New Phantom Coupe to be launched at Geneva Motor Show

ROLLS ROYCE PHANTOM COUPE

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will display its new Phantom Coupe at the Geneva Motor Show.

Supposedly the most driver-orientated model in the Phantom line, the car is said to be capable of boasting of a number of subtle but significant modifications that have made it dynamic and comfortable. Production of the Phantom Coupe will start at Goodwood in the summer of 2008.

Rolls-Royce has designed the new beauty to cover great distances effortlessly. Powered by a 6.75-litre V12 that produces 453 bhp, 720 Nm of torque, the car also brings in fuel efficiency that ever before.

Rolls Royce Chief designer, Ian Cameron, has said that they have given the Rolls-Royce design a dynamic twist while creating the machine. "This adds a sense of drama to the outstanding engineering and drivability that are fundamentals of Rolls-Royce cars."

According to auto news, the Phantom Coupe comes with rear-hinged coach doors which add considerably to the ease of access to the rear lounge seats as well as to the overall aesthetics. It has a split tail compartment that opens in two parts, gives easy access to 395 liters of space too. Built on an aluminum chassis, the car comes across as lightweight but is exceptionally strong.

Other features include slim LED sidelights, a gentle raked grille, and a continuous A-pillar.

Tata OneCat compressed air car by 2009

TATA ONECAT COMPRESSED AIR CAR TO BE LAUNCHED BY 2009

Tata Motors plans to launch the OneCat, a car running on compressed air by 2009.

The car is expected to be a five-seater with a glass fiber body, which would weigh just 350 kg and cost just about Rs 2 lakh. The project is backed for an undisclosed sum by Tata, which says it may also use the technology for power generation.

A BBC report has pointed out that Tata's backing makes the idea much more marketable and that the Indian company will be putting finishing touches to the engine.

French engineer Negre is planning to sell the car in India by 2009, the report said. He hopes that the first buyers of the compressed air car will be people who care about the environment and would sell it for an economical price. Tata would be the only big firm Negre will license to sell the car and sales will be limited to India.

The car will be driven by compressed air stored in carbon-fiber tanks that can be filled in just three minutes. The tanks will be built into the chassis. The car can also be plugged into the mains for four hours and an on-board compressor will do the job.

For long journeys, the compressed air driving the pistons can be boosted by a fuel burner which heats the air so it expands and increases the pressure on the pistons. The burner will use all kinds of liquid fuel.