Rolls plans three new Ghosts

Rolls-Royce is ramping up three variations of its new Ghost saloon: a long-wheelbase version, a drophead coupé and a coupé. All three variants are due to go on sale within the next three years.

Rolls-Royce has previously confirmed that the Ghost lends itself to body variations, and this stretched version is expected to arrive first. All of the extra length is added aft of the B-pillars, requiring a new roof and elongated rear doors. The wheelbase is expected to grow by up to 150mm. The 6.6-litre, twin-turbo V12 powertrain remains unchanged.

See the soy pics from the long-wheelbase Rolls-Royce Ghost in testing

The pair of two-door models will follow, although it’s not yet clear in which order they will appear. Unlike the Phantom Drophead Coupé, which was previewed by the 100EX concept, there will be no show car introduction.

Rolls-Royce is also exploring the possibility of greener models. “We will evaluate alternative propulsion next year,” Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös told Autocar. “We want to find out what our customers expect.”

Read Autocar's full road test of the Rolls-Royce Ghost

The company is less pressured than some on ‘green’ issues, at least in terms of corporate average CO2 emissions, because it’s counted within the BMW Group. The relatively high emissions of Rolls’ low-volume range are easily counterbalanced by the Mini and EfficientDynamics BMWs.

Müller-Ötvös also predicts long lives for its models. “Our customers don’t expect to be at the forefront of technology. Our cars are about arrival and departure,” he said. “They need to have long lives because they’re icons. Our customers are not interested in quick change, because that costs a lot of money.”

Richard Bremner

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