Straightline

It was a typical day at the Rolls-Royce booth in Geneva, meaning that we couldn't get anywhere near the 2009 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe until 30 minutes after the press conference. Chinese manufacturer BYD had the good fortune to have its booth right next to the Rolls stand, allowing it to pull in a healthy crowd for its own press conference immediately preceding the two-door Phantom's unveiling.



As in the past, we were immediately cowed into silence by the Roller's monstrous size -- exactly as it should be for a car of this stature. Despite its 18-foot length, this will be the sportiest of the Phantoms, as it has the stiffest chassis and the firmest suspension settings. Nevertheless, said Ian Robertson, chairman and CEO of Rolls-Royce, "that waftability that we refer to is still very much in the character of this car."

The gas tank is also 25 percent larger than on other Phantoms, giving the coupe a maximum range of 373 miles. This extra range, Robertson told the crowd, makes it a proper gran turismo.



Even so, Robertson noted in passing that Rolls-Royce is working on a new engine that will deliver a "substantial improvement in CO2 emissions and in terms of miles per gallon" compared to the current 6.7-liter V12.

Presumably, that engine will go straight into the smaller Rolls sedan that's scheduled for launch at the end of 2009. Engineering prototypes of that car are circling the globe as we write. -- Erin Riches, Senior Editor