Baby Rolls gets iDrive

Text: Will McManus / Photos: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien

18th November 2008

Is the next Rolls Royce just a glorified 7-series? These new spies of the ‘baby’ Roller indicate that the firm’s cars are coming closer than ever to those of its parent company, BMW.

That’s because for the first time, we’ve got a glimpse inside the £175,000 RR4. And despite the heavily disguised dash, the shot reveals one important detail – a dial that's very similar to BMW’s controversial iDrive system.

It’s already known that the entry-level Rolls will share its underpinnings with the new 7-Series, but until now it’s been thought that parts-sharing with the top-end BMW would be kept to a minimum, to give it a bespoke feel.
 
This latest generation of the iDrive controls navigation, communication and audio systems, as well as allowing drivers to surf the internet whilst on the move. Who knows, it could even operate the car’s retractable Spirit of Ecstasy!

The RR4, which will cost around £100,000 less than the Phantom saloon, will touch down in 2010.

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