Paul Tan's Automotive News » Rolls Royce

Rolls-Royce rolls out the ‘Year of the Dragon Collection’

Danny Tan — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:26:44 +0000

Rolls-Royce has announced its Year of the Dragon Collection, a commemorative offering Inspired by the legendary creature revered by the Chinese. Designed in England by the brand’s Bespoke Team, the Year of the Dragon Collection has been created to “celebrate the ultimate symbol of power, prosperity and good fortune”. By the way, the Chinese Year of the Dragon starts from 23 January.

On first glimpse of the Dragon RR, a prominent feature is the twin coachline with a dragon, in gold colour, hand-painted to the side of each Phantom or Phantom Extended Wheelbase. In order to achieve perfect symmetry and balance, the dragon will always look forward. The hand-painted dragon coachline is inspired by the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Inside, the dragon is hand embroidered onto the interior leather of every headrest using a combination of four thread colours: Tan, Golden Sand, Black and White. The combination is designed to complement a pallette of recommended leather colour options and the design can be finished with additional seat piping. There are also two hand stitched cushions for the rear passengers, specified with embroidered contrast double R-R logos and piping.

All four door sills will feature exclusive red illuminated treadplates with Year of the Dragon 2012 highlighted with LED lighting. A dragon inlay will be hand laid to the passenger panel of every car in this unique collection. The Phantom model name is also applied in gold. Wood wise, modern or traditional marquetry matches the customer’s veneer choice, which is laser-cut and then hand assembled into position in the veneer.

Taukes who want to ride with dragons in the year of the dragon can place orders at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Kuala Lumpur, located along Jalan Semangat in Petaling Jaya.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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Rising demand: Rolls-Royce to expand Goodwood plant

Danny Tan — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:32:13 +0000

The number of mega rich people are rising, and the rich are getting richer! That’s why Rolls-Royce sold a record 2,711 units last year, and is currently on track to beat that 2010 figure this year. And in line with this rising demand for its ultra luxury cars, as well as more orders for highly personalised Ghosts and Phantoms, the BMW owned brand will be expanding its Goodwood plant.

The famous home of Rolls-Royce in West Sussex will see an increase in size by more than 2,500 square metres for the Assembly Hall. A new extension will also increase the Surface Finish Centre by more than 640 square metres. Total investment in the project will be about £10 million.

The new space, and some infrastructure changes, will allow the company’s manufacturing and Bespoke operation to expand significantly. This year, Rolls-Royce has seen a significant increase in demand for personalised bespoke models, and the company recently announced a doubling in the number of Bespoke experts. RR is also expanding its network, with several new dealerships recently launched in North America, Asia Pacific and Europe, with more coming in 2011.

Construction will commence later this year and will be completed in late 2012. We recently drove the battery powered Rolls-Royce 102EX, also known as the Phantom Experimental Electric. Click here to read the report.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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Rolling in electric – We drive the battery powered Rolls-Royce 102EX a.k.a. Phantom Experimental Electric!

Danny Tan — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:26:29 +0000

Oil is a finite resource, something we cannot enjoy forever, certainly not at the rate the world is burning today. Downsizing is the “in thing” of the auto industry today, which is producing smaller, more frugal combustion engines alongside hybrid powertrains. What then is the future of a brand like Rolls-Royce, renowned for mega luxury cars with equally big V12s?

Back in February 2010, Rolls-Royce announced the birth of its 102EX, also known as the Phantom Experimental Electric. As its name suggests, the Phantom EE is a battery powered version of Goodwood’s flagship Phantom, built not to preview an upcoming production model, but to spark debate, and give us a glimpse of what could be the future.

Throughout 2011, the fully functioning and drivable Phantom EE will tour the world to give owners, VIPs, the media and enthusiasts the chance to experience an electric Rolls, gathering feedback for the company in the process. One fundamental question the Phantom EE poses is: Can an all-electric drivetrain deliver an authentic Rolls-Royce experience that customers expect, and an experience that befits the marque?

“After this program, Rolls-Royce will be in the position to make a more informed decision on its future,” Hal Serudin, Rolls-Royce Asia Pacific’s Corporate Communications Manager told us. Our neighbour Singapore, the nation with the highest concentration of millionaires in the world, was the first city on Rolls-Royce’s 102EX International Tour (China and USA are the next stops), and we were lucky to be among the first in the world to sample the electric Phantom, of which only one unit exists at present.

Continue reading after the jump.

I have to admit that I approached the 102EX with some trepidation. The Phantom is a gigantic car, bigger than any passenger car on the road, and the 102EX is a left hand drive car on right hand drive Singaporean roads.

It’s also the only running unit in the world – if I had damaged it, this writer would have single handedly disrupted RR’s International Tour! Oh, and it took Rolls-Royce the small sum of US$3 million to make one!

Here’s what the car is about, in a nutshell. Based on the standard wheelbase Phantom (3,570 mm, Extended WB is 3,820 mm), the 102EX has a Nickel Cobalt Manganese battery pack and two electric motors in place of the regular 6.75-litre V12 engine and six-speed gearbox. The motors are mounted on the rear sub frame and are connected to a single speed transmission with integrated open differential by Xtrac.

Each motor produces 145 kW, giving the Phantom EE 290 kW, or about 390 hp, in total. This is less than the V12 Phantom’s 453 hp, but the 102EX has 800 Nm of torque available from rest compared to the standard car’s 720 Nm at 3,500 rpm. The torque isn’t so much a luxury but a necessity here, since the 102EX is heavier than the Phantom by almost 200 kg (unladen weight is 2,720 kg).

The battery pack powering the motors consists of five modules of cells (96 of them in total) arranged to resemble the overall shape of the gasoline engine and gearbox. It can be replenished either via single-phase charging (20 hours), three-phase charging (8 hours) or wait for this – wireless induction charging!

Basically, this trial method just requires the Phantom EE to be parked above a transfer pad on the floor (I’m imagining a burger frying pan) connected to a mains source. Power frequencies then travel magnetically to the induction pad lining the 102EX’s underbody.

This system is said to be 90% as efficient as the standard charging method, although I’m not sure what will happen when that proud neighbourhood kitty decides to sashay across the pan! Anyhow, Rolls-Royce didn’t bring this along to Singapore, so we didn’t get to try anything funny.

Notice the brilliant sparkling paintjob in our opening photo? That’s the 102EX’s special Atlantic Chrome finish that stands out even more in the metal, especially when the sun is out. A special car needs special paint, but that’s not easy to do when Rolls-Royce already has a range of bespoke paint options with 45,000 colours!

Atlantic Chrome is a type of highly reflective paint using ceramic nano particles. How small are they? Just about 80,000 times smaller than the thickness of hair and 1,000 times smaller than a normal paint particle! In all, 16 coats of paint were needed to achieve the stunning finish (four of which were Atlantic Chrome) plus many, many man hours.

Besides the birth of the 102EX, 2011 also marks the 100th birthday of the Spirit of Ecstasy, which has stood proudly on Rolls-Royce cars since it was registered on 6 February 1911. So the 102EX wears a special one made of Makrolon (a type of polycarbonate) and illuminated in blue. Also notice that the double R badges are in red, reserved for EX models.

Back to the experience. My drive partner took the wheel first, allowing me to sit where most Rolls-Royce owners sit – at the back. While one can specify a Rolls in any colour or material possible, the most popular and traditional choice is lots of timber and a light hue.

For the 102EX, RR took the experimental theme into the cabin as well, which features dark brown Corinova leather, leather floor carpets in place of lambs wool and a white carbon fibre style finish (RR calls the pattern aluminised foil weave) on the dash.

Now, there’s more to the leather than just its colour. The name Corinova is taken from an experimental natural vegetable tanning process that uses chestnut extract and Tara powder from South America to make Glutardialehyde.

Unlike the usual chrome tanning process, Corinova uses less paint finish and creates less waste, and delivers more curves, creases and features that makes the leather look more “alive”, for lack of a better description.

Rolls-Royce says that with further development, Corinova leather can be used to aerate soil in agriculture. From dust to dust.

The Corinova leather completely transforms the interior ambiance, and while it’s quite unique, I can’t say that I prefer it over the typical RR living quarters. Same goes for the contrasting white trim, which could be a hit with bling loving hip hop artistes.

The leather flooring feels more “robust” and is much easier to clean though, and the Phantom EE has a flat floor since the electric drivetrain doesn’t need a propshaft. The dark tanned hide covers the roof lining as well, so it’s quite dark inside compared to conventional RRs.

The experience of rolling in electric is as hushed as you like; the EE’s electric drivetrain dovetailing perfectly with RR’s specialty of insulation from the outside world, which is otherworldly in the world of cars. I’ve been in a couple of electric cars before, but none feels as remote as this. The seating position on the sofa bench is high and upright, and the view out is quite regal.

My switch from “boss” to driver came soon enough, and after the ritual of thumbing the parking brake button and putting the steering column mounted gear lever into D, we merged into Singapore’s West Coast Highway.

There’s no sound or shake from the drivetrain at start up, since there’s no engine – there was just a faint whirr from the motors as we pulled away, and the only thing we hear in the car is the air-con blowing. Speaking of that, the ventilation remained cool even when the motors stopped working at idle.

By the way, one of the major things RR wanted to bring home from Singapore was the 102EX’s range with the AC in use, as well as in hot temperatures. The official range figure is 125 miles (200 km), and 116 miles has been achieved around Lake Geneva, but Singapore will be a tougher test for the Phantom EE.

The Phantom is huge, but Singapore’s wide lanes made it an easier task to place the car than my previous limo experience of the BMW ActiveHybrid 7 in Munich. One also sits high and upright in a Phantom (both front and back) and the cliff like front with the Spirit of Ecstacy as marker all combine to help. The thin rimmed wheel is also very light and effortless.

After some junctions and a roundabout, I floored the pedal for the first time. No, it doesn’t pull away like a plane on take off, or even a twin-turbo BMW, but there’s enough torque for swift overtaking. The process is very efficient and graceful, and all the sound we hear is a faint whirring.

While an electric motor doles out all its torque from “0 rpm”, it’s neutralised a little by the 102EX’s great weight. A button on the wheel activates a maximum brake regeneration mode that’s much like the ‘B mode’ in the Toyota Prius – the greater drag is very apparent.

Top speed for the 102EX has been capped at 100 mph (160 km/h), and while I didn’t reach there (it’s Singapore!), I did come close, gliding along above the Malaysian highway speed limit when given the green light by the event organisers. Truly effortless and pleasant for all onboard – now, if RR could come up with a noiseless air con blower…

Rolls-Royce gave us the chance to drive the 102EX back to back with the regular petrol powered Phantom for comparison. Let’s just say that the gulf isn’t as wide as a electric/petrol comparo for a lesser car, because the Phantom is the pinnacle of refinement.

The big V12 is as silent, smooth and cultured as they come, and it isn’t undesirable even after the 102EX experience. Other than on full acceleration, you won’t hear much of it. Acceleration felt noticeably stronger than the EE, though.

A stint in the rear quarters gave me the chance to remove my shoes and dig my toes into the thick and soft lambs wool carpets absent in the 102EX. The light colours also gave the impression of a larger cabin – I like it this way.

Normally, the lack of drivetrain noise in an electric vehicle amplifies din from other sources such as the suspension and tyres, but since the 102EX is a Rolls-Royce Phantom, there’s no such thing to write about. The silent and graceful climb to speed in the EE is a great, and almost like-for-like, swap with the RR V12 experience, and you never ever have to visit a petrol station again.

This means that the most luxurious EV ever made is also the best example of the EV today. I can imagine it as a great as a point-to-point city limo, or doing the home to office commute where recharging can be done at both points. However, the question of range remains.

At present, the Phantom EE is not capable of ferrying its owner from KL to Singapore for a business meeting or to Penang for lunch without a recharging stop, for instance – and this is compromise for a group of people, and a brand, that’s not used to such a word. Battery technology will improve though, and perhaps one day, the mega rich will all roll in electric.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended Wheelbase coming in 2012

Danny Tan — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 04:51:10 +0000

There’s a new Rolls-Royce variant coming to town, and its the Ghost Extended Wheelbase (EWB) that was launched at Auto Shanghai earlier this year. RR personnel say that a year end launch in Malaysia is planned, with the first units expected to reach customers in Q1 2012. Production of the Ghost EWB starts this September in Goodwood, England.

As its name suggests, the Ghost EWB features an elongated wheelbase for more rear legroom and a revised standard spec sheet. The distance between the wheels has been stretched by 170 mm compared to the standard Ghost, resulting in minimum rear kneeroom (distance between the back of the front seat in its rearmost position and the front of the rear seat squab) increasing from 160 to 330 mm. It’s a substantial increase, as the pics below show.

The standard equipment list has been boosted to now include a panoramic sunroof, rear entertainment system and lamb’s wool carpets (the latter feels truly lovely), all previously on the options list. There are new alloys and slimmer wing mirrors, too.

Despite all that and the bigger body, we’re told that the weight increase in just 35 kilos. By the way, the Ghost is powered by a twin-turbo V12 with 563 hp and 780 Nm of torque.

In China, the EWB is about 20% costlier than the standard Ghost. In Singapore, where the Ghost is tagged at $998k, the EWB is expected to carry a price of $1.2 million.

In Malaysia, the standard Ghost is priced from RM2.6 million, so you do the +20% math. Bear in mind that some options on the SWB is standard on the EWB, though.

We previewed the car when it made a pit stop in Singapore. Gallery of live snaps after the jump.

Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended Wheelbase

Rolls-Royce Ghost Malaysian preview, Jan 2010

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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Rolls-Royce Motor Cars opens first showroom in Malaysia

Danny Tan — Fri, 20 May 2011 08:56:27 +0000

Rolls-Royce has officially opened its first showroom in Malaysia, one of only 81 dealerships in the world. Located along Jalan Semangat, Petaling Jaya, the showroom is part of the Quill 9 building and is owned by Quill Motorcars. Quill also has a BMW dealership in the same building.

If you’re wondering, yes, the showroom has been around for quite some time now – it was the venue of the Rolls-Royce Ghost preview we covered back in January 2010 – but it gets an official opening today with ribbon cutting by Deputy Minister of Finance Dato Donald Lim, Rolls-Royce Asia Pacific Regional Director Paul Harris and Group Executive Director of Quill Group Dato’ Michael Ong, among other VIPs.

The new 224 square metre showroom houses three Rolls-Royce cars and has a lounge that allows customers to configure their car using colour, wood and leather samples from RR’s manufacturing plant in Goodwood. When buying a Rolls-Royce, anything is possible.

Here’s a quote from Thomas Jefferson, Bespoke Sales and Communications Manager at RR: “We’re here to make your Rolls-Royce as unique as you are. You name it, we make it happen.”

Some of the bolder requests they’ve received include leather floors, illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy figurines, a Hermes roof interior and wait for this: veneers made from a tree grown in the customer’s estate! By the way, the options list already has 20 standard veneers and 25 bespoke veneers, so you’ll have to be the fussiest billionaire to require something else.

According to RR, every Phantom client is invited to witness the “marriage of the car to its engine” at Goodwood and receives a 72-page book charting the production of their unit.

We can’t possibly detail everything about RR customisation, so potential owners will have to pay the showroom a visit for the full shebang. The Rolls-Royce Ghost is priced from RM2.1 million while the Phantom family (Standard Wheelbase, Extended Wheelbase, Drophead Coupe, Coupe) is priced from RM3.3 million. Each new RR comes with a 4-year unlimited mileage warranty and 24-hour roadside assistance.

Click here to view live galleries of the Ghost and Phantom Drophead Coupe.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended Wheelbase for China market

Danny Tan — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 07:02:20 +0000

Chinese bosses love legroom and want lots of it, which is why we see “L” versions of cars like the BMW 5-Series, Audi A6 and Volvo S80. But a long wheelbase version of the Rolls-Royce Ghost? Yes, it’s been launched at the ongoing Shanghai show with “Extended Wheelbase” as the name extension.

The Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended Wheelbase is the first ever RR to be launched in Asia, and there’s no prizes for predicting that it will be the best selling RR in China, where it will cost 5.118 million RMB, about 20% costlier than the standard Ghost.

For that premium, buyers get a 170 mm longer wheelbase and increased minimum rear kneeroom (distance between the back of the front seat in its rearmost position and the front of the rear seat’s squab) from 160 to 330 mm. In addition, a panoramic sunroof is standard. From the outside, the Ghost EWB has a new forged alloy wheel design.

But if they wanted a larger Rolls, isn’t there the Phantom? Autocar UK asked the same question, and here’s what RR CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos told them:

“For some of our customers, a Phantom is just too much: too big, too ostentatious, too formal, too expensive. The Ghost EWB is a car that’s more usable every day; the sort of car that you can be chauffeured in during the week, and still enjoy as a driver’s car at weekends. And that’s an increasingly popular usage pattern in developing Asian markets.”

More hi-res pics after the jump.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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MINI Inspired by Goodwood: Rolls-Royce limited edition

Danny Tan — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 04:44:04 +0000

Rolls-Royce is the ultimate in luxury, so a MINI blessed with the feel and smell of a Rolls should be a highly coveted luxe accessory with no lack of takers – it’s the perfect partner to that limited edition LV bag! Say hello to the MINI Inspired by Goodwood, a 1000 unit collaboration of the two BMW owned British brands that some say might be priced as high as £50,000.

This little dose of the good life from Goodwood comes with a bespoke cabin supervised by Rolls-Royce interior designer Alan Sheppard. Here, the standard MINI interior is covered with materials that Phantom and Ghost owners are familiar with, including walnut burr veneers on the instrument panel and door pulls, Corn Silk beige leather on the fascia, seats, centre console, door cards and pillar trim. Also check out those deep lambswool fleece carpets.

There’s more. The roof lining, sun visors and boot cover are not in standard fabric, but coated in a Rolls-Royce-spec cashmere blend. The instruments feature RR fonts. The standard colour is RR’s Diamond Black, but one can opt for Reef Blue metallic by MINI.

It’s based on the Cooper S, so you’ll get a twin scroll turbo 1.6L that makes 184 hp and 240 Nm of torque, or 260 Nm on overboost. Sorry, the Rolls-Royce V12 couldn’t fit!

Gallery after the jump.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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World’s largest Rolls-Royce showroom opens in UAE

Anthony Lim — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 05:52:57 +0000

Well, you’d certainly expect it to be somewhere in the Middle East, I guess. For the trivia fans, the largest Rolls-Royce showroom in the world has opened in the Umm Al Nar area of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The new 900 sq m showroom provides space for displaying five Rolls-Royce motor cars, a coffee bar and a customer configuration lounge, which of course includes colour and trim samples. As expected, a new dedicated RR service facility is linked to the showroom.

The introduction of the showroom isn’t a surprise; the Middle East region continues to be an important driver in RR’ global growth, contributing over 15% of the company’s global sales in 2010. Out of 82 RR dealerships worldwide, eight of them happen to be in the Middle East.

The occasion was marked by the unveiling of a Spirit of Ecstasy Centenary Collection Phantom Drophead Coupé, one of the collection of 100 highly bespoke units built to mark the centenary of the Spirit of Ecstasy. Discerning collectors across the world, especially in the Middle East, have shown great interest in these unique cars. No surprise there either.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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Rolls-Royce 102EX – electric Phantom set for world tour

Danny Tan — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 04:48:47 +0000

Click to enlarge

Rolls-Royce has confirmed the development of 102EX, a one-off, fully electric powered Phantom that will debut at Geneva. 102EX will serve as a working test bed for a global tour that includes Europe, Middle East, Asia and North America, where RR owners will be given the chance to experience it and give feedback.

“We have engineered the world’s first battery electric vehicle for the ultra-luxury segment. With this vehicle, we begin an exploration into alternative drive-trains, seeking clarity on which alternative technologies may be suitable to drive Rolls-Royce motor cars of the future,” said CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös.

There are no plans yet to develop a production version though; as one of the company’s EX models it will serve to begin a dialogue with existing owners and stakeholders, which includes enthusiasts, members of the public and the media. The dialogue RR is seeking will be on the car’s ability to deliver an acceptable range between re-charges and to operate in extreme weather conditions.

Two more teaser images after the jump.

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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Rolls Royce to showcase luxury customization in Paris

Jacob Alexander — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 04:07:25 +0000

The Paris Motor Show will be the place for Rolls Royce to showcase their extensive individualization programme. The company unlike most manufacturers, gives owners a little bit more to play with in terms of interior luxuries and the company will be showcasing just that in Paris.

Promoting this programme, the luxury brand has rolled out a bevy of models wearing their customized trinkets. This will include a Phantom Extended Wheelbase in Gunmetal metallic with Sunrise leather interior, a Carrara White metallic Phantom Drophead Coupé with Hotspur Red leather interior and a Phantom Coupe and two Ghost models.

Apart from the customized look, the Phantom Extended Wheelbase will feature a seat piping, mother of pearl centres to white instrument dials, control dials and clock face, Rolls-Royce monogram embroidery in all head restraints and personalized tread plates inscribed with Mondial de l’Automobile Paris 2010. Look after the jump for a picture gallery of the customized look.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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Rolls Royce White Ghost Limited by Mansory

Jacob Alexander — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 06:14:03 +0000

The last time we featured a Mansory car it was a shocker. This time, the company seems to have new found restraint with the release of this modified Rolls Royce Ghost.

Called the White Ghost Limited, this RR’s V12 comes with an engine management system remap to push out 629 hp from 562 hp. Torque is also up from 780 Nm to 860 Nm. The ensures that even with 2,360 kg to haul, the White Ghost breaches the century mark in just 4.5 seconds, 0.4 seconds faster than stock. Top speed is a deregulated 290 km/h.

To complement the performance, Mansory adds on a body kit, rear spoiler, LED running lights up front and on the mirrors, and a rear apron with diffuser and dual exhausts. It’s the White Ghost, so you can’t have it in any other colour but white. The 22-inch wheels have “diamond-polished” surfaces.

The cabin features high grade leather with a cross-stitched pattern enhanced by a headliner and dashboard covered in Alcantara. The dash, door caps and steering come with “light coloured bamboo inserts”, which is an acquired taste. Ambient lighting includes LEDs on the seats, door panels and dashboard.

Has Mansory improved the Ghost or butchered it? One thing for certain, this White Ghost ain’t cheap. The upgrade package (excluding car price) starts from 119,800 euros! Hi-res pictures after the jump.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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Configure “your own” Rolls-Royce Ghost via iPhone

Danny Tan — Thu, 06 May 2010 06:52:45 +0000

While Rolls-Royce ownership is way beyond our means (for us at this blog, at least), there’s nothing wrong with daydreaming. The good folks at Goodwood know this for a fact and have made it easier for us to indulge the billionaire within with this – the Rolls-Royce Ghost app for the iPhone and iPod touch.

Now available on the App Store, this free app allows enthusiasts and ahem, potential customers to configure their very own Ghost, the latest and smallest model from Rolls-Royce. With it, one can choose from thousands of design combinations available to real Ghost customers at RR dealerships.

Available exterior options include twelve standard paint finishes, three different wheel styles, visible exhausts as well as a Silver Satin bonnet, the latter an option exclusive to the Ghost. The cabin can be specified in eight different leather colours and five veneer designs, including contemporary woods such as Dark Wenge and Malabar. Once you’re done, keep your Ghost in a virtual garage.

Besides that, the app also provides specs, a gallery of Ghost images and films as well as a function to search for the nearest Rolls-Royce dealer. For us, that would be Quill Motorcars at Jalan Semangat, Petaling Jaya, which is down the road from where I’m typing this now. Prices start from RM2.6 million for the real thing, by the way.

Click here for a live gallery of the Ghost and the Phantom Drophead Coupe from a media preview held in January.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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Rolls-Royce Ghost previewed in new KL dealership

Danny Tan — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:31:34 +0000

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars previewed its latest model, the Ghost, at the marque’s brand new showroom in Petaling Jaya this afternoon. Situated along Jalan Semangat, the facility is operated by Quill Motorcars Sdn Bhd, which also owns a BMW dealership in the same building. Rolls-Royce Asia Pacific Regional Director Colin Kelly and Brenda Pek, GM for South & East Asia Pacific pulled off the wraps.

The Ghost is the entry-level and more affordable Rolls-Royce (if there’s such a thing), and at the preview, Rolls-Royce described it as “informal, a car that you can drive every day” while stating that “the Phantom is like a tuxedo, while the Ghost is like a Savile Row business suit”. The Ghost is slightly smaller in size than the Phantom flagship (440mm shorter, to be exact) and features more dynamic styling, which suits its positioning as the most driver-focussed Rolls-Royce yet.

The 2.4-tonne Ghost is also Rolls-Royce’s most powerful car to date, its 6.6-litre twin-turbo V12 delivers 563 bhp and 780 Nm of torque available from 1500 rpm. These figures are about 25% more than the Phantom, which is of course heavier as well. The V12 is paired to a ZF 8-speed auto transmission. 0-100 km/h is done is 4.7 seconds while top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h. Supreme comfort is a given – the Ghost floats on adjustable height air suspension.

There are plenty of RR signatures on the Ghost, such as the rear coach doors, violin key switches and umbrellas (Teflon coated) integrated within the doors. Other luxuries include lambswool floor mats, a choice of lounge or individual seating (the latter with optional massage function), a 10-channel amp, 16-speaker (including two floor mounted subwoofers) entertainment system.

The Ghost’s first Malaysian customers should get their built-to-order cars in the second quarter of this year. Prices start from RM2.6 million, but can rise with options. Also displayed was the Phantom Drophead Coupe. More pictures of both cars after the jump.

Rolls-Royce Ghost

Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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Rolls-Royce sets up official presence in Malaysia

Danny Tan — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 03:26:03 +0000

Rolls-Royce has re-established an official presence in Malaysia, appointing Quill Motorcars Sdn Bhd as its authorised dealer. Quill Motorcars will set up a showroom and service facility that will be called Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Kuala Lumpur. It will share the same building as Quill’s BMW dealership in Section 14, Petaling Jaya.

“The new dealership re-establishes an official Rolls-Royce retail and aftersales presence in Malaysia, signifying the company’s confidence in the market. With both the Rolls Royce Phantom family and the new Ghost, we are able to offer the pinnacle in luxury motoring to Malaysians,” said Rolls-Royce Motor Cars regional director for Asia Pacific, Colin Kelly.

Quill Motorcars aims to sell between eight and 10 units a year, which shouldn’t be too hard if you count in the royal families. Rolls Royce, which has 18 dealerships in Asia including Malaysia, forecasts Asian sales to triple this year to 450 vehicles with the introduction of the more affordable Ghost, if any Roller can be described as affordable.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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All-new Rolls-Royce Ghost – full details unveiled!

Paul Tan — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 06:54:55 +0000

Despite being based on the F01/F02 7-Series chassis, the Rolls-Royce Ghost brings alot more to the buyer’s table. Firstly, it looks completely different. Retro-futurism isn’t only confined to modern incarnations of old musclecars – its quite clear that classic Rolls-Royce design cues are executed well here.

The kind of switchgear employed inside look of a completely different standard compared to what you get in BMWs. They look more like they came out of a luxury yacht or helicopter, and you can also say the same about the look of the wood, it’s just a grade above. Frosted lamps, chrome door handles, traditional violin key switches, eyeball air vents, frosted white dials, the works! The interior uses deep-pile carpets and there are even optional lambswool floor mats.

Leather comes only from bulls raised in pastures free of barbed wire to help reduce leather imperfections. Marks are avoided by the laser cutters. At least 8 hides are used in each interior, and a set of hides are drum-dyed in batches at the same time to ensure colour consistency. Seats and interior panels are hand-stitched.

Producing a Ghost requires it to pass through 60 pairs of hands, 2,000 individual operations, and 20 days. 7 days consist of painting and polishing. The Ghost body is first applied with a phosphate electro-coat to protect against corrosion. Then on comes a layer of primer, a colour coat, and two coats of clear lacquer. Between each layer, the body is hand-sanded and once the final cost is on, it is hand-polished for 5 hours.

The Ghost rides on air suspension at all four points. The electronically adjustable air suspension is so sensitive that it can sense the movement of a single rear passenger from one side of the seat to the other and compensate accordingly. Dampers can self-adjust every 2.5 milliseconds. The car can also raise and lower itself by 25mm.

Power comes from a new 6.6 litre twin turbo V12 engine mated to an 8-speed ZF transmission. 0 to 100km/h takes just 4.7 seconds thanks to 563 hgorsepower and 780Nm of torque from as low as 1,500rpm. The dash does not feature a rev counter but a “power reserve” gauge.

I like how they’ve added umbrella storage compartments integrated into the two front doors. The umbrellas are provided too and are Teflon-coated.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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6.6L V12 in Ghost tops BMW’s horsepower charts

Paul Tan — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:26:32 +0000

It’s official – the upcoming Rolls-Royce Ghost will feature BMW’s most powerful engine ever, in a car made by the company at least. The 6.6 litre V12 engine under the Ghost’s hood will produce 570 PS (563bhp) and 780Nm of torque, figures that best the X5 M and X6 M’s 4.4 litre V8 engine 555 PS by a narrow margin. The McLaren F1′s BMW engine tops the M division’s powercharts at 680 PS and 705Nm in its highest state of road-going tune in the LM version.

The 780Nm equals the M V8 engine, and it is achieved at 1,500rpm. 0 to 100km/h will take just 4.9 seconds in the new Rolls-Royce Ghost, and the car will rush towards the horizon to an electronically governed top speed of 250km/h. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 8-speed ZF transmission.

“Rolls-Royce power is entirely different to anything else in the automotive world. It is delivered free from stress and exertion but at the same time must engage the driver. Ghost is about fingertip control while still enjoying a dynamic connection with the road. Equally passengers need to be cosseted from the physical sensations of acceleration, braking and cornering. Our chassis set up keeps Ghost stable and flat, preventing it from wallowing or pitching in the corners or imposing undesirable forces on those inside,” claims Rolls-Royce Director of Engineering, Helmut Riedl.

The Ghost will feature air struts at each corner of the car’s 3,295mm wheelbase, and will use multi-link aluminium front and rear axles. Engine, exhaust and tyre noise have been engineered to be as quiet as possible, so the way the V12 engine screams to delivers its power will be quite different from the M V8 engine.

The cheapest Ghost will go for £165,000 excluding taxes and delivery charges, beginning late 2009. It will hit our region (Asia Pacific) from Q2 2010 onwards. That’s already just under RM1 million if you convert it directly, so with all the taxes and etc you get in our country I won’t dare imagine what the final price tag will be like.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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Rolls-Royce Ghost to offer “magic carpet ride”

Paul Tan — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:02:12 +0000

Rolls-Royce has released a little more info on the new 200EX Ghost, probably in response to the noise Bentley is making about its upcoming Arnage replacement. The Ghost will have a state-of-the-art chassis which uses an intelligent four corner air suspension system and multi-link aluminum front and rear axles.

Various systems like Active Roll Stabilization, four corner air springs and Variable Damping Control operate as one with sensor data read and new settings calculated as often as every 2.5 milliseconds to provide what Rolls-Royce proudly calls a “magic carpet ride”. The air suspension system is so sensitive that it can detect even the smallest of changes. It can even sense the movement of a single rear passenger from one side of the seat to the other, and will compensate accordingly.

Now that’s a huge claim to make considering magic carpets miraculously fly through the air so you shouldn’t have to feel any bumps on the road at all. The suspension system can also rise and lower itself by 25mm to either assist with entry and exit or allow the Ghost to travel over uneven ground.

The Ghost measures 5399mm long, 1948mm wide and 1550mm tall, with a wheelbase of 3295mm. Unlike the Phantom range’s 6.75 litre V12 engine producing 453 horsepower and 720Nm of torque, the Ghost will have a 6.6 litre turbocharged V12 that’s said to produce at least 500 horsepower, and that already exceeds the Phantom’s engine. This will be mated to a 8-speed ZF transmission, similiar to the one in the 760Li and the 5-Series GT.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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Geely GE shamelessly apes the Phantom

Paul Tan — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:31:27 +0000

Everytime Chinese automakers begin to show that they’ve moving one step ahead towards being able to produce advanced and most importantly SAFE cars, things like this destroy all that goodwill and return them to rip-off death trap status.

This is the Geely GE, which at first impression is obviously a rip-off of a Rolls-Royce. Geely denies this of course, saying that while it shares some similiarities it is “original” because while it looks similiar, the details are different enough to be called something new. The 5.4 meter long car has a 3.5 litre V6 engine under its hood.

The Geely GE (GE = Geely Excellence) shown here is a concept car but it must be for the truly antisocial high class Chinese customer as when you peek into the rear passenger cabin there is only one seat, somewhat like a little throne in the car. Only 3 seats in such a large thing – one driver and perhaps a bodyguard at the front and the boss at the back. The production version will be sold under a new brand called YingLun, which is meant to sound like England.

Rolls-Royce Asia Pacific is contemplating legal action, but we don’t know of any further action yet as of publishing time. But what they did say is that despite imitation being the best kind of flattery, they definitely are not flattered.

Look after the jump for more angles of the Geely GE.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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Rolls-Royce Ghost: name of the new RR4!

Paul Tan — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:29:48 +0000

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars have announced the official name for the model only known as the new Rolls-Royce RR4 so far, previewed as the 200EX Concept early this year. The new car will be called the Rolls-Royce Ghost, in a similiar naming theme with its bigger brother, the Phantom.

Also released with the announcement are some updated specs. The 200EX Concept had a V12 engine (no other details) and a 6-speed auto. The final Rolls-Royce Ghost production car will have a 6.6 litre turbocharged V12 – that’s up 0.6 litres from the 6.0 litre unit in the BMW 760i.

Like the 760i, it will be mated to a ZF 8-speed automatic, and while Rolls-Royce says the 6.6 litre will produced over 500 horsepower, it may very well be closer to 600 since the 760i already makes 544 horses.

Dimensions-wise. the Ghost will measure 5399mm long, 1948mm side, and 1550mm tall with a wheelbase of 3,295mm. That’s a good measure longer than the F02 LWB 7-Series 3,210mm wheelbase, but shorter than the Phanton’s 3,571mm and the Phantom Coupe’s 3,320mm.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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Geneva 2009: Rolls-Royce rolls out the 200EX Concept

Harvinder Sidhu — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 02:29:40 +0000

Sharing a similar wheelbase as the BMW 7 Series, the 200EX luxury concept car from Rolls-Royce is expected to carry over a number of parts and features from the BMW 7 Series if the management gives a green light for production. BMW also revealed that the 200EX offers the same ride quality and luxury level as the Rolls Royce Phantom, but it should carry a cheaper price tag, also if it the concept goes into production.

Under the hood lies a BMW V12 power plant which is mated to a 6 speed automatic transmission. The same engine is also featured in the BMW 760i that is expected to be launched soon. Please click here to learn more about the Rolls Royce 200EX Concept as well as to view an image gallery.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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V12-powered Rolls-Royce 200EX Concept previews future unnamed “compact” model

Paul Tan — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:46:57 +0000

This is Rolls-Royce’s new 200EX concept car, which is set to be unveiled to the public for the first time at the Geneva Motorshow early next month. This car has gone by various names in the last few months, the 200EX, the RR4, these are all codenames for the production version which has yet to be named in public.

Despite this being a concept, it should look very similiar to the production model, something that the BMW Group has been known for doing for their last few concept cars. BMW promises that this “baby” Rolls-Royce will ride as well as traditional Rolls-Royce models such as the Phantom, and it will even use an air suspension like in the Phantom. This model is based on some components from the long wheelbase F02 7-Series chassis, which only has air springs at the rear.

It will have its own height, length and wheelbase, unique to the car and not shared with any other model. Its wheelbase of 3295mm is longer than the LWB 7-Series F02′s 3,210mm, but shorter than the Phantom’s massive 3,571mm wheelbase. Not sure whether the F01/F02′s rear wheel steering will make it into this vehicle or not, but if the whole idea is a more compact Rolls with a more engaging drive I don’t see why the rear wheel steering system won’t fit the bill.

Under the hood will be a new BMW V12 engine which will also debut in the 760i, and some publications have reported a 6-speed auto, so I have no idea what happened to that 8-speed automatic transmission that was supposed to be sourced from ZF. While we enjoy the concept for now, BMW is still working hard on a production version which will be revealed later this year at the Frankfurt show.

Check out a gallery of shots after the jump.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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6.75L Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe goes on sale in the Middle East!

Paul Tan — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:14:13 +0000

Click to enlarge

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe goes on sale officially in the Middle East today, a place where all the oil-rich need something new as an outlet to spend their money anyway. Rolls-Royce probably hopes its this new Phantom Coupe.

The Phantom Coupe is a two-door coupe built on an aluminium chassis which helps reduce weight a little, helping the 6.75 litre V12 engine with 453hp and 720Nm of torque move the car a little faster.

Unlike the Phantom Drophead Coupe that allows you to drive the top down to watch the clear starry night, owners of the Phantom Coupe has to make do with a funky “starlight headliner” which illuminates the ceiling of the car with more than 1,600 fiber optics to give the impression of a star-filled sky.

You can have a look at this starlight headliner after the jump.

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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Upcoming 2010 Rolls-Royce RR4 sketch released

Paul Tan — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:37:20 +0000

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars (BMW’s subsidiary that makes Rolls-Royces since 1998) has released preliminary sketches of its upcoming smaller car to be slotted under the Phantom range, debuting in 2010. The car is called the RR4 at the moment, but the production car may get another name.

Under the Rolls-Royce RR4′s engine hood is said to be a new engine unique to Rolls-Royce, but because of the many ways one can define unique, you can expect this to be a derivative of a BMW engine, perhaps a higher displacement version of BMW’s new twin turbocharged 4.4 litre V8. The underlying platform will likely be an adaptation of the new F01 platform that the next generation BMW 7-Series will use.

“Effortless performance and standard-setting levels of comfort and efficiency, executed with the utmost care and attention, remain fundamentals of Rolls-Royce design. The RR4 has a more informal presence than the Phantom models with a greater emphasis on driving. In design terms this is expressed through its slightly smaller dimensions and more organic form, yet with powerful, purposeful proportions. It is a true and uncompromising Rolls-Royce in every sense,” says chief designer Ian Cameron.

Look after the jump for one more sketch.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe unveiled

Paul Tan — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 23:17:10 +0000

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will unveil its new Phantom Drophead Coupe at the 2007 Detroit Motor Show (NAIAS) beginning Sunday 7 January 2007. Production of the new car will start at Goodwood in the summer of 2007. A few features from the previous Rolls-Royce 100EX concept convertible has been adopted for the new Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe. The two most apparent aesthetics design features include the brushed steel bonnet and A-pillar and the teak decking for the rear hood cover. The brushed steel is machine finished to give a uniform grain before undergoing extensive hand polishing to achieve a perfect sheen. At the rear, the teak decking is treated with a mix of oils to preserve a natural finish.

The doors are front opening, rear hinged coach doors designed for ease of access to the rear seats. A split tail compartment gives access to a 315 litre boot, not too shabby in actual storage space and very usable but it seems a small number in relative to the size of the car. Bootspace is unaffected even if the soft top is down. The fabric hood is the largest of any modern convertible car. The hood is made of 5 layers of material and is lined with cashmere. The hood was designed for maximum acoustic insulation for cloth top standards.

Of course with every convertible car, the chassis is very important as you’re missing some of the rigidity provided by a hard roof. The chassis is an advanced all aluminum chassis with a 50:50 weight balance, hand made at BMW’s centre for aluminium competence in Dingolï¬ng, Germany with over 140 meters of welding, 20 meters more than the standard Phantom sedan. The entire windscreen surround was designed to be an integral part of the roll-over protection system. The A-pillar struts run right down to the ï¬‚oor of the car. Interestingly, a 20-year old Delorean (that cult classic car of Back to the Future fame) was used in the development process. It was manufactured with stainless steel exterior panels and provided an interesting case study into the long-term durability of using aluminium and brushed steel in proximity with each other, something that might cause steel to corrode because of the aluminium.

The 2620kg car wafts along thanks to a 6.75 litre, naturally aspirated V12 engine with gasoline direct injection and variable valve timing, developing 453hp at 5,350rpm and 720 Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm mated to a six-speed ZF automatic shift-by-wire gearbox. 75% of engine power available at just 1000 rpm, progress from a standstill is easy and remains so throughout the rev range. 0-100km/h acceleration is under 6 seconds, and goes on to a top speed of 240km/h.

More photos after the jump…

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 14 Feb 12 08:49:42 +0000.

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