Not content in diluting the BMW brand exploring lower-priced markets with their 1-series, BMW's planning a "downsized model" for their Rolls-Royce sub-division. The new, $260k motorcar will slot below the only model in the erstwhile British brand's arsenal: the epic, 7-Series-based Rolls Royce Phantom. Business Week explains their corporate masters' goal: a prestigious ow-tow-mobile that "its owner- not chauffeur- can drive." Or, to use BMW design chief Chris Bangle's more prosaic description: "your everyday Rolls." Rolls-Royce CIO Ian Robertson is quick to quash any suggestion that "downsized" means "lower class." "We're not going downmarket," Robertson snapped. He's got a point. The "entry level" Roller's price tag compares to a Phantom "tab close to $500k, and sometimes as high as $2m." Still, seen in that light, you could call the new model a bit of a bargain, Mate.
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At that level there are few players, and not much room for downsizing or upsizing.
All the players in the hyper luxury segment are owned by German companies. BMW=RR – VW=Bentley – Mercedes=Maybach
So taking Rolls from the glorious to the out-of-reach for the rich here in NYC?
Why does every automaker have to keep pushing downmarket? Why not push up market and take on the Veyron? Isn’t the point of owning multiple brands so that you don’t have to screw up their images by going down and up market?
How many Rolls-Royces are actually driven by chauffeur? None of the ones I’ve seen included a divider window, they were just hellishly expensive but sometimes very attractive sedans. Or convertibles.
I agree with the BMW folks that this is not really down market. And consider this…it could be the final nail in Maybach’s coffin.
God, the Germans are stubborn. Apparently, they’ve learned nothing from the Mercedes experience. “Cheap” versions of an upscale brand just piss off the owners of the real thing. Cimarron is/was a prime example.
OK let’s not get too excited here, Rolls-Royce actually does have a prior history of modest sized, hand made luxury cars for private use (read: non-chauffer use) – the pre-war 20/25 is one case, and the immediately post-war Silver Dawn using “STANDARD steel” bodies (GASP!) instead of bespoke one-off bodies by Park Ward, Mulliner, Hooper, J. Young, Frestone, Farina, etc. etc. was also a “smaller” car.
I say, It just has to be done PROPAHLY my dear old cheps!
Keep Chris Bangle the hell away from it.
I finally figured out what at least one if his design inspirations is…check out the rear end of a 64 Polara.
Personally, I think the current Roller is one of the ugliest vehicles ever. I won’t blame Rolls-Royce as that company no longer exists. VW bought the assets and BMW got the trademark.
The rationale is overwhelmingly obvious: to compete against the Bentley GT/Flying Spur, which have been a big success. BTW, the Phantom is not 7 Series “based”.
Both Mercedes and BMW screwed up estimating the size of the “super-luxury” $500k car market. Maybach is not long for this world, and Rolls in its best year sold 800 cars, way short of the 1,000+ a year they were predicting at launch in 2003.
VW and Ford, on the other hand, seem to have hit the sweet spot with Bentley and Aston Martin.
Even with a $250k Flying Spur rival, its unlikely Rolls will see black ink in the balance sheet before 2012.