Carz Arena

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has confirmed that a series version of the two-door, four-seat experimental car, 101EX, will be launched in 2008. Production is scheduled to begin next summer. It will be hand-built at the company's manufacturing plant in Goodwood, England.

This model will complete the Phantom family line-up alongside the Phantom, Phantom Extended Wheelbase and Phantom Drophead Coupé.

The new car will be an elegant two-door, four-seat coupe that builds on the extraordinary driving experience offered in the Phantom and Drophead Coupé. It will use an all aluminium construction similar to the rest of the Phantom family. However, it will be a unique car in the Phantom family, designed around the desire to create the worlds' foremost transcontinental tourer.

Outright power will be identical to the other Phantom models - an impressive 453bhp and 720nm of torque - however the coupé will be subtly tuned with more emphasis placed on the driver. The body will be shorter than that of the Phantom sedan and there will be revisions to the suspension and chassis set-up.

Rolls-Royce Chief Designer, Ian Cameron, said, "With this car we wanted to emphasize the performance potential of the 6.75litre V12 engine and the effortless experience that it delivers. Whilst never overtly sporty, Rolls-Royce is a brand that has always offered owners a powerful and refined drive combined with, as Sir Henry Royce described it, a bit of fizz."

Ian Robertson, Chairman and Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said, "This new model represents an important milestone in the company's history. It completes the Phantom family and judging by the customer reaction to 101EX, we are confident of its success. Our challenge lies in meeting the exceptional levels of customer demand for the Phantom range and in preparing Goodwood to meet the needs of future new cars."

The new coupé will be priced between the Phantom and Phantom Drophead Coupé. Further information will be released in the coming months.