Rolls Royce has officially took the wraps off its 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost, which was first announced at the 2006 Paris Motor Show and later previewed at this year’s Geneva Show in the form of the 200EX concept. Generally, the production model remains visually unchanged from its concept shown at Geneva.

The exterior of the 2011 Ghost is mainly inspired by the Phantom and features such similar details as the front-end design and the rear-hinged coach doors. However, the vehicle looks slightly softer and more rounded than that of the larger Rolls.

The interior of the vehicle is luxurious and elegant, featuring a dashboard layout similar to Phantom’s. All the “usual” luxury amenities and high quality materials, including loads of leather, chrome detailing, “violin key” switches, frosted instrument dials, and plenty of wood trim are present. The four-zone automatic air conditioning (with condensation prevention and solar compensation) and individual lounge seating with massage, heating, and cooling are also available.

In addition to all these Rolls Royce offers lambswool floor mats, a panorama sunroof, veneered picnic tables, and a cool box with integrated champagne glasses, as well as a “theatre configuration” with two 9.2-inch LCD screens and a glovebox-mounted six-disc multi-media changer.

The Ghost comes packed with all the latest technology, including a comfort entry system, which unlocks the doors as you approach, a series of cameras to help you park, and a night vision system, a head-up display, a lane departure warning system, high beam assistance, as well as active cruise control with stop & go technology.

The new Rolls-Royce Ghost is equipped with a new 6.6L V12 twin-turbo engine with the output of 563-hp and a maximum torque of 575 lb-ft. The vehicle accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds with a limited top-speed at 155 mph. The vehicle comes with a 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox.

The Rolls-Royce Ghost is scheduled to make its world debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show later this month. The vehicle will go on sale in Europe at the end of the year and will be priced starting from £165,000 ($272,000 US or €191,000) excluding taxes and delivery charges.

The BMW Group that consists of the BMW, MINI and Rolls Royce brands reported a loss before interest and taxes of €55 million in the first quarter of the year. The Bavarian automaker said it is almost impossible to predict how the global economy will fare in the near future and that it is still currently not feasible to give reliable earnings forecasts. The firm’s CEO Norbert Reithofer told reporters that he doesn’t expect the market to recover before 2010.

In terms of sales, the total number of BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles delivered to customers in the first quarter of the year fell by 21.2% to 277,264 units (first quarter 2008: 351,787 units). MINI was hit the worst recording a 24.9% decline to 43,592 units versus 58,054 units sold in the first quarter of 2008. Sales of BMW brand cars dropped by 20.5% to 233,498 units compared to 293,550 units a year ago while Rolls Royce sales remained relatively stable at 174 units, which translates to a 4.9% decrease over the same period in 2008 when the company sold 183 vehicles.

This is the Rolls-Royce 200EX that will officially be revealed at next month’s Geneva Motor Show.

The 200EX will be equipped with an all-new V12 engine that will also find its way under the hood of the BMW 7-Series.

The 200EX is 187 mm longer than a LWB 7-Series (5,212 mm) but nearly half-a-meter shorter than the Phantom (5,83m). It’s exterior styling is evidently influenced by Rolls-Royce’s flagship sedan, but due to its more compact dimensions and clearer lines, the 200EX looks more like a car and less like a tank.  Rolls-Royce designers maintained the Phantom’s characteristic suicide doors on the 200EX. The cabin’s design is more contemporary and less obtrusive than that of the Phantom. The 200EX gets high-quality materials and that special attention to details. One thing that caught our attention but is not mentioned on the press release, is a large rotating knob on the lower part of the centre console that appears to be similar to BMW’s i-Drive (U-Don’t) system.

Following the introduction of the production version at the Frankfurt Show this September, the Rolls-Royce 200EX will go on sale worldwide in early of 2010.

Rolls-Royce has finally put out the official details and images of its baby Roller, the 200EX. The name draws its illumination from the “experimental” prototypes that Rolls procreated during the pre-war era, but this version is more modern and has its sights set on the Bentley Continental Flying Spur.
While Rolls-Royce has presupposed the Geneva-bound 200EX a concept, one maw expect almost the whole exterior and interior detail to carry over to the production model when it arrives in 2010.However, the alphanumeric moniker will be replaced with something more traditional.
The styling is quintessentialand typical Rolls, pulling all the best marks from the Phantom and Drophead Coupe and fitting them into a decidedly smaller package. Based off the latest BMW 7 series platform, the 200EX spans 212.6 inches long, 83 inches wide and 61 inches tall, with a wheelbase of 129.7 inches. A new air suspension system hides behind the seven-spoke, 20-inch wheels, with the front hoops wrapped in 255/45 tires and the rears coated in 285/40 rubber. Rolls remains secrecy on engine details, with the only expetion that the 200EX is powered by a new V12.
Inside one can find all the top-rate, high-dollar trinkets that makes Rolls-Royce the standard of the luxury motoring world, including frosted lamps, chrome door handles, violin key switchgear and an ergonomic roller-ball controller to manipulate the car’s systems.
While we’re anxiously awaiting the official unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show next month, expect the production variant of the 200EX to bow at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this year.

Since the launch of the full-size Phantom sedan and its variations,Rolls-Royce,quite proud of its sales, has deemed it appropriate to limit changes for 2009. As it almost always offers cars with a unique attitude, the automaker is polishing the Phantom’s already considerable exclusivity.
It’s necessary that one must admittedly have eagle eyes to detect any adjustment, or have already had the pleasure of mixing with a Phantom on a daily basis. In a firm bid to standardize the Phantom lineup, Rolls-Royce is passing on to the sedan the innovations already attributed to the Drophead Convertible and the Coupe at their respective introductions.
To consort the performance of the three cars, the sedan is now decked out in a stainless steel grille. This is a departure from the brand’s previous sedans, which have historically been dressed in a chrome grille.
One of the 2009 model’s new features is the LED-studded roof that rather convincingly mimics a starry sky, first introduced with the Coupe. Also, the door manages now light up when you approach the vehicle.
As for the passenger comfort it hasn’t been disregarded,as two 12-inch monitors now adorn the service trays on the front seat backs, and to improve ergonomics the rear controls have also been relocated.