More tech details of Rolls-Royce RR4’s V12

By Tim Pollard

Motor Industry

23 March 2009 16:23

Rolls-Royce today confirmed a handful of new details for the ‘baby’ Rolls, codenamed RR4 and previewed in the 200EX concept car at the 2009 Geneva motor show.

The RR4 will be powered by a unique Rolls 6.6-litre turbocharged V12, producing ‘upwards of 500bhp’, the company disclosed. Drive is sent through an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox.

Details were released as the chief exec took the 200EX on a world tour to promote the new, more affordable Rolls.

Speaking in New York, Tom Purves said: ‘We have consciously engineered this car to be more involving and dynamic for those owners around the world that will wish to drive it themselves.’

Surely the Rolls RR4 is a BMW in drag?

Hardly. Rolls-Royce is keen to stress just how different the RR4 is from the 7-series family which will indeed provide some hardware. Every component shared will be re-engineered in depth to match Rolls’ standards, insiders vow.

For instance, the eight-speed ZF box hasn’t been engineered solely for the RR4. The economies of scale simply don’t exist for that sort of bespoke engineering – in the 21st century, companies borrow the hardware and individually tune the software. The RR4 will be no different.

By Tim Pollard