Spied Rolls Royce RR4 Begins to Reveal Shape

by Clinton Deacon
August 22, 2008 7:00 PM
Filed Under: European, Rolls Royce, Spy Photos

There have been numerous sightings of the new Baby Rolls-Royce sporting the body of the BMW 7-series, but other than an officially released teaser sketch we have not seen how the eventual styling will look. That was of course until today when our spy photographer caught these fresh shots of the new model which currently carries the code name RR4, giving us a first glimpse of the all-new styling.

The tried and tested design of the larger Phantom saloon clearly acts as the inspiration for this new model. Development cost and time has been saved by the engineers by using parts from BMW’s long-wheelbase 7-series but they will utilize a powerplant that’s uniquely Rolls-Royce. Most of the shared parts will include various electronic components but the car “will have the attributes and behavior of a Rolls-Royce” said Ian Robertson, CEO of Rolls-Royce.

The British marque expects to sell around 800 units per year of the RR4 when it hits the market in 2010, doubling the firms current output from their Goodwood factory in England. A worldwide debut in pencilled in for the Geneva Motor Show next year and pricing will be between €200,000 and €300,000.

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Comments

Money in the bank, but at the expense of diluting the brand. I think this is a huge mistake for everyone but the accounting department.

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by Airbag | August 22, 2008 7:05 PM

800 units a year diluting the brand???????????????

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by ALBE | August 23, 2008 2:28 PM

I suggest to look at the diluting of high brands from widely spread point of view that money or values in general were not redistributed by best possible way. So it is possible that things and acts born in accord with mental profile of particular clientele in general is deluting most valuable in this world.

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by alessandro | August 23, 2008 2:55 PM

WTF are you talking about.

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by ALBE | August 23, 2008 4:16 PM

it will be very very good this car but its ashame that there will be like sixty million of them in dubai then it will be ruined.

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by mmr66 | August 22, 2008 7:05 PM

not rolls royce type, more jaguar lunacy type

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by great_supercars255 | August 22, 2008 7:49 PM

After Bentley has done so well with the Conti I cant blame BMW for trying this. As long as they differentiate this from the 7 (and dont pull a GM on us) I don't see why this would be a problem. Rolls should see a HUGE profit. These things will sell like hot-cakes!

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by benz_man | August 22, 2008 8:32 PM

I guess Rolls Royce really needed a car smaller than the gigantic Phantom. I guess this upcoming "RR4" is the spiritual successor of the classic Rolls Royce Silver Shadow.

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by AG4 | August 23, 2008 2:29 AM

what is this supposed to compete with because if it is supposed to compete with S calss's and 7 series that sorta defeats the puropse of buying a RR

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by BabyMilo | August 23, 2008 2:59 AM

Nice. Prospective S-Class, 7 series buyers now have a Rolls that they can actually drive and enjoy. Combining the plush high-end Phantom with the driveability of the 7 series is a masterstroke. I don't see how that can be "diluting" the brand. Its not like Rolls is developing a Golf rival.

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by BOOGIE_WOOGIE | August 23, 2008 5:51 AM

...I think masterstroke is an overstatement at best...this car will not drive like a BMW...and it's unlikely that prospective S class or 7 series owners will be cross-shopping this car as it will cost 2 or 3 times the price of an S class or 7 series...it's rival is obviously the Bentley Continental Sedan...unless VW decides to surprise all of us and resurrect the Bugatti Royale...

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by Benzian | August 23, 2008 6:40 AM

Tinier models do not dilute any brand but stupid design does. This car is lovely and I'm already scared by my rising appeal to this car, RR is so expensive.

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by alessandro | August 23, 2008 1:22 PM

It cant be named RR4. More like Rolls Royce Silver7Series so people know what they are actually buying and then ask the dealer why it costs twice as much as the seven series if its the same car. Its a bit like when the Jaguar X-type was totally made of a Ford Mondeo. I dont like such cheap car making.

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by Ipsesnipse | August 23, 2008 10:31 PM

Lovely to look for parallels between Jag X-Type vs. Mondeo and 7 series vs. RR. LOL ...anyway I quite like the shape of the car appearing in all majesty of RR-brand. Despite of similar size to 7-series and S-Class I'm not affraid this car would cannibalise 7 series in anyway. There are 2 important facts - 1. RR-buyers are totally different to those BMW-ones and 2. the price which is gonna be much much higher than BMW 7. According to the statement of RR boss the car is gonna share the platform and electronics, whereas electronics is simply not just BWM-development but as a joint project of BMW and some big suppliers like Bosch /liely to appear in other brands later on/. The engine is gonna be RR development which again will spice this car with a bit of different falvour. I'm pretty sure they will go pretty easily for that sort of money, considering the fact that RR is not just aout Spirit of Ecstasy but about Spirit within that car. Ehh???

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by martinbuschi | August 28, 2008 2:33 PM

I meant that i dont like it when a better car company uses parts from a worse car company. Even if the 7series is a good car RR's are quite alot better and when they take the 7series chassi it just seems like they just couldnt bother making the RR a as good as it could be. If your getting my point. Now its just gonna be a 7series with better options. And i cant imagine usual RR customers fall for it.

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by Ipsesnipse | August 28, 2008 9:31 PM

I haz 1

NOT!

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by Raptor | October 17, 2008 10:45 PM