Rolls Royce auto news

Badge-engineering at its finest? Rolls-Royce Phantom spotted in Manhattan with GM hybrid emblems

If there is any car that seems to be well suited to either hybridization or outright electrification, the Rolls-Royce Phantom would seem to be logical candidate. Many of them are used transporting the wealthy around the world's great cities like Paris, London and Manhattan in trips that are not necessarily that long. It's also not unheard for a manufacturer to provide vehicles to customers for field testing, just as BMW is doing right now with the electric Mini E. However, aside from the highly publicized Mini E project, these sorts of initiatives are typically done on the down-low.

So when we heard that someone had spotted an extended-wheelbase Phantom prowling the streets of New York with an extra badge on each of its fenders, we were naturally a bit suspect. The car that was photographed wears hybrid badges of the same type used on all of General Motors' gas-electric vehicles. The driver claims that car was loaned to a VIP client for evaluation by Rolls-Royce. Remember, friends, that Rolls-Royce is owned by BMW - a company that has a partnership with GM, Daimler and Chrysler to develop a two-mode hybrid system. It is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility that BMW might want to evaluate or even build a two-mode hybrid Phantom. However, it is almost inconceivable that any such vehicle would be clad in GM badges.

Adding further cold water to this story is the report earlier this week that BMW and Daimler are looking at dissolving the two-mode partnership and going in a different direction with their hybrid efforts. Our guess is that the owner of this particular Roller simply had a guilty environmental conscience (or a sense of humor) but couldn't bring himself to be seen in anything as pedestrian as a Toyota Prius. We're still waiting for a comment from Rolls-Royce.

Gallery: Rolls-Royce Phantom Hybrid?

Rolls-Royce gives up the Ghost... performance numbers

The official numbers for the Rolls-Royce Ghost have been revealed, and as expected, you won't need to worry about getting embarrassed. The 6.6-liter, twin-turbo V12 is rated at 563 hp and 575 lb-ft, that latter number, in typical Rolls fashion, being available practically at idle - just 1,500 rpm.

The run to 60 mph takes 4.8 seconds in North America (but 4.7 elsewhere for some reason), which is a couple of tenths behind the BMW 760i and about a second quicker than the company's own Phantom. For a car once derided as "the baby Rolls," its performance looks as if it will be pleasantly adult. It will go on sale later this year for £165,000 in the U.K. (that's $271K U.S.). You can check out our high-res gallery below and the official Rolls-Royce press release after the jump.

Gallery: Hands-On: Rolls-Royce Ghost

Continue reading Rolls-Royce gives up the Ghost... performance numbers

Crewe warehouse opens doors to liquidate vintage Bentley and Rolls-Royce parts

Bentley spare parts warehouse in Crewe - Click above for high-res image gallery

The 143,000 square foot Bentley warehouse in Crewe, England, has got to be a dream come true for British motor enthusiasts. The facility, which sits adjacent to the Bentley Motors automobile factory, holds some 55,000 part lines totaling over seven million individual items for Bentleys made after 1955 (as well as Rolls-Royce automobiles built there between then and 2002 when the companies split under Volkswagen and BMW ownership, respectively). In late September, the warehouse will open its doors to anyone - owner, enthusiast or trader - interested in stopping by to pick out that elusive part they were looking for, from indicator lights to engine blocks and everything in between.

With the all-new replacement for the Arnage line rumbling around the corner in August, Bentley evidently needs the space and motoring Anglophiles stand to benefit. Details in the press release after the jump and high-res images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Bentley warehouse - Crewe, England

Continue reading Crewe warehouse opens doors to liquidate vintage Bentley and Rolls-Royce parts

Spirit of EcstaSea: Rolls-Royce collaborates on Palmer Johnson mega-yacht

The result of Palmer Johnson's acquisition of Flekkefjord & Slipp, a Norwegian builder of exploration vessels, the 82-meter Ice Class mega yacht concept features everything a world traveler could ask for, and then some: a helipad with elevator-equipped hangar, submarine garage and a six-floor interior designed by Italian naval architects Nuvolari-Lenard - including a three-deck master stateroom, swimming pool, gym, spa, home theater...the works.

The yacht even comes equipped with such pirate-defense features as water cannons and thermal imaging cameras, along with an environmentally-friendly diesel-electric propulsion system. Granted, the branch of Rolls-Royce with which Palmer Johnson collaborated on this project has more to do with marine equipment than luxury limousines, but against the backdrop of other automotive-nautical crossovers like BMW's Bavaria Cruiser 55 and Porsche Design's Fearless 28, the PJ Ice Class World Yacht looks like the veritable Rolls-Royce of mega yachts. Have a look at the renderings in the gallery below to see for yourself.

Gallery: Palmer Johnson Rolls-Royce Ice Class World Yacht

Rolls-Royce launches configurator for 200EX/Ghost

Looking for a spectacularly useless way to waste some time? Online car configurators are one of our favorites. You can sit for an hour or more playing with different color combinations and options on a car you're never going to buy, and have absolutely nothing to show for it when you're done. The most alluring are the configurators for the most exclusive European exotica, but typically automakers don't launch these until the car's on the market, or at least has been unveiled in production form. Rolls-Royce, however, has evidently decided to jump the (nickel-plated, mother-of-pearl-handled) gun in putting online a configurator for the 200EX, the concept car that previewed the upcoming Ghost model at the Geneva show this past March.

Labeled the "visualizer", the utility is available for all your distracting, time-wasting needs on the 200EX mini-site. There you can play around with different color and trim choices inside and out, right down to the "silver satin bonnet". Enjoy, but don't come complaining to us when you haven't gotten any work done.

Gallery: Rolls-Royce 200EX concept

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Rolls-Royce 200EX concept

No Surprise: Rolls-Royce reportedly planning coupe and cabrio versions of Ghost

Without catching anyone off guard, an exterior stylist for Rolls-Royce disclosed that the company is planning both coupe and convertible variants of its upcoming all-new Ghost sedan. Andreas Thurner, responsible for penning the new four-door, told Autocar that, "...the Ghost was designed in a way to make other body styles... we have to build up a family for the Ghost just as we did for the Phantom." The coupe and cabriolet models have yet to receive any official go-ahead for production, but history is on their side.

Rolls-Royce has confirmed that the new model will receive an "intelligent" four-corner air suspension that will read multiple sensor inputs and make individual load calculations every 2.5 milliseconds. It is reportedly so sensitive that it can detect where passengers are seated and when they move about within the cabin. In addition, the air suspension will raise or lower the vehicle by 25mm (a.k.a. "the lift and kneel" function) to compensate for squat and dive, improve ground clearance, and ease entry for the soon-to-be coddled passengers. Hand-build at the company's Goodwood plant in the U.K., production is set to start later this year.

Hands-On: Rolls-Royce Ghost is 100% Roller so far

What is a brand? Beyond the badge, what separates a Louis Vuitton bag from a purse that might be just as good, but made by someone else? We come to that question on the occasion of the Rolls-Royce Ghost which, in some quarters, is being considered a Rolls only in name. Autoblog got a chance to crawl around the Ghost - not the "baby Rolls," not the "entry-level Rolls" - and see if the car really is what its makers claim it to be: every bit a Rolls-Royce motorcar.

Gallery: Hands-On: Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

Photos Copyright (C)2009 Jonathon Ramsey / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Hands-On: Rolls-Royce Ghost is 100% Roller so far

Hands-On: Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost is 100% Roller so far

What is a brand? Beyond the badge, what separates a Louis Vuitton bag from a purse that might be just as good, but made by someone else? We come to that question on the occasion of the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost which, in some quarters, is being considered a Rolls only in name. Autoblog got a chance to crawl around the Silver Ghost - not the "baby Rolls," not the "entry-level Rolls" - and see if the car really is what its makers claim it to be: every bit a Rolls-Royce motorcar.

Gallery: Hands-On: Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

Photos Copyright (C)2009 Jonathon Ramsey / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Hands-On: Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost is 100% Roller so far

Hamann gives the Rolls-Royce Phantom a shot of adrenaline

With seemingly ever luxury automaker under the sun going after BMW's coveted balance between sport and luxury, it's a little ironic that BMW's own uber-luxury marque is the one to focus purely on cushioned comfort. But not everyone wants that out of their Rolls-Royce, or so Hamann is evidently betting. The German tuning firm has tweaked everything from Bimmer crossovers to Ferrari supercars and everything in between, but has now turned its attention to the Rolls-Royce Phantom range.

Few details are available at this point, but from what we can tell, Hamann has treated the Phantom saloon and Drophead Coupe to a set of 23" rims in case the standard 21" wheels weren't big enough, apparently ditching the self-righting emblem hubs in the process. A power boost is also said to be in the mix, bringing the 6.75-liter V12's output up from 460 horsepower to a more stately 535, and torque up from 720 newton-meters (531 lb-ft) to 835 Nm (615 lb-ft). With the electronic limiter removed, the Hamann-tuned Phantoms are said to be good for 300 km/h (187 mph), to be controlled from the plush interior via a specially-crafted sports steering wheel. Click on the thumbnails below to view in our gallery.

Gallery: Hamann Rolls-Royce Phantom

Rolls-Royce to build special edition Minis?

Gearing up for production of the Silver Ghost, Rolls-Royce recently put out the call for craftspeople good with wood, leather, and paint. If a new MotoringFile report is true, if any of you get the job, you might be making wood veneers not just for the new plutocratic sedan, but for a few special Mini models as well.

Word is that Rolls-Royce will be developing a range of "coachbuilt" factory options, lumped together as options packages for Mini that you can order at your dealer and that would be administered at the Oxford plant. It is also being suggested that the Rolls name will somehow be attached to the special Coopers as well. You can let your Mini dealer know if you're interested in the program, but based on the estimated price of some other special edition Minis, well, be prepared to pay a lot of money.