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We await details on the "unique" engine in the baby Phantom.
BY ALISA PRIDDLE
We've seen spy shots and artist's renderings, but now Rolls-Royce gives us the first official design sketches of the pending addition to its lineup: the RR4, or so-called "Baby Rolls," will slot below the Phantom when it launches in 2010.
As opposed to the Phantom which has a purpose-built, aluminum structure, the RR4 is based on the next-generation 2010 BMW 7-series, with a primarily steel body and some aluminum to keep total weight close to 5000 pounds.
The RR4's engine is new and unique to Rolls-Royce, the BMW-owned automaker claims. But the powertrain speculation is broad. Some have suggested the car will get a tweaked version of the BMW X6's new, twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 rated at 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. There also have been rumors of a diesel option. And, given its sportier mission than that of the huge Phantom, this car may be graced with something more powerful than the 453-hp, DOHC, 48-valve V-12 in the Phantom—after all, the RR4 will need to compete with the which has a 553-hp twin-turbocharged W-12 that propels it to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and a claimed 195-mph top speed. The RR4 is also expected to compete with the and perhaps the .
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