Many Rolls Royce owners have been expecting the new Ghost luxury saloon for quite some time, especially its massive 6.2-liter V12 engine capable of delivering 563 HP and 575 lb-ft of torque. But with that performance comes a pretty big spot on their reputation, as may eco-friendly will frown upon getting such a big car which produces a lot of bad emissions.
But fear not rich people, as the British brand, currently owned by BMW, will use some of that German engineering and the fact that both the Ghost and the BMW 7 Series share the same platform. As such, it will borrow the mild-hybrid system used on the BMW ActiveHybrid 7, meaning that it will use smaller electric motor to power up the big V12 and help it be more efficient.
The electric unit will output 20 kW and 155 lb-ft of torque, and together with a special Start Stop system, will improve both the emissions and the fuel consumption of the big limousine. Pairing the two engines together will be a special ZF automatic gearbox.
While this won’t drastically improve the eco rating of the Ghost, Rolls Royce’s effort should be applauded. Hopefully these endeavors will continue into the future and we’ll see some more initiatives.
Source: Autocar
