What is it?
Rolls-Royce 101EX
What's special about it?
Exactly two years ago Rolls-Royce showed a Phantom-based convertible in Geneva called the 100EX. A version of that car will go into production in 2007 as a replacement for the Corniche, an aged touring convertible that went quietly into the night when Volkswagen, owner of Bentley, took over the Crewe factory in 2003.
On Tuesday in Geneva we saw a coupe version nearly identical in size and appearance. It's called the 101EX and it's almost certainly headed for production as well.
Rolls-Royce didn't even bother stuffing an outlandish 9.0-liter V16 under the hood this time around. Rather, it's the same 453-horsepower, 6.8-liter V12 used in the Phantom and forthcoming convertible. A six-speed automatic sends power to the rear wheels, which measure 21 inches on the 101EX.
"We used the aluminum space frame and underpinnings from the Phantom and clothed them in a more rakish and compact body," said Ian Robertson, chairman and CEO of Rolls-Royce.
Compared to the Phantom, the 101EX has a 10-inch-shorter wheelbase and is 9.5 inches shorter overall, although we're still talking about an 18-foot-long car. The concept coupe also has carbon-fiber composite body panels (save for its aluminum hood) which likely means it's significantly lighter, too. However, a production version would switch to all aluminum panels.
It wouldn't be a proper 21st-century Rolls-Royce if its styling weren't abrasive, and the 101EX has its share of unsettling elements. The coupe only has two doors and they're reverse-hinged, which gives it a strange profile. Additionally, its round headlamps hold your glance like an unwanted voyeur.
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Print | posted on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 4:05 PM