Rolls Royce Brings the 624HP Wraith Coupe Out in the Open

This is the all-new Wraith, Rolls Royce's luxurious interpretation of a performance coupe. Revealed just hours before it makes its first appearance in front of a crowd at the Geneva Motor Show on March 5, the Wraith is dubbed as the most powerful and fastest production car ever built by Rolls Royce.

What Rolls Royce considers performance and what the rest of the world considers performance, are two very different things, as proved by the Wraith's heavy underpinnings sourced from the Ghost limo and the fact that the British company highlights (pun intended) the car's Starlight Headliner featuring 1,340 fibre optic lamps that "give the impression of a glittering, starry night sky"…

Even so, the Wraith is no slouch, with its tuned 6.6-liter twin-turbo'd V12 engine delivering 624hp (633PS) and a peak torque of 800Nm (590 lb-ft) for a 0-60mph sprint in 4.4 seconds (0-100km/h in 4.2 seconds), compared with 563hp and 0-60mph in 4.7 seconds for the Ghost sedan. Rolls-Royce did not disclose the Wraith's top speed. The V12 engine is paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission from ZF driving the rear wheels.

Rolls Royce says it has re-tuned the suspension to "minimize body roll and discreetly amplify feedback when cornering; while steering weight is heavier at high speeds and lighter at low speeds adding to the spirited drive".

The fastback-style coupe is 5,269 mm / 17 ft.3 long, 1,947 mm / 6 ft 5 wide and 1,507 mm / 4 ft 11, while it rides on a 3,112 mm / 10 ft 2 wheelbase, making it 130mm (5.1 inches) shorter in overall length than the Ghost sedan. The Wraith has a curb weight of 2,360 kg / 5,203 pounds.

Inside, you will find a familiar dashboard from the Ghost, the aforementioned "Starlight Headliner" and more wood veneer than a Victorian house.

A new tech feature that makes its debut in the Wraith is the Satellite Aided Transmission (SAT) that relies on GPS data and driving style to select the most appropriate gear for the terrain ahead.

Rolls-Royce said sales of the four-seater model will begin in the final quarter of 2013, with European pricing to start from around €245,000 (US$320,000) – evidently, pricing will differ from country to country.

New Rolls-Royce Wraith Coupe, First Official Photos

The most powerful Rolls Royce production car is a secret no more as images of the Wraith Coupe spilled all over the internet today revealing its "fastback" looks, less than 24 hours before its world premiere at the Geneva motor show.

What we know about the new Wraith coupe is that is based on a shorter version of the Ghost sedan's platform using the same V12 engine, but reworked to produce over 600-horses that are channeled to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

While we wait for Rolls-Royce to share all the technical details and less interesting tidbits (for the masses) such as availability and pricing, you can head past the break to check out the photos and tell us what you think about its styling in the comments.

Rolls Royce Recalls Phantom Because Fuel Filler May be Missing a Safety Component

The Rolls-Royce Phantom may cost upwards of $400,000, but it's not immune from recalls, which in this case, is somewhat embarrassing for the British carmaker as it discovered that one of its suppliers forgot to add a safety component.

In particular, Rolls-Royce told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that certain 2013MY Phantom vehicles manufactured from November 2, 2012, through January 18, 2013, might not have anti-misfueling devices mounted on their fuel-filler necks. According to the company, the devices prevent misfueling and discharge static electricity.

"Without the anti-misfueling device, there is an increased risk of fire from static electricity," Rolls-Royce told the NHTSA, adding that it has not received any report nor is it aware of any accidents or injuries related to this issue.

The recall affects 27 cars sold in the United States. Rolls Royce said its dealers inspect the gas tank and replace any affected fuel filler necks, free of charge.

Rolls-Royce mulling V16 roadster, SUV

Rolls-Royce may be working on a new, mega-powerful roadster for 2017. CAR reports the convertible would conceivably boast a V16 engine. Of course, the report gets a little muddled here, with CAR saying the engine would be very similar to that of the one that powers the Bugatti Veyron – the French machine makes use of a W16 mill. Even so, the article says the Rolls-Royce version could put down around 700 horsepower. Design wise, we're told the creation will feature a suitably long nose with the passenger compartment pushed far to the rear.

Of course, 2017 is a long way off, and the thought of a 16-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine bowing under the crush of ever more stringent government fuel efficiency and emission regulations seems unlikely. We'll just put this one in the wait-and-see file for the time being. In the interim, you can hop over to CAR for a closer look at the magazine's rendering of the would-be roadster. If a V16 convertible does happen, look for a smug look on Rowan Atkinson's face.

Oh, and about that SUV? There's not much to report, though CAR does note that officials are keeping a close eye on rival Bentley and its plans for a luxury utility vehicle. Rolls brand boss Harald Krüger has even gone so far as to admit "we're regularly debating whether to take action."

Articles Source : Autoblog

Rolls-Royce Reportedly Mulling Luxury SUV and V16-Powered Super Roadster

Slowly, but methodically, the BMW Group has expanded Rolls-Royce's offerings since it took over the company's automobile division in 1998. Currently, its lineup includes the Phantom sedan, LWB sedan, Drophead Coupe convertible and Coupe, and the Ghost sedan and LWB sedan models, while at next month's Geneva Auto Salon, it will present the new performance Wraith Coupe based on the Ghost.

However, the competition, and by that we mean the VW Group and its Bentley brand, is not keeping its arms crossed and is getting ready to enter into new territories with the EXP 9 F study that previews an upcoming premium SUV.

And as we've so many times in the past, when one German group takes the decision to create a new type of vehicle or enter a new segment, the others quickly follow suit…

Citing official inside sources, Car Magazine reported that the British carmaker is also looking into the possibility of building an SUV. "We’re monitoring the competition’s activities," Rolls-Royce boss Harald Krüger told the publication, adding, "we’re regularly debating whether to take action. This applies to all brand segments and technologies."

The magazine also learned that Rolls Royce is scheming a super roadster model with a massive 16-cylinder engine. The carmaker toyed around with the idea of developing such a big engine and even created a concept back in 2004, the 100EX, powered by a 9.0-liter V16, but never followed through.

According to the report, the idea floating around Goodwood is an extreme, two-seater roadster based on the next Phantom's aluminium spaceframe chassis fitted with a V16,. The same engine ould also find its way in the Phantom range to differentiate it from the V12-powered Ghost.

Articles Source : Carscoop

Rolls-Royce Logo

This is a list of Rolls-Royce motor cars and includes vehicles produced by:

 

Rolls-Royce Logo

 

Rolls-Royce Logo

 

Rolls-Royce Logo

 

Rolls-Royce Logo

 

Rolls-Royce Logo

Rolls-Royce Limited (1906–73)
Rolls-Royce Motors (1973–2003), which was created as a result of the demerger of Rolls-Royce Limited which was nationalized back in 1971. Rolls-Royce Motors was owned by Vickers between 1980 and 1998, and after that by Volkswagen Group. Since 2003, this subsidiary company has been known as Bentley Motors Limited as Volkswagen ceded the rights of building Rolls-Royce branded cars to BMW. This company, however, retains historical Rolls-Royce car assets such as the Crewe factory and L Series V8 engine.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars subsidiary of BMW established to continue production of Rolls-Royce cars.

Articles Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_%28car%29