Rare Bespoke Veneered Theater Coolbox Dvd Camera Lounge Chrome 21 Piping Vanity on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Rolls-Royce bringing art deco-inspired cars to Paris, celebrates with posters

Rolls-Royce announced that it will be bringing some "art-deco inspired" cars to the 2012 Paris Motor Show, and while we really have no clue what that means just yet, we're sure the cars are going to be very expensive.
The images show what appears to be a stylized Rolls-Royce Phantom or Ghost in an artistic rendering that would look at home in South Beach. Like the cars, Rolls-Royce is going all out with the launch of these special cars with an invitation-only introduction including a champagne reception.
We only have to wait until next week to see what features and styling changes Rolls-Royce has in store for these new bespoke models, but for now, enjoy this trio of art deco goodness and check out the press release below.

Rolls-Royce could go electric, if battery tech advances

After toying with the idea a few year ago, Rolls-Royce isn't ready to completely give up on the idea of an electric model quite yet. Still, a hyper-luxurious EV from the opulent brand might not happen any time soon. "Suppose we find a battery technology that can offer ranges that are acceptable to our customers," brand boss Torsten Muller-Otvos said, according to Automotive News. "I can definitely imagine a fully electric Rolls-Royce." Muller-Otvos was clear that no final decision on an EV or even a much-rumored plug-in hybrid has been made yet. Rumors of an EV from the brand go back years. At the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, Rolls-Royce showed that it wasn't completely against going electric. The 102EX concept (pictured above) was based on a Phantom but with two, 194-horsepower electric motors and a 71-kWh battery to power them. The company claimed the behemoth had an estimated range of 124 miles and could hit 60 miles per hour in under eight seconds. At least one journalist even got to drive it. However, the brand's wealthy customers reportedly weren't convinced, and the project was canned. In 2014, several reports began suggesting a plug-in hybrid Rolls under development that would answer concerns about range and charging time amongst the clientele. This powertrain could debut on the next-gen Phantom around 2017, and it's likely to be borrowed from parent company BMW.

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.