The Rolls Royce Ghost has debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show, showing off another kind of British class from the Aston Martin Rapide seen earlier. The little sibling to the Phantom takes some of the latter’s design, and includes BMW engine technology under the bonnet. The Ghost is equipped with a 6.6-litre V12 engine with 570 hp and 780 Nm of torque at only 1,500 rpm.

The Rolls Royce Ghost features a new eight speed automatic ZF transmission, active suspension control, stability and traction control, and a new dynamic brakes function. Average fuel consumption is about 13.6 litres per 100 km, with CO2 emissions of 319 grams per km. Acceleration to 100 km/hr occurs in just 4.9 seconds, and as we took photos of this luxury Rolls, it was difficult to imagine it being flogged to 100 in that time.

The design was destined to be simple and traditional, and the Ghost is 40 cm shorter in length than the Phantom. An optional extra is brushed silver bonnet tint which gives an opaque finish, and the Ghost includes the same book-opening doors as the Phantom. The interior is as luxurious as you’d expect with a multimedia system, central display in head-up style, night vision, reverse cameras, active cruise control and a start stop system. See the Ghost live pics below for a closer look.

Rolls Royce Ghost live pics Franfurt

Continue reading: Rolls Royce Ghost live pics from Frankfurt

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Here’s the first Rolls Royce Ghost video after yesterday’s official Ghost pics. The video gives us another look at the luxury interior of this “entry level” model, and while we can’t get the sound to work we will forgive them for the ’sun-in-the-treetops’ moving shots. We’ll have a closer look with live pics from the Frankfurt motor show.

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These Rolls Royce Ghost pics preview the smaller Rolls before the official Ghost presentation at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The new saloon is said to be a smaller and more affordable Rolls Royce, although we’re still talking more affordable for the rich few who can afford this kind of luxury.

The new Ghost should nearly double Rolls Royce production numbers, and is a big moment for the brand. It is loosely based on the new BMW 7-series, with a totally new chassis and 6.6-litre, twin turbo V12 engine with direct injection.

No compromises have been made, though, with the Ghost even more powerful than the phantom at 570 hp and 780 Nm of torque. It reaches 100 km/hr in 4.7 seconds and is equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission and rear wheel drive.

Continue reading: Rolls Rhost Ghost pics and preview before Frankfurt show

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The Rolls Royce Star of India could become the most expensive car in history if it’s sold at auction for its asking price of 10 million euros. The one-off 1934 Star of India is in mint condition, and is being sold by Hans-Günther Zach from his Mühlheim/Main Rolls-Royce museum.

The truly beautiful specimen was kitted out by Thrupp & Maberley for the Maharaja of Rajkot, making it a piece of motoring history. On sale alongside the Star of India is a 1926 Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Phantom I Open Tourer, built for the Maharaja of Nanpara, known as the “Alluminium Sculpture”. Other examples from the collection on sale are a 1920 40/50 Silver Ghost Coupé de Ville made for Jean Hennessy and later owned by winemaker and noted car collector Baron de Rothschild, and a Phantom II Cabriolet “Hunting Car” (made for hunting tigers) built for the The Maharajah of Rewa.

The Star of India is equipped with a 7.7-litre pushrod straight-six engine with a total of 14 headlights at the front. Bids got through until September 26, meaning we might even see the price go higher!

Source | Autoblog and JamesList

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The new Rolls Royce Ghost performance figures have been released, showing some impressive numbers for the sedan. The Ghost will be presented at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show this September, while the tantalising possibility of future Ghost coupé and cabriolet forms could be further down the track.

Rolls Royce has released the following figures for the Ghost:
- Engine power output of 563 bhp, 420 kW at 5250 rpm
- 0-60mph in 4.7 seconds, 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds
- Top speed of 155 mph, 250 km/h
- Maximum torque 780 Nm, 575 lb ft at 1500 rpm

It will be equipped with a new 6.6 litre turbo charged V12 engine, matched to an eight speed automatic ZF gearbox. The aim has been to combine top-end power with the same luxury comfort characteristic of a Rolls Royce.

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Today we go back to discussing the upcoming Rolls-Royce Ghost on the occasion of the release of these new spy pictures that show a white prototype during the road tests that precede its debut. Over the past few weeks the Ghost has shed its camouflage and we can now see the body of the entire car.

These takes are testament to the nearing of production of the car: the first ones will be assembled by the end of the year and marketed at the beginning of 2010. As far as the engines are concerned, a v12 turbocharged engine with 507 hp and 720 Nm of torque, derived from the 6.0-liter engine of the new BMW 760i, should already be available when the Ghost debuts. The Rolls specimens could have even undergone an increase in dimensions, reaching up to 6.6 liters.

The Ghost will pride itself on its impressive technological paraphanelia - besides the prized materials expected by the most pure Rolls tradition - that will allow it to reach and surpass, for the first time in the history of the Goodwood trademark, 2000 cars a year in sales.

Source | AutoWeek.nl

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Exterior design chief for Rolls Royce, Andreas Thurner, has admitted that the Ghost has been designed to accommodate other styles, saying it has been “designed in a way to make other body styles.” In a statement to Autocar, Thurner revealed that the scope of the Ghost will eventually be similar to that of the Phantom: “We have to build up a family for the Ghost just as we did for the Phantom.”

This means that we should see a Rolls Royce Ghost in a two door and cabriolet version in the future, in a way that would reflect the Camargue and Corniche models of the previous Silver Shadow. Despite this, the vehicle is unlikely to get any smaller to avoid losing that authentic Roller feel.

Source | Autocar

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According to reports from Rolls Royce itself, the baby roller Ghost has already reached 1,500 orders. Operations are now underway to double sales numbers from 1,000 to 2,000, even with the likely price tag of 220,000 euros.

They are ambitious figures given that it’s unlikely Rolls Royce’s Goodwood facilities can roll out more than 1,000 Ghost models in 12 months. But given the enthusiastic reception in the marketplace for this model, having a try might well pay off.

Source | Quattroruote

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Rolls Royce was expected to have “tuned-up” a Mini all its own in a brand new Mini look. These spy shots show the first existence of this Rolls Royce Mini, which is equipped with a series of accessories from Goodwood.

The pics come from the Park Lane Mini dealership in London and seem to indicate that the base model will be the Mini John Cooper Works. The differences between the Rolls Royce Mini and the latter can be seen in the interior finishes of wood inserts and fine leather, though the eventual modifications are expected to involve much more.

As a little pearl on the exterior, Rolls Royce is using its Ming Blue colour that it used for the first time on the Corniche IV 25th Anniversary, built in 1992 in just 25 models. Goodwood numberplates may also be a feature.

Source | AutoWeek.nl

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Just out of curiousity: which cars pollute the most? Here, we list the Top Ten greatest producers of CO2 in the world. The winner is the Bugatti Veyron, but also Bentley made sure not to miss out, with its products well represented in the ranking.

Ferrari hardly pollutes less, but the latest creations of Cavallino, the 430 Scuderia and the California, end up at 360 e 310 g/km, respectively.

Continue reading: Which cars pollute the most? Here are the Top Ten

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