Currently, the only car in the Rolls-Royce lineup with an aluminum body is the Phantom, and even that doesn’t have an aluminum frame. It’s steel, just like all of the other cars. But the problem is that these cars are still oppressively heavy, and in today’s world that requires more fuel efficient cars, one way Rolls lans to get there is through making the cars more lightweight.
The car maker released a statement that reveals its plans to develop and test a brand-new aluminum space-frame underpinning for all Rolls-Royce cars going on sale from 2018 and on. It’s technology that Audi has been using for a while now, and serves to better fuel economy, power-to-weight ratios, and handling. The image above depicts one of the test mules that Rolls-Royce plans to use on public roads in order to fine-tune the technology. Can’t go sacrificing that “magic-carpet ride.”
Press Release: ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS ANNOUNCES FUTURE ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENTS
In February 2015, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced the development of an all-new aluminium space-frame architecture that will underpin all future Rolls-Royce models arriving in market from early 2018. The company today announced that it has begun the testing phase of this new architecture, with early preparatory activity seeing new engineering mules tested in public around the world.
The Architecture of Pure Luxury
The future of pure luxury motoring is already taking shape as Rolls-Royce Motor Cars begins testing its new aluminium space-frame architecture which will underpin all future Rolls-Royce model lines. The architecture will arrive in market from early 2018.
Engineering mules will be assessed on public roads in various locations around the world. The current testing phase aims to ensure that the new space-frame structure perfectly delivers Rolls-Royce’s trademark ‘magic-carpet ride’ on a variety of surfaces and that it is resilient to extreme weather conditions. The assessment of the new proprietary architecture is the first stage of a development programme that will see a new generation of Rolls-Royce motor cars become available from early 2018.
“Since 2003 and the commissioning of the new Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has reset the benchmark for luxury motoring,” comments Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “Now it is time to take the next step in the luxury journey. This is why I am announcing today that on-road testing of our all-new proprietary architecture is beginning. This new architecture of pure luxury represents considerable investment in the future of our great brand.”
Source: http://bit.ly/1ZmyGYA