Shanghai 2009: Rolls-Royce ditches RR4 for Ghost nameplate
At the Shanghai Motor Show this morning, Rolls-Royce finally put the temporary RR4 moniker to rest by officially naming its new Flying Spur-fighting sedan the “Ghost.” Shown in concept form as the 200EX at last month’s Geneva Motor Show, the Ghost will be built later this year on a separate assembly line at the automaker’s newly expanded Goodwood facility, where it will share paint, wood and leather with its flagship brother, the Phantom. The Ghost is built using 20% of the parts from the recent BMW 7 series platform and will be equipped with a 500+ hp, twin-turbocharged V12 mated to an eight-speed transmission. Expect sales to begin in late 2009, with coupe and convertible variants to follow in the next two to three years.