Click above to view sketches of the upcoming RR4
After having maxed-out the Phantom range with sedan, coupe and convertible variants, Rolls-Royce has been hard at work preparing its second range. Known tentatively as the RR4 (following in succession after the three Phantoms), the new "baby Rolls" will be anything but, and is expected to be unveiled next March at the Geneva show.
Based on a heavily-modified version of the BMW 7-series, the RR4 will offer direct competition to the Bentley Continental. And not just the four-door Flying Spur, either. Although the RR4 will initially appear – in concept form – as a sedan, the platform is expected to spawn additional coupe and convertible body-styles just like its big brother and its targeted competitor. Although many details still remain big question marks for the luxury sedan – including whether it will bear the "suicide" rear doors of the Phantom and what engines (including potential diesel and hybrid powertrains) will appear underhood – the RR4 is anticipated to double the output of the stoic British marque from its production of 1000 Phantoms last year to 2000 once production gears up on the as-yet-unnamed baby Roller.
[Source: CAR magazine]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Wyce @ Aug 7th 2008 8:30PM
Everything in the sketch from the nose back looks like the Cadillac Sixteen concept. :T
Andrew L @ Aug 7th 2008 10:54PM
+1 Thats exactly what I thought when I saw that
hydrogenvodka @ Aug 7th 2008 11:25PM
Mostly the fall of the C-Pillar, and the windowline height. Definetely, yes.
AMcA @ Aug 7th 2008 11:37PM
May I say how pleased I am that GM is once again making cars (OK, concept cars) that other, more prestigious marques want to copy?
(Historical sidebar: ever look at a '66 Toronado next to a '68 Ferrari Daytona? Yup.)
AS for the RR4 competing with the hideous Flying Spur - didn't some RR muckity-muck say earlier that they were going to target the empty space in the market between the Flying Spur and the Arnage? Going after empty price-points, not after specific cars?
Flashpoint @ Aug 8th 2008 12:59AM
This looks so much like a Chrysler 300 that's its not even funny.
Coolthough @ Aug 8th 2008 3:57AM
@AMcA - That would be brilliant (pricing between the Bentley Continentals and Arnage). It would also make them seem like a "step up" from the basement Bentley.
Seanross @ Aug 7th 2008 8:53PM
What month is Geneva 09 in?
SPG @ Aug 7th 2008 9:01PM
The sketch looks very Cadillac Sixteen.
However the spy shots are clearly RR's current design theme.
I predict a hit.
dfjgodgpodjp @ Aug 7th 2008 9:13PM
The sketch is total cadillac ripoff, caddy should feel good. When was the last time someone ripped them off???
As for "I predict a hit", duh. You could put rolls royce on a stick of butter and there are enough arab idiots and rappers to buy a production run of 1000 at 250 G's a piece. What a stupid comment.
The actual spy shots of the car itself show typical rolls royce. Nothing new, certainly no great design work being done there.
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Matt @ Aug 7th 2008 11:43PM
please keep your political propaganda/thoughts to yourself, this is a car forum
FSM @ Aug 7th 2008 9:16PM
meh, I just can't get excited about that front end. If this looks anything like what I am imagining then I would rather have the Bentley.
Eric @ Aug 7th 2008 9:19PM
When I saw the sketch I thought it might be the next 300 or Charger redesign.
hussler @ Aug 7th 2008 9:21PM
Wyce: Glad I wasn't the only one who noticed it. Hey, Good for Rolls, if GM can't produce it, at least someone else who can should.
zamafir @ Aug 7th 2008 9:25PM
After spending some time in the phantom and Continental GT all I can honestly wish BMW good luck with this one, the phantoms' very flat faced interior and exposed silver speaker grills ape quite a bit of the current Land Rover interior and the over-all feeling is well below the Continental GT. Yes, it's a Rolls, yes people with net incomes of $140,000,000 or higher are the target for the car, but the interior pales in comparison to significantly cheaper offerings from Crewe... which offers a pretty interesting problem, how do you at least meet the interior standards of your competitor in your new (lesser) product without making your current more expensive product seem entertainingly inadequate? Oh well, maybe they're looking to grab some organic grown from Bristol.
Matt @ Aug 7th 2008 11:47PM
140 million, yeahhhh right man, this is goin up against the continental, you dont need a net worth of 140 mill to grab one of those, you can get a used one for 110 grand-ish
zamafir @ Aug 7th 2008 11:49PM
Meh, take a moment to read about cars then you'll notice rolls targets customers with a net worth of around 140mil.
"Yes, it's a Rolls, yes people with net incomes of $140,000,000 or higher are the target for the car"
Sure people worth a lot less buy the car but that doesn't change Rolls' focus.
Thanks for playing though.
Matt @ Aug 8th 2008 11:36AM
your welcome
paul34 @ Aug 7th 2008 9:33PM
Brilliant! I just happen to be in the market for a new vehicular wagon.
Oh, choices, choices! Excuse me while I adjust my monocle.
carlbolt @ Aug 7th 2008 9:37PM
the sketch must be drawn by a high school kid. The RR is not so stupid to build a car like that. I am wondering what the driver can see.
donpella @ Aug 7th 2008 11:48PM
It's does look like the Cadillac Sixteen. Damn, to bad Gm doesn't have the money(or balls) to just give us that Sixteen inspired big body sedan that would compete with top-notch luxury. RR has the funds so you can just say, Cadillac gave away a good design to a company that could actually afford to builds it.