Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Spy shots: RR4 wearing even less camouflage]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/31/spy-shots-rr4-wearing-even-less-camouflage/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/31/spy-shots-rr4-wearing-even-less-camouflage/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/31/spy-shots-rr4-wearing-even-less-camouflage/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The RR4 -- the Rolls-Royce that asks that you "don't call me 'baby'" -- is slowly undressing, striptease-like, before its final reveal at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. Previous spy shots hinted at rear suicide doors, or coach doors as Rolls-Royce refers to them, and now it is official: the hinges on the rear door are on the rear of the door. The car has plenty of Phatom-esque cues, and although it doesn't look anything like the initial sketch, it looks like it could be a very attractive proposition when it shows up for the big dance. Still no word on engines, but we have no doubt its output will be something along the lines of prodigious. Thanks for the tip, Andrus!

[Source: Global Motors]

Spy shots: RR4 wearing even less camouflage originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

Gallery: Rolls Royce RR4 - spy shots

[Source: CAR magazine]

Rolls-Royce RR4 concept coming to Geneva '09 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above for high-res spy shots of the Rolls-Royce RR4

We've shown you spy shots before of the upcoming "Baby Rolls", dubbed internally by Rolls Royce as the RR4, but none as good as these. Caught in clear view by KGP photographers, the upcoming "entry level" car by Rolls Royce that's based on the same underpinnings as the next BMW 7-Series looks for all the world like a little Phantom, just wearing less conspicuous consumption on its sleeve. What we have here is a Rolls Royce that should more of a driver's car than the Phantom, a true chauffeur-driven chariot if ever there was one. Like Bentley has its Continental line for the up and coming super rich who care about driving dynamics more than lineage and pedigree, so too will the RR4 reach out to those who don't care about monolithic grilles (it's still got one as you can see through the covering) and 2-inch thick carpeting. We do notice, however, that the RR4 appears to be sporting rear suicide doors, which is a nice touch that links the smaller car with its big bro'. A range of engines have been rumored that include all manner of V12s and V8s, as well as a diesel. Time will tell, but for now we're day dreaming of an epic comparison test between a Bentley Continental Flying Spur and the RR4. Check out more pics in the gallery below.

Gallery: Rolls Royce RR4 - spy shots


[Source: KGP Photographers]

Spy Shots: Rolls Royce RR4 - the Baby Rolls originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The design of a Rolls-Royce is so iconic that it's not terribly difficult to imagine what the luxury brand's next model, a smaller sedan priced well below the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Phantom Drophead and Phantom Coupe, will look like. CAR Magazine, however, has enough Photoshop skills to transform an official pic of the Phantom Drophead into the four-door Bentley Continental killer that we're all so eager to see. Based on the same mechanicals as the next-generation long-wheelbase BMW 7-Series, the new Baby Rolls will eventually give birth to an entire model lineup that includes a coupe and convertible, just like the Bentley Continental spawned the Flying Spur and GTC. The potential for three new models means Rolls-Royce cars will become more commonplace on the roads, as the brand expects to double its sales after the new baby arrives. But Bentley has proven a top-tier luxury marque can cross the threshold of 10,000 sales per year and still retain its luster, and it appears Rolls is right behind them. Thanks for the tip, Phred!

[Source: CAR]

Rendered Speculation: Baby Rolls-Royce takes shape originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The newer, smaller Rolls-Royce, which will still be quite large as cars go, has been spotted running around in warmer climes quite a ways south of its previous sighting in the arctic tundra. Expected to roll into 5-star showrooms before the end of 2010, you will need about £175,000 to get it from the dealer's heated garage into yours. If the spy shots are any indication, just because you're spending... ahem, less... doesn't mean it won't look like a Roller. The signature long-bonnet-to-bowing-boot is readily apparent.

The platform will be shared with the next generation 7-Series, but will have a unique wheelbase, roof and hood height, and track. Inside, sharing will supposedly be restricted to things invisible to the driver. Engines will also be unique to Rolls-Royce, though developed from BMW engines such as the 407-hp twin-turbo V8 from the X6. And with Rolls in a brand new position in terms of volume, cachet and straight-up cash, the company is exploring something that would have been unthinkable not too long ago: a diesel. All that young money snapping up Phantoms means, in the words of a mole at Rolls, "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."

[Source: Autocar]

Spy Shots: baby Rolls-Royce, this time without the snow originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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To call Rolls-Royce a small automaker would be an understatement as big as their cars are. Its model line-up, recently expanded to include the Drophead Coupe, consists solely of two derivatives of the Phantom. For the first time in the company's history, production in 2007 capped the 1,000 mark. So when Rolls-Royce confirms a new model, it's a big deal.

Earlier this week at the Detroit show, Rolls-Royce chief Ian Robertson confirmed that the anticipated "baby Rolls", which we saw in spy shots as recently as yesterday, is slated for unveiling in 2010. Code-named RR4, Robertson also announced that the car would receive a brand new engine, presumably because the Phantom's 450-hp V12 doesn't fit. The car is expected to be based on the BMW 7-Series, which explains why the mule seen in yesterday's spy shots was accompanied by BMW's big sedan, slotting in between the Bavarian sedan and the Phantom limo.

While he was at it, Robertson also confirmed that the fixed-roof Phantom coupe previewed by the 101EX concept would begin delivery by this coming summer.

[Source: Inside Line]

Gallery: Rolls Royce RR4 - spy shots

Rolls-Royce confirms new models and new engine originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 09:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hours upon hours of lying prone on the frozen tundra of the Arctic Circle have paid off for KGP's hardcore spy shooters. An upright test mule has been spotted running around at BMW's facility in the frozen hinterlands. There have been rumors of a smaller Roller swirling about, and these shots seem to support the conjecture. BMW's 7-series will reportedly serve as the basis for the new luxury whip, and the car in the photos appears identical to the surrounding 7's from the A-pillar back. The stiff upper lip has likely been grafted on to facilitate cooling and airflow for the engine room. Plus, you could do worse than an E65 with a better schnoz and an old-world interior. Check out all five spy shots in the gallery below.

Gallery: Rolls Royce RR4 - spy shots

Spy Shots: Baby Rolls nabbed originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looks like quite a few nuggets came out of the Shanghai Auto Show this week, many of them from BMW. BMW already scored some bigtime headlines with their CS Concept, but it looks like there was big news from corporate cousin Rolls-Royce, too. Chairman and CEO Ian Robertson told reporters that Rolls-Royce plans to launch its new "smaller" model by the end of the decade. Talk of a baby Roller has persisted, but this appears to be the first public acknowledgment of an entry-level model with some specific time frame and pricing info.

"We are working on a smaller car," Robertson said, "A relatively smaller car." We don't know how much smaller it will be than the Phantom, but the pricetag is expected to be one-third smaller. The car should slot in between the Phantom and 7-Series, at least until a production version of the CS appears. A smaller, cheaper Rolls could help the company double their current sales volume of about 800 cars annually. A second assembly line will be added in an update to the Goodwood plant to handle the new model. Shanghai was an appropriate locale for the announcement as China has the second largest dealer network behind only the United States. The number of Chinese dealers will grow to seven when two more are added in the next year or so.

[Source: Reuters]

R.R. exec sheds more light on smaller Roller originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Apr 2007 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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