Construction is already underway at the firm’s Goodwood factory to expand production facilities and increase capacity in preparation for the new car.
RR4 should be in showrooms by the end of the decade and, priced from around £175,000, will make entry to one of the most prestigious owners’ clubs in the motoring world almost £50,000 cheaper.
BMW mechanicals; special engines
Unlike the Phantom, which has its own extruded aluminium monocoque skeleton, RR4 will have a steel body structure shared, in many respects, with the new BMW 7-series. As Autocar understands it, the new BMW’s platform is a hybrid of aluminium and steel, and is flexible enough to allow Rolls-Royce to give RR4 a wheelbase, roof height, bonnet height and track widths all of its own.
Various chassis, cabin, drivetrain and electrics components will also be shared with the new Seven, but according to one RR source, they’ll be confined wherever possible to those components the owner can’t see.
One area where Rolls won’t look to save costs is under RR4’s bonnet. The car will have at least one, and possibly two multicylinder powerplants that, like the Phantom’s 6.75-litre V12, will be exclusive to Rolls-Royce. Developments of the 407bhp 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 from the BMW X6, or the 441bhp 6.0-litre V12 from the current 760i, are possibilities. Neither would be allowed to eclipse the Phantom’s 453bhp and generous 531lb ft of torque though, in order to maintain the brand’s model hierarchy.
One company source told us that Rolls-Royce high-ups are even warming towards the idea of a diesel-engined Rolls-Royce. “It would have all the important characteristics of the Rolls-Royce driving experience,” he said – “i.e. plenty of low-range torque and ‘waftability’.”
“What’s more, the old-money buyers who might have been put off by the idea of a diesel engine are becoming a much less important part of our customer base.”
Matt SaundersSource (http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/230570/)
JessePS
01-30-08, 11:57 AM
It is pretty much 2x the price of a Lexus LS600h L.
BigVIPness
01-30-08, 12:28 PM
It is pretty much 2x the price of a Lexus LS600h L.
and pretty much 2x the name, quality, ect.... i'm excited to see this one!
JessePS
01-30-08, 01:56 PM
and pretty much 2x the name, quality, ect.... i'm excited to see this one!
Very true.
I can't wait to see it either.
UberNoob
01-31-08, 03:54 AM
from the door handles, it looks like rear will still be suicide doors
which is good news
i wonder if this one will come with an umbrella too
maybe a smaller one? :D