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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.

Someone turned a Rolls-Royce Ghost into a real Crazy Taxi

One of the unexpected perks of the Autoblog office is that we get to see some pretty amazing cars, and not just what's in our review fleet. Right next door is Platinum Motor Cars, a premium used car dealer, and while they have some pretty stunning exotics on display, we noticed something a bit more unusual this week. And this Rolls-Royce Ghost is certainly unusual: It features a vinyl wrap that makes it look like a rusty yellow taxicab. The distinctive logo on the rear door also shows that this Ghost is a rolling tribute to Sega's classic arcade racer Crazy Taxi. Fortunately, we haven't seen it tearing through outdoor restaurants and up sidewalks like you might in the game. We wanted to know more about the car, so we talked to Jonathan Smith from Platinum Motor Cars. He told us that he and the car's owners participate in various cross-country rally events and they needed a car for the Motor City Rally on August 3. Smith explained they picked up a Ghost they weren't worried about putting miles on, and because, as he put it, they "are kids at heart," looked to a video game from their past for inspiration. Smith said they were in a tight spot getting the car wrapped, since the Ghost arrived only two days before the start of the rally. But he explained they were fortunate Envy Auto Group was able to finish the job in just 36 hours. This car also continues their trend of using fun cars for their rallies. Smith told us about the various themes they've had for past vehicles such as a Love Bug-themed Audi RS7, and a "Family Truckster" Mercedes-Benz E63 wagon. The latter of which got the complete olive green and faux wood color scheme to match the movie car. Smith said that the Motor City Rally was the only rally the Ghost will participate in, but they will show it at the M1 Concourse Cars and Coffee, at the Woodward Dream Cruise, and probably a few other local events. So if you happen to be in the Birmingham area, keep an eye out for the yellow Rolls. It's hard to miss. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Image Credit: Jonathan Smith / Platinum Motor Cars Auto News Toys/Games Rolls-Royce Luxury Sedan video games rolls royce rolls-royce ghost

Rolls-Royce drops top for a new Dawn

Last summer Rolls-Royce confirmed it's been developing a new convertible, and now it has given that droptop a name: Dawn. Though Goodwood has not exactly been forthcoming with the details, the new Dawn is widely expected to serve as the convertible version of the Wraith fastback coupe. Its arrival would complete the expansion of the "entry level" Rolls-Royce family (if a relative term has ever been more so) alongside the Ghost, Ghost Extended Wheelbase, and the aforementioned Wraith to mirror that of the Phantom range above it. Now if you're thinking that the name Dawn doesn't convey the same supernatural "spirit" as the other nameplates in Goodwood's lineup, you're right. The press release below speaks of opportunity and the promise of a new day, and of course the name conveys as well the letting in of the sunshine (in this case) through its opening roof. But the handle also borrows from the company's considerable history. The original Silver Dawn was a highly exclusive cabriolet, of which Rolls only built 28 examples between 1950 and '54. It was the first Rolls-Royce to feature bodywork built in-house, and the company promises the new Dawn will offer extensive customization options as well. The Dawn has already been shown to dealers at a conference in LA, but we'll have to wait until early in the new year to see it for ourselves. Related Video: ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS ANNOUNCES A NEW DAWN FOR SUPER-LUXURY MOTORING 12 May 2015, Los Angeles, California Rolls-Royce Motor Cars today announced the name of its forthcoming new car. The new model, an exciting and sensuous drophead, will be known as Rolls-Royce Dawn. The car was unveiled to representatives of the marque's 130-strong global dealer network at the 2015 Rolls-Royce World Dealer Conference in Los Angeles, California today. "Our new Rolls-Royce Dawn promises a striking, seductive encounter like no other Rolls-Royce to date," said Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, Chief Executive Officer. "Dawn is a beautiful new open-top motor car with a name that suggests the fresh opportunities that every new day holds – an awakening, an opening up of one's senses and a burst of sunshine. It will be the most social of super-luxury motor cars for those beautiful people who wish to bathe in the sunlight of the world's social hotspots." Rolls-Royce Dawn is the next step in the renaissance of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars which began in 2003 with the launch of Phantom and subsequent introductions of Ghost and Wraith.