Perhaps it’s just the relaxed West Coast way of doing things, but we were surprised at the accessibility Rolls-Royce was giving to its new Ghost model at the LA Auto Show. Normally at auto shows the public are kept away from cars and only the media are allowed up close. Except with Rolls.

We’re not saying the media can’t get intimate with a Rolls, but rather than just walk up you usually have to ask. And once past the velvet rope (both a literal and figurative rope), the regal British automaker’s representatives won’t stop you from dropping your bargain suit bottom where only Armani has been before, but you do get a sense of unease about the situation as their fingers twitch and their faces turn to a police wince.

Then again, perhaps the folks at Rolls were a little more inviting as this is just an “entry-level” model.

The Ghost is the first entirely new model from Rolls-Royce since 2003, when the flagship Phantom debuted. Slightly smaller than that uber-luxury land-yacht the Ghost is still massive and excessively luxurious. It’s real claim to fame, however, might be its more performance-oriented engine, a 6.6-liter V12 that makes 563hp and 575 ft-lbs of torque at just 1500 rpm. Using a new eight-speed automatic transmission the Ghost will be able to hit 62 mph in just 4.8 seconds.

The Ghost will be available with a very long list of standard an optional equipment, including rear-seat LCD screens with fold out tables and, of course, umbrellas in the doors.

Rolls-Royce is expected to follow the same product development strategy with the Ghost as with the Phantom, so expect to hear rumors of both a coupe and a convertible starting soon.

GALLERY: Rolls-Royce Ghost Debut in LA

BMW’s entry level MINI brand, will work together with the company’s prestigious Rolls-Royce division to create a custom and limited edition high luxury version of the sporty compact. According to a report in AutoCar, the project has been given the green light and while it sounds like the sort of one-off vehicle that might be made for show purposes at the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed, the vehicle will reportedly be a series production unit – although in limited quantity.

The project is inspired by custom one-off MINIs made that were in the 1960s for British celebrities like Peter Sellers and members of the Beatles.

Rumors of this project first surfaced last year when a one-off Rolls-Royce MINI (pictured) was built for London’s Park Lane MINI dealership.

The MINI Rolls program is expected to officially be announced next year.

GALLERY: Park Lane Rolls-Royce MINI

[Source: AutoCar]

What better venue to host the North American debut of the Rolls-Royce Ghost than the LA Auto Show?

Detroit? Hardly!

The Ghost is the first entirely new model from Rolls-Royce since 2003, when the flagship Phantom debuted. Slightly smaller than that uber-luxury land-yacht the Ghost is still massive and excessively luxurious. It’s real claim to fame, however, might be its more performance-oriented engine, a 6.6-liter V12 that makes 563hp and 575 ft-lbs of torque at just 1500 rpm. Using a new eight-speed automatic transmission the Ghost will be able to hit 62 mph in just 4.8 seconds.

The Ghost will be available with a very long list of standard an optional equipment, including rear-seat LCD screens with fold out tables and, of course, umbrellas in the doors.

Rolls-Royce is expected to follow the same product development strategy with the Ghost as with the Phantom, so expect to hear rumors of both a coupe and a convertible starting soon.

We’ll be sure to bring you coverage of this car and all the rest with live coverage of the LA Auto Show starting December 2nd.

See AutoGuide’s Live 2009 LA Auto Show Coverage Here Starting December 2nd

GALLERY: Rolls-Royce Ghost Debut in Frankfurt

It isn’t every day that Rolls-Royce rolls out a new model, let alone the start of a new lineup of cars. In fact, the most luxurious luxury brand on the planet hasn’t had an entirely new model (based on a new platform), since 2003. Sure, there have been the Coupé and Drophead Coupé, but both of those models are based on the Phantom’s underpinnings.

The company’s latest model, the Ghost, has just been officially unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show. With definite Phantom design cues, the Ghost is a slightly smaller vehicle, but that’s not saying much.

It is, by all accounts, incredibly large and has an engine to match. Powered by a 6.6-liter V12, the Ghost makes 563hp and 575 ft-lbs of torque at just 1500 rpm. Using a new eight-speed automatic transmission the Ghost will be able to hit 62 mph in just 4.8 seconds.

The Ghost will be available with a very long list of standard an optional equipment, including rear-seat LCD screens with fold out tables and, of course, umbrellas in the doors.

Rolls-Royce is expected to follow the same product development strategy with the Ghost as with the Phantom, so expect to hear rumors of both a coupe and a convertible starting soon.

GALLERY: 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost

Official release after the jump:

Rolls-Royce has officially released the first production images and a long list of details on its latest model, the 2011 Ghost. Styled much like the Phantom, but slightly sportier and more modern, this more “entry-level” vehicle is still expected to cost close to $300,000.

The wait for the Ghost has been a long one, as Rolls first announced it was building a new line of vehicle at the Paris Auto Show back in 2006. Known initially as the RR4, this Ghost has been shown around the world in several prototype and concept forms (including as the 200EX) , but next week it will officially debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

Powered by a 6.6-liter V12, the Ghost makes 563hp and 575 ft-lbs of torque at just 1500 rpm. Using a new eight-speed automatic transmission the Ghost will be able to hit 62 mph in just 4.8 seconds.

The Ghost will be available with a very long list of standard an optional equipment, including rear-seat LCD screens with fold out tables and, of course, umbrellas in the doors.

GALLERY: 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost

Official release after the jump:

Rolls-Royce has just released the full list of specs on the upcoming Ghost model and the numbers are impressive. The most regal of automakers has always been known for powerful and luxurious cars but judging from the numbers just released by Rolls, this luxury sedan will scream down the highway like a raving banshee.

Powered by a twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter V12 engine, the Ghost will make 563hp at 5250 rpm and 575 ft-lbs of torque at just 1500 rpm. Despite what will do-doubt be an immense curb weight the “entry-level” Rolls will use an 8-speed automatic transmission to hit 60 mph in just 4.8 seconds. Interestingly, Rolls-Royce says it will achieve 4.7 seconds in markets outside North America, but gives no reason why that is. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph.

“First and foremost Ghost is a Rolls-Royce. This means that despite its extraordinary performance figures it has been engineered for effortless composure and refined power delivery,” said Rolls’ Director of Engineering, Helmut Riedl. “This is illustrated by the significant levels of low down torque available which makes pulling away very smooth and for an exceptionally relaxed driving experience.”

Deliveries of the £165,000 ($272,000) Ghost will begin in the U.K. and Europe later this year with deliveries in North America, Asia and the rest of the world in the second quarter of 2010.

Official release after the jump:

Car thefts are a daily occurrence in any major city and aren’t worthy of much media attention, until the cars being nabbed happen to have names like Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini.

Such is the case in Toronto, Canada where police now believe a thief is targeting high-end vehicles. The cars in question include a Lamborghini Gallardo, a Mercedes-Benz CLS55 AMG, a Lexus LS470 SUV and a Rolls-Royce Phantom – valued at $350,000.

All the vehicles were stolen on either July 6th or 7th from high-end rental car locations, including Affinity Luxury Car Rentals. Each vehicle was rented legitimately and then not returned, and because the renter had to provide photo ID, the police have a pretty good idea who they are looking for: Ibrahim Mehraliyev, a native of Azerbaijan now living in a Toronto suburb.

Anyone with information that might lead to an arrest is asked to contact the York Regional Police.

[Source: VWVortex]

It’s official, the name for the RR4 will be the Rolls-Royce Ghost. Company CEO Tom Purves made the announcement during the Rolls-Royce press conference at the Shanghai Auto Show.

“We are delighted to formally announce the Rolls-Royce Ghost,” said Purves. It is one of the most revered names in the automotive industry, evoking images of adventure and technical innovation. The name reflects this new model’s breadth of abilities. The first cars to bear the Ghost name were known not only for impressive dependability and refinement but also great flair and style. This car will be the first in a new generation of models to carry this evocative name and will give us two pinnacle product lines – Phantom and Ghost.

Rolls-Royce displayed the Ghost in Shanghai, although, technically speaking, the model is still the concept car (or “Design Study”), which first debuted at the Geneva Auto Show in March.

Technical details on the car are still scarce but we do know it will be powered by an all-new 6.0-liter turbocharged V12 engine with more than 500hp. A new 8-speed ZF transmission will also be used. The Ghost measures 212.6-inches long, 76.7-inches wide and 61-inches high. The wheelbase is listed as 129.7-inches. The platform for the car is the same used by the new BMW 7 Series. The wheels are 20-inch units with 255/45/20 tires up front an 285/40/20 tires in the rear.

The Rolls-Royce Ghost will go into production in late 2009 as a 2010 model.

GALLERY: Rolls-Royce Ghost

Official release after the jump:

Rolls-Royce has just confirmed that the upcoming baby Rolls, aka the 200EX, aka the RR4, will be offered with a new and very powerful Turbocharged 6.6-liter V12 engine.

CEO Tom Purves made the announcement at a press conference in New York, whee the 200EX is currently being shown as a part of a world tour.

This entirely new powerplant will make in excess of 500hp and be combined with a new 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. There is no word on torque numbers but they will no-doubt exceeds the 500 mark as well, giving the new Rolls that classically effortless old-Rolls feel.

Purves also said that the engine will have significantly better fuel economy and significantly reduced emissions as compared to the 6.75-liter V12 engine found in the current range of Phantom vehicles.

“There has been a great deal of interest in this car since we first talked about producing a new model series in the autumn of 2006 and the reaction 200EX received at its unveiling at Geneva was very positive. As we move another step closer to the start of production at Goodwood, it is exciting to be able to share some of the specific technical details with customers and the media.”

He continued, “RR4 will deliver an authentic Rolls-Royce experience to owners, so expect peerless comfort and build quality. However, 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.”

GALLERY: Rolls-Royce 200EX:

More on the Rolls-Royce 200EX after the jump:

Unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, Rolls-Royce held the official street-launch of the new Coupé in Abu Dhabi – a market that continues to grow for the regal British brand.
Powered by the same 6.75-liter V-12 engine found in the sedan and Drophead Coupé, it makes 453hp at 5350 rpm and 531 ft-lbs of torque at 3500 rpm, good enough for a sprint to 60 mph n just 5.6 seconds – not bad for a vehicle that weights 6,724 lbs!

Rolls also boasts that the Cpupé has segment leading fuel economy – a fact that is not only irrelevant considering who is buying these cars, but also ironic considering where the launch took place.

Compared to the massive sedan, the Coupé is 9.8-inches shorter in length but features many of the Phantom’s signature styling cues. Owners can almost guarantee no other model will look like theirs as Rolls-Royce offers the Coupé in any one of 44,000 different colors.

One original item is the optional “starlight headliner.” Made of 1,600 fiber-optics, it can give the impression of a star-filled night sky (or of a Las Vegas Casino built in the 1960s).

Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé

Official Press Kit after the jump: