William Maley
Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com
March 21, 2012
Car & Driver had the chance to sit down with Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös to talk about what the next few years hold for the luxury brand.
First, Müller-Ötvös said the 102EX concept shown at last year’s Geneva Motor Show will not go into production. The 102EX concept was a Phantom with an electric powertain taking the place of the V12 engine. The 102EX was built to see if customers were interested in a electric Rolls. The results?
“The results were ambivalent,” said Müller-Ötvös.
In one respect, customers loved the acceleration and utter silence. But, “on the other hand, the charging times are not acceptable, and the range is not acceptable.”
When asked about other alternative powertrains, Müller-Ötvös responded,
“In the long run, I could imagine an alternative powertrain, but that technology would be different.”
Müller-Ötvös also talked about not doing an SUV, as Bentley intends to do.
“Rolls-Royce stands for the best sedans in the world, magnificent coupes and convertibles, and we really would like to retain this identity. I have a difficult time imagining an SUV for our brand.”
For the short term, Müller-Ötvös wants to make the Ghost more dynamic.
“A Rolls-Royce can certainly not be sporty in the sense of an overly firm suspension, but it can certainly be more dynamic than it was in the past. The Ghost is definitely a driver’s car, with an 80 percent conquest rate. Those customers use their car every day.”
When asked about what that could bring, Müller-Ötvös said there could be a Ghost coupe and convertible.
Source: Car & Driver
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