2010 Rolls Royce Ghost. Diamond Black With Creme Light. on 2040-cars

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Next-gen Rolls-Royce Ghost spied with new interior design

The Rolls-Royce Ghost is going to be entering a new generation soon, and things are remaining largely the same. You'll be hard pressed to notice any significant, new design details through the camouflage on the exterior, but Rolls is coming in hot with new interior bits. Technology from the Cullinan and Phantom appears to be on the table, as Rolls-Royce adapts to the modern world. We can see the digital dials in the instrument cluster that aren't lit up in this photo, in addition to the large infotainment display alongside. Comparing this setup to a Cullinan, it appears to be largely the same. And even though Rolls has covered much of the fancy trim on the center console, it's left some of the parts uncovered. The placement of the vents and other parts seen here echo the design of both the Cullinan and Phantom. The new Rolls Royces have succeeded in adding great tech while also retaining that old world feel about them. It's no surprise to see the same thing happening with the Ghost. We expect this newest Rolls to be riding on a version of the "Architecture of Luxury" modular platform underpinning the new Phantom and Cullinan. Normally, automakers would want to switch up the exterior styling with the move to a new platform, but there's no reason for Rolls to ruin what's working here. We can clearly see a lack of change on the outside from these spy photos. New LED headlight tech will surely be on the ticket, but the rest of the car will retain classic Ghost styling. It's hard to find any problem with that logic, as the design is instantly recognizable, even under heavy camouflage wrappings. Nobody will mistake this for anything other than a Rolls-Royce, and that means the design team is doing something right. This big car will undoubtedly take on the updated 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12 we saw in the Phantom — it makes 563 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque in that application. Just as we mentioned in the first spy shots we saw of the Ghost, there are rumors this car could get four-wheel steering. Electrification rumors continue to swirl, as well, pointing at a possible 48-volt system in this car and even more electrified powertrains down the road for Rolls-Royce.

Rolls-Royce Phantom to soldier on through 2020?

The more a car costs, the less frequently it's replaced - usually. Take, for example, the Bugatti Veyron. It's one of the most expensive cars on the market, and it's been there for eight years now. Eleven years passed in between the launch of the Ferrari Enzo and that of its successor LaFerrari. Now comes word that the Rolls-Royce Phantom could stick around essentially unchanged until the year 2020.
The report comes from LeftLaneNews, which cites Rolls-Royce communications chief Richard Carter in stating that the Phantom isn't going anywhere fast - despite its massive 6.75-liter V12 engine. The Phantom is the car that essentially relaunched the brand under BMW ownership way back in 2003. It has since spawned long-wheelbase, coupe and convertible models, and underwent a few minor upgrades in 2009. It may yet get another series of enhancements before it's replaced entirely, but don't expect anything drastic within the next half-dozen years or so.
For what it's worth, Rolls-Royce has other things to focus on, and we don't just mean an endless parade of special editions and one-offs for emerging luxury markets in Asia. After launching the Ghost, the company followed up with the Wraith coupe and is said to have a convertible version in the works. An SUV is reportedly under consideration, as is a sixteen-cylinder roadster. But that's not even why the Goodwood-based automaker is stretching out the Phantom's lifecycle like it did its wheelbase: the average Phantom buyer pays a good half million for their new ride, and they wouldn't be too happy to see it replaced quite so soon.

2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year entries announced

Over 40 vehicles will compete for the 2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year awards. If that name looks a little strange, it's because the competition added a third category. In years past, pickup trucks, crossovers, SUVs, commercial vans, and minivans competed for the same award. That's why there were occasionally weird comparisons, like last year's competition between the Volvo XC90 and Nissan Titan XD. The new format separates pickups and commercial vans into the truck contest and CUVs, SUVs, and minivans into the utility competition. A complete list of eligible vehicles is below, but here are a few highlights. For one, the entire list of entries has a luxurious lean. Of the 43 vehicles, nearly half of them are from premium brands. There are two eligible Bentleys – the Bentayga and Mulsanne – the Rolls-Royce Dawn, Jaguar F-Pace, Audi Q7, and the Mercedes-Benz GLS-, E-, and S-Class Maybach. The performance ranks are lofty, too, with the Audi R8, Acura NSX, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Mercedes SL- and SLC-Class, Porsche 718, and F-150 Raptor. The mainstream entries are just as comprehensive. From the Chrysler Pacifica to the Chevrolet Cruze to the Fiat 124 Spider to the Mitsubishi Mirage, NACTOY has covered an enormous price range with this year's contestants. Of course, these are only the eligible vehicles. They'll need to run through three rounds of judging, starting in September at NACTOY's traditional Hell, MI, test drive. The Canadian and American journalists involved in the judging will announce this year's nine finalists – three in each category – on December 6. Cars Acura NSX Alfa Romeo Giulia Audi A4 Audi R8 Bentley Mulsanne Buick Cascada Buick LaCrosse Cadillac CT6 Chevrolet Bolt Chevrolet Cruze Fiat 124 Genesis G90 Hyundai Elantra Infiniti Q60 Jaguar XE Kia Cadenza Lincoln Continental Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan Mercedes-Benz S550 Maybach Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class Mini Clubman Mitsubishi Mirage/G4 Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman Rolls-Royce Dawn Toyota Prius Prime Volvo S90 SUVs Audi Q7 Bentley Bentayga Buick Envision Cadillac XT5 Chrysler Pacifica GMC Acadia Infiniti QX30 Kia Sportage Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class Jaguar F-Pace Mazda CX-9 Nissan Armada Trucks Ford F-Series Super Duty pickups Ford F-150 Raptor Honda Ridgeline Nissan Titan half-ton Related Video: Featured Gallery Bentley Bentayga View 23 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub.