This cropped image exemplifies what the Rolls Royce RR4 looks like from the front grille. The company's new design language is evident from the multi-spoke polished grille, retractable Spirit of Ecstasy, two-tone exterior body color and what appears to be LED headlights. At the moment the RR4 is taking up the name 200EX. Rolls Royce has been using the EX suffix for its new concept cars as a throwback to the original 1EX of 1919 which was used as a prototype to test chassis and other engineering solutions.
Riding on the new BMW 7-Series platform the 200EX is 435mm shorter, 42mm narrower and 84mm lower than the Phantom. However, at 3295mm the wheel base is longer than the extended wheel-base 7-Series. Despite the reduced proportions the 200EX provides the same level of comfort and space as the Phantom.
For robustness Rolls Royce is said to be using thinner guage steel for the bodywork as opposed to the aluminium so extensively used in the Phantom. Other Phantom features passed down to the 200EX include rear doors that open rearward and close at the push of a button.
Finally, it can now be confirmed that the 200EX will feature a completely new 500hp V12 unit separate from the one in the Phantom.
The Rolls Royce 200EX goes to Geneva for its first public exhibition during the first week of March.
