2006 Rolls Royce 101EX Review

Specifications

Stunning and Graceful are its Middle Names

On the surface, Rolls-Royce has been rather stagnant. Since the Phantoms introduction in 2002, the brand hasnt brought out a single new car, unless you count the long-wheelbase version of the same sedan. But dont let the brands current state confuse, because deep within the British countryside, the company is very active; its heart healthily ticking away to a completely different beat, mind you.

You see, between selling off a considerable portion of Rolls-Royces aircraft motor group and currently tarring and feathering the Maybach brand for top honors as the worlds most opulent sedan, theyre busy expanding the range.

Everyone remembers the 100EX; it would be a difficult task to push this opulent four-door convertible out of your long-term memory bank. When it debuted exactly two years ago, all jaws assumed position on the nearest horizontal surface. No one expected that Rolls-Royce could come up with a vehicle so classic, yet contemporary at the same time. It had all the standard appointments of the Phantom, such as its dashboard and a reworked version of its squared bodywork, but featured wooden veneer flooring, inspired by 30s speedboats, and a V16 engine. The 100EX is so very Hollywood; one glance and you can just see a blonde-haired Marilyn Monroe-type behind the wheel in an elegant cocktail dress, wafting down star-lit streets.

Naturally, after all the attention that the 100EX received in the days, months and years following its Geneva introduction, that it would move from the concept shelf to the production line, and Rolls-Royce is steadily making progress. The vehicle, complete with soft-top roof, has already been spied while out on testing runs. Natural progression would suggest that after going through the effort to create a convertible, to capitalize on all the work and labor, Rolls would turn the 100EX drophead into a fixed head coupe. So, thats exactly what the luxury marque of luxury marques has done to create this, the 101EX, its star for this years Geneva Motor Show.

The 101EX starts out on an aluminum spaceframe chassis, the same, technologically advanced skeleton that the 100EX and production Phantom use. For this one-off super coupe concept, Rolls-Royce has removed 9.8 inches between the cars wheels, resulting in a vehicle thats some 9.4 inches shorter than the full-fat, four-door Phantom, making it the smallest Rolls-Royce based on the BMW-designed chassis. At the same time, the 101EX features greater rake to its windshield, combined with a high window line and low roof to create a more flowing, wind-shaped look, making the car lower, and sleeker than the standard Phantom sedan. With all dimensions having been changed, every single panel that clothes the aluminum-intensive frame is fundamentally different than the four-door production car.

Of course, it would be criminal to forget about the exterior details. This particular Rolls features a beautiful two-toned paint job, but not in the traditional upper and lower body manner. No, the Rolls crisp bodywork is painted in Dark Tungsten, offset by a lighter gray hood, which blends into the aluminum windshield frame. Like the 100EX, the 101s snout is more rounded than the Phantom, softened by a curved radiator grille. The Rolls concept also features a different twist to its headlamps, using a combination of xenon and thin LED lamps to provide frontward illumination. Other noteworthy details include the flush-mount exhaust pipes and door handles, hewn from solid hunks of aluminum, and the 255/50 R 21 light alloy wheels up front, and the 285/45 R21 wheels and tires in back.

Though the 100EX and the 101EX have similar noses and bodies, and feature two rear-hinged doors for interior access, they differ in one fundamental area: the engine and transmission are more down to earth. As a commemoration to Rolls-Royces 100th Anniversary in 2004, the brand went all out in designing a 9.0-liter V16, crafted from two BMW V8s mated together. This time around, the 101EX uses the same six-and-three-quarters-liter V12 engine from the standard Phaeton. The motor, featuring BMWs innovative Valvetronic fuel management system and direct injection, produces 460 of the worlds quietest ponies, and has been tweaked to deliver three-quarters of its 531 lb-ft of torque at just over 1,000 rpm. The engine is driven through a six-speed column shift automatic.

With those big, heavy doors open, its easy to walk right into the 101EX and take a seat; the self-closing rear-hinge design, an idea borrowed from the Phantoms rear doors, provides interesting and practical access for those who ride in front and in back. Theres nothing to write home about from the drivers seat, except the seat itself which is a slim-line design for improved style and interior access. Little else has been changed from the Phantom in terms of its layout and equipment. Instead, the 101EXs differences lie in the rear quarters; occupants sit deep inside the U-Shaped back seat, cocooned by the low roof height, the worlds richest leather and American Red Oak which wraps around the entire perimeter of the cabin. Above, the Rolls fixed metal roof features special fiber optic lighting to mimic twinkling stars in a perfectly clear night sky.

From Rolls-Royces first concept car, the 1919 1EX, based off that eras Silver Spur, to the latest 101EX, the iconic luxury brand has successfully shown the its rich pedigree and with that a desire to claim its rightful place as the worlds ultimate luxury automobile.

Could you see the 101EX sitting in the Rolls-Royce range in the near future? I certainly could. With the introduction of the 100EX - AKA Corniche - expected to happen sometime within the next two years, it would only make sense for Rolls to build the accompanying two-door fixed-head (hardtop) version, making it much less of an experimental vehicle than its EX title states.