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| On the road Rolls-Royce 101EX: the birth of an exceptional coupé The legendary English marque gave us something to dream about two years ago by launching an impressive cabriolet concept car, the 100 EX, which cost no less than 2 million pounds (3 million euros) in the making... This year, in Geneva, Rolls-Royce caused another stir by unveiling a new concept: the 101 EX coupé which, despite its ostentatious luxury, looks set for a great future!  Three years after launching the Phantom and two years after the presentation of its future 100 EX cabriolet, the British manufacturer has every intention of showing its detractors that, despite being taken over by BMW and moving to Goodwood, Rolls-Royce will always be Rolls-Royce: namely a marque beyond compare!  Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, the 101 EX concept car is much more than a prototype or mere "show car". It is, in effect, the archetypal Rolls coupé in the very classic "Grand Touring" tradition of the 1950s and 1960s, as witnessed by its colossal dimensions (5.60 m long, 1.99 m wide and 1.59 m tall!), elegant elongated roofline, length of the doors and finesse of the rear windscreen. Despite its massive square look at the front, there is nothing ungainly about the 101 EX; on the contrary, it displays a fine sportiness that is further emphasised by its enormous 21-inch, 7-spoke wheels. Structurally, the body takes up the essential features of the Phantom and 100 EX, with the space frame chassis (lowered and shortened by 25 cm), reverse opening doors (facilitating graceful entry and exit), minimalist light clusters, and hand-polished, solid aluminium bonnet.  The passenger compartment, for its part, is in keeping with the marque's legendary luxury with its precious wood veneers, leathers and raw aluminium, which cultivate nostalgia for the 1920s. The soft sunroof is lined with cashmere and - the height of sophistication - the cabin headlining has numerous inlaid fibre optics which, at night, look like a constellation of stars! Beneath the bonnet, the 101 EX is, like the Phantom, equipped with the 453 hp 6.75 litre BMW direct injection V12 engine, a finely crafted unit which offers incredibly smooth running. 95% "realistic", the 101 EX concept car should be launched in 2008. Photographies : © Rolls-Royce  | |||||||||
