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Rolls-Royce gives up on electric, diesel models in favor of hybrid

Rolls-Royce is not what you might characterize as one of the greenest automakers on the market. Its vehicles tend to be rather large, saddled with lots of plush leather, thick carpets and wood trim, and powered by twelve-cylinder engines in excess of six and a half liters. But that doesn't mean that the stoic British automaker isn't trying to clean up its act, even if its customers haven't responded in kind. Rolls did not receive a single order for the all-electric Phantom. A few years ago, Rolls-Royce showcased an all-electric Phantom prototype called the 102EX (pictured above) and sent it on a global tour to demonstrate to customers around the world. But in speaking to company representatives, Autocar reports that Rolls did not receive a single order for such a vehicle. Nor did customers respond favorably to the idea of a diesel Rolls-Royce. Prospective and existing clients exhibited "significant hostility" towards the idea, despite a diesel prototype that was "effectively inaudible" in comparison to the existing gasoline models while delivering torque-driven performance which the company characterized as "impressive" while significantly reducing carbon emissions. As a result, the diesel project was killed off just like the electric one. That doesn't mean that Rolls-Royce is giving up, though. In the wake of the diesel and electric projects, Goodwood is reportedly proceeding with a hybrid powertrain borrowed from parent company BMW, which offers a wide array of hybrids including versions of 3 Series, 5 Series and 7 Series sedans, the X6 crossover and the i3 and i8 PHEVs.

Rolls-Royce Wraith officially revealed in profile

Well here's a nice twofer. On the same day Rolls-Royce releases its first official teaser image showing the 2014 Wraith, we also get a look at the car undergoing some cold-weather testing courtesy of some new spy shots. As the coupe version of the Ghost, the 2014 Rolls-Royce Wraith will make its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and it's expected to go on sale during the fourth quarter of this year.
Rolls-Royce already confirmed plenty of information in a teaser it released last week, but the latest image shows us a clear shot of what the car's midsection will look like. Comparing this image and the spy shots, we can see that the Wraith will have a pretty sleek - (almost Bentley Continental GT-like) roofline, and, like the Phantom Coupe, it will have rear-hinged doors. We can also tell from the spy shots that it seems to be keeping the same face as the Ghost and taillights, too.
Be sure to check out the latest spy photos for the Wraith as well as a brief press release from Rolls-Royce by scrolling below.

Rolls-Royce Alpine Centenary Ghost makes its first North American appearance

Rolls-Royce choose this year's Shanghai Motor Show as the occasion to show off its achingly cool Alpine Trial Centenary Edition Ghost, but The Quail was the site of the car's North American coming out party.
The one-off Rolls pays tribute to a heroic moment in the marque's history, when four 1913 Silver Ghosts, three factory cars and one privateer entry, successfully completed the 1,820-mile Austrian Alpine Trials. The privateer racer in question, James Radley, is the gentleman responsible for the pretty color combination you see on this new Ghost. Radley's blue bodywork over black wheels looked great in 1913 and haven't lost any luster 100 years on to our eyes.
You can revisit the details about this historically rooted Rolls-Royce in the press release below, or simply take a stroll through our fresh gallery of images from The Quail.