1982 Rolls Royce Corniche Base Convertible 2-door 6.7l on 2040-cars

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Rolls-Royce planning plug-in hybrid

Rolls-Royce is not the first marque you'd think of when it comes to environmentally friendly transportation. Its cars are big - often the size of SUVs - and pack ginormous twelve-cylinder engines displacing over six and a half liters. Those upright Parthenon grilles can't be very aerodynamic, either. But the way the wind is blowing these days, Goodwood will have to get with the program sooner or later.
It developed an electric version of the Phantom a couple of years ago called the 102EX and showed it to customers around the world. But people weren't interested, so Rolls-Royce killed the program. Not to be deterred, however, Rolls is now said to be working on a plug-in hybrid that would countermand some of the shortcomings - like range and recharging times - that killed the 102EX.
The technology would apparently be borrowed from parent company BMW which is developing it for the X5 eDrive and allow Rolls-Royce to reduce its carbon footprint and offer a more environmentally friendly mode of transportation to those who don't want to skimp on the luxury and prestige.

Rolls-Royce Ghost getting a nip and tuck

While there isn't too much competition in the "vehicles priced more than houses" market, automakers still have to keep their products fresh, and it looks like the Rolls-Royce Ghost could be getting a slight facelift for 2014. Like the rest of the Ghost, these spy shots show that Rolls-Royce even makes exquisite body camouflage as it takes a close look to really see that any material has been added to the face.
From what we can tell, though, it looks like the Ghost might be getting a nip/tuck to the front end. This will bring its appearance closer to what we saw on the Rolls-Royce Wraith - the coupe version of the Ghost that debuted back in March at the Geneva show - reshaped headlights that feature LED running lights and also what appear to be LED turn signals. More minor changes to the Ghost include restyled door mirrors that might get some aero tweaks, as well as a smooth rear fascia devoid of visible exhaust outlets.
What we don't know is whether the Ghost will also be getting the more powerful version of the V12 found in the Wraith that produces 624 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, versus the current Ghost's 563 hp and 575 lb-ft.

Rolls-Royce considering carbon coachbuilding?

There's any number of applications in which you might expect to find carbon fiber on an automobile, but a Rolls-Royce is not one of them. That could change in the near future, however, as the super-luxe auto marque is reportedly looking into using the lightweight material on a range of special models.
The idea, according to Edmunds, would be to rebody certain models in carbon fiber as a sort of in-house coachbuilding operation for discerning customers looking for something a little different from what the neighbors in the next mansion or ivory tower over have in their gold-paved driveway. While the carbon-fiber bodywork might help shave off some of the weight from a range of cars that tip the scales at 5,500 pounds or more, the principal notion here is exclusivity.
The business case for these bespoke automobiles apparently stems out of two developments. For one, the vast majority - over 90 percent - of Rolls-Royce customers opt for some manner of customization or another. For another, parent company BMW has been working hard to reduce the cost of carbon-fiber production in particular for the new i3, and that expertise could turn these premium-priced creations a greater cash cow for Rolls-Royce than the development of a sport-utility vehicle ever could.