Geneva Video: 2009 Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe

Rolls-Royce unveiled its first all-new coupe for over three decades, the new Phantom Coupé at the 78th International Geneva Motor Show. Production of the new car will start at Goodwood in the summer of 2008. The ultra-luxurious coupe will be powered by the Phantom’s 6.75-litre V12, producing 453 Hp and 720 Nm or 531 lb-ft of torque. Check out the video from Rolls Royce Geneva Show after the jump. -Continued

Rolls Royce Releases Details On The Phantom Coupe

Following BMW Group CEO, Norbert Reithofer’s announcements on the group’s future product plan (click here), Rolls Royce came out with further details on the Phantom Coupe. The British carmaker stated that the four-seater coupe inspired from the 101EX Concept, will be launched in 2008 with production scheduled to begin next summer at the company’s manufacturing plant in Goodwood, England. As for pricing, the new Coupe will be cost more than the Phantom and less than the Phantom Drophead Coupe (Convertible). -Continued after the jump

The Phantom Coupe will be equipped with the same 6.75 litre V12 engine that we find in the other Phantom models producing 453bhp and 720Nm of torque. Compared to the Convertible, the Coupe will be subtly tuned with more emphasis placed on the driver. The body will be shorter than that of the Phantom sedan and there will be revisions to the suspension and chassis set-up.

Rolls-Royce Chief Designer, Ian Cameron, said, “With this car we wanted to emphasise the performance potential of the 6.75 litre V12 engine and the effortless experience that it delivers. Whilst never overtly sporty, Rolls-Royce is a brand that has always offered owners a powerful and refined drive combined with, as Sir Henry Royce described it, a bit of fizz.”

Ian Robertson, Chairman and Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said, “This new model represents an important milestone in the company’s history. It completes the Phantom family and judging by the customer reaction to 101EX, we are confident of its success. Our challenge lies in meeting the exceptional levels of customer demand for the Phantom range and in preparing Goodwood to meet the needs of future new cars.”

BMW Announces X1, X6, CS & PAS Along With MINI SAV And Rolls Sedan & Coupe

We just finished reading BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer’s speech at the Press Conference on the Strategic Realignment of the BMW Group and boy did he reveal some interesting stuff. But we completely understand your need to primarily learn about the announcements on the BMW Group’s future product portfolio so we decided to split our post on Reithofer’s speech into two, keeping the part concerning BMW’s new strategy for later.

So, BMW will expand its range with at least four new models by 2012. The confirmed products are: the X1 SUV based on the 1-Series hatch, a high-end four-door coupe based on the CS Concept (click here), the production version of the X6 Concept that we saw in Frankfurt (click here) and finally, a crossover codenamed Progressive Activity Sedan or PAS for short (click here). From what we’ve heard, the latter will be a 5door version of the 5-Series mixing elements from sedans, hatchbacks, SUVs and MPVs. Add a pint of a roadster and we’d have the perfect mix for a FrankenSeries… -Continued after the jump

Reithofer also confirmed BMW Groups’ plan to add two new models in Rolls Royce’s portfolio; a Phantom Coupe based on the Cabriolet version and a smaller Rolls-Royce that will fit under the Phantom in terms of both size and price.

As far as MINI is concerned, Reithofer pointed out that the BMW Group has opted for a further model in the sports activity vehicle segment.

Reihofer noted that although further product decisions beyond the planning horizon until 2012 have been taken, he could not provide any details at this point

Rolls Royce Launches First Pre-Owned Car Scheme!

Wanna buy a certified pre-owned 2006 Rolls Royce Phantom with 58k miles for less than $200.000 that provides: 2.500-point inspection, roadside assistance, rental car and 6-star hotel coverage, a 10 year powertrain warranty and 0% finance deal? Well, better look somewhere else. What did you think? We’re talking about Rolls’ not Hyundais for Carscoop’s sake…

Nevertheless, Rolls Royce's first ever-approved program for pre-owned cars includes many of the amenities you get from mainstream-brand schemes like thorough inspection and preparation, mileage verification along with a protection plan that provides 24-hour roadside assistance, servicing and warranty up to the car’s sixth birthday. We hopped over to Rolls Royce’s London dealership to cure our curiosity. There we found a ’03 Phantom with 21k miles for £179,950 ($366,700 or €266.000). That’s compared to £219,975 ($447,800 or €324,800) for a spanking new ’07 Phantom. Not bad but it wouldn't hurt if you also took a look at private sales. -Press release after the jump

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Media Information

PRE-OWNED ROLLS-ROYCE SCHEME OFFERS NEW CAR PEACE OF MIND

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has launched its first The Rolls-Royce Provenance programme offers new car peace of mind and ensures that only the finest examples of the marque gain the Provenance seal of approval.

Each car has to meet exacting criteria set by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Factory-trained technicians conduct a painstaking inspection procedure, including a full road test, to ensure that every Provenance car reaches the highest standards prior to delivery. Cars must have been maintained in strict adherence to Rolls-Royce servicing requirements to be considered and are only sold through the international network of authorised Rolls-Royce motor car dealers.

When buying a Rolls-Royce Provenance motor car, customers are protecting their investment. As well as successfully completing a rigorous pre-delivery inspection and preparation, each Provenance Rolls-Royce offers the reassurance of an independently obtained vehicle history and mileage verification, together with a protection plan that provides 24-hour roadside assistance, servicing and warranty up to the car’s sixth birthday.

Graeme Grieve, sales and marketing director said, “We are delighted to launch Rolls-Royce Provenance. Our customers expect the very best motor cars in the world and we are now able to offer the same support and peace of mind for approved pre-owned cars that we offer for new vehicles.”