2011 Rolls-royce Ghost on 2040-cars

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Rolls-Royce builds one of its smallest cars ever

Kid-size versions of expensive cars are nothing new, and a handful have come out in the past year. McLaren released a tiny iteration of its P1, and Morgan did the same with its EV3. Rolls-Royce has joined the crowd with its new Rolls-Royce SRH. Unlike those other British automakers, though, Rolls only built one, and it went to a good home. The car was built for the St. Richard's Hospital Pediatric Day Surgery Unit, located in the same town as Rolls-Royce headquarters. The car also gets its SRH name from the hospital. It was provided to St. Richard's for patients to drive down to the operating theater. The hallway to the theater is decorated with road signs, too. Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos said in a press release, "We hope that the Rolls-Royce SRH will serve to make the experience for young people during treatment a little less stressful." Also, just because the SRH is small doesn't mean less care was taken to build it. The same attention to detail Rolls-Royce brings to its large vehicles is on display here. For one thing, it was built by the Bespoke Manufacturing division, which builds specially customized models for clients. The car also features contemporary Rolls-Royce design features such as self-righting wheel centers, and an interior designed to precisely match the red coachline along the blue and silver body. Of course, there's also a small example of the Spirit of Ecstasy on the hood. Rolls even had a special unveiling for a couple of the hospital's patients at the factory, and allowed them to motor around the factory floor. Powering the little car is an electric motor coupled to a 24 volt battery. Speed is controlled via paddles behind the steering wheel, and it has a top speed of 10 mph, though that speed can be limited to 4 mph. After all, the car is going to a hospital, and there's no need to have inexperienced drivers causing additional injuries. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery Rolls-Royce SRH Image Credit: Rolls-Royce Toys/Games Rolls-Royce Electric Luxury

Rolls-Royce developing new convertible

Rolls-Royce is not a company that makes a lot of different vehicles, but of the ones it does, it tends to offer several versions. That's how we end up with sedan, long-wheelbase, coupe and (in the former's case) convertible versions of the Phantom and Ghost. And now Goodwood has confirmed development of another model.
Although details in the press release below are few and far between, it does promise to "deliver effortless, open-top touring... with an engaging and exhilarating driving experience." CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös added: "We are currently developing an exciting and thoroughly contemporary interpretation of a pinnacle drophead tourer which will introduce even more discerning men and women to Rolls-Royce ownership."
What that tells us is that the new model - set to reach showrooms "by mid-2016" - will be a convertible that's exciting to drive and more youthful than the Phantom Drophead Coupe. In other words, and in all likelihood, we're looking at the convertible version of the Ghost-based Wraith fastback (like the one we recently spotted undergoing testing, pictured above). Expect it, then, to carry the same 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12, but with the added rush of wind in your hair.

The best cars we drove this year

Six hundred and fifty. That's roughly how many cars pass through the hands of Autoblog editors every year, from the vehicles we test here at home, to the cars we drive on new product launches, testing roundups, long-term cars, and so on. Of course, our individual numbers vary due to several reasons, but at the end of the day, our team's repertoire of automotive experience is indeed vast. But let's be honest, some cars certainly stand out more than others. So as the year's about to turn, and as we're readying brand-new daily cat calendars for our cubicles, our editors are all taking time to reflect on the machinery that made this year so special, with one simple, open-ended question as the guide – a question that we're asked quite frequently, from friends, family, colleagues, and more. "What's the best car you drove this year?" Lamborghini Huracan When I review the list of everything I drove in 2014, picking an absolute favorite becomes almost impossible. I mean, how does one delineate between the joy offered by cars as different as the Alfa Romeo 4C, Volkswagen Golf R, Mercedes-AMG GT S and even the humble-yet-wonderful Chevy Colorado? Okay fine, I'll just pick the Lamborghini. I drove the Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 on a racetrack, in the mountains, and along southern coast of Spain. It felt like the king of the car jungle in all of those places, sucking the eyeballs of observers nearly out of their heads as it drove by, and almost melting my brain with its cocktail of speed and grip and intense communication. It feels a little easy to say that the one new supercar I drove this year was also my favorite, but the fact is that the Huracan is one of the finest cars I've driven during my career, let alone 2014. Judge me if you must. – Seyth Miersma Senior Editor Rolls-Royce Wraith There are a couple of ways to look at the question, "What's the best car you drove this year?" In terms of what was so good I'd go out and buy one tomorrow, that'd be my all-time sweetheart, the Volkswagen GTI. Or if I'm just talking about sheer cool-factor, maybe something like the Galpin GTR1, BMW i8, or Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG. But instead, I'm going to write about the sheer opulence of being the best of the best. The hand-crafted, holier-than-thou, shut-your-mouth-when-I'm-talking-to-you supremacy. I'm picking the Rolls-Royce Wraith. I drove the Wraith for a week in April, and was really, really impressed. This car does everything, perfectly.