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Rolls-Royce to show smaller RR4 at Geneva 2009

By Tim Pollard

Spyshots

07 August 2008 14:17

So is this just a giant 7-series?

'Absolutely not' retort Rolls officials, if you dare pose such a question. But there will undoubtedly be shared components between RR4 and the latest iteration of BMW's techfest 7-series (click here for the full story on the new Seven). The basic platform of the two cars will share many similarities, but BMW is quick to point out that the architecture is flexible enough to allow completely different wheelbases, tracks and other crucial differences.

But this is the financial reality of building even top-end cars in the 21st century. Bentleys, Mercedes, Lamborghinis, Ferraris – all use the scale of their parents' network to leverage cost savings and share technical innovations. And it's not as if these prototypes look anything other than regally Rolls-Royce-like.

What's the plan for the Rolls-Royce RR4 then?

The smaller Rolls will cost between £160,000 and £175,000, we hear, and will come initially with a 6.0-litre V12 according to CAR's sources. Zoom in on these spyshots and you can see hefty brake discs the size of Jeeves's tea tray to haul all that bulk back to a stop.

It's too early to say about rumoured diesel and hybrid variants, but parent BMW has strong expertise in both areas. We wouldn't rule out either for the RR4, in the long run at any rate.

The baby Rolls will sire a whole family of cars, including hardtop and a convertible coupe, just like the Phantom. It's significant that Rolls-Royce officially announced the plan for RR4 by heralding 'a new small model series'.

To read our previous scoops on the Rolls-Royce RR4, click on the links at the foot of this page

To see video of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe in action click on the video player below