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  • Geely GE shamelessly apes the Phantom

    In Cars, China, Geely, International News, Rolls Royce / By / / 147 comments

    Geely GE

    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.

    Geely GE

    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.
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  • Rolls-Royce Ghost: name of the new RR4!

    In Cars, International News, Rolls Royce / By / / 22 comments

    Rolls-Royce Ghost

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

    In 2009 Geneva Motor Show, Cars, Concept Cars, Rolls Royce / By / / 3 comments

    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.

     

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

    In Cars, Concept Cars, Rolls Royce / By / / 14 comments

    Rolls-Royce 200EX Concept

    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.

    Rolls-Royce 200EX Concept

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

    In Cars, International News, Rolls Royce / By / / 16 comments

    Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe
    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.
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  • Upcoming 2010 Rolls-Royce RR4 sketch released

    In Cars, Concept Cars, Rolls Royce / By / / 8 comments

    Rolls-Royce RR4

    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.
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  • Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe unveiled

    In Cars, Rolls Royce / By / / 22 comments

    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 Dingolfing, 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 floor 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…
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