The unveiling of the Rolls-Royce 200EX at Geneva. This car has now become the new Rolls-Royce Ghost

It is official. A new Rolls-Royce will start rolling out of Goodwood in the third quarter of 2009. Previously dubbed the "Baby Rolls-Royce", the "RR4" and "200EX", this new Rolls-Royce will be called "Ghost". Like the Phantom, Ghost is a name that pays homage to and salutes a celebrated car from Rolls-Royce’s past. The 1907 Silver Ghost was a landmark in Rolls-Royce history. This is the car that elevated Rolls-Royce from many of the other pioneering and fledgling motor car manufacturers. Autocar famously tagged it as "the best car in the world". This six cylinder, 7 litre machine set new standards in automotive design, and the name Rolls-Royce has since then stood for something that is top of the class.

The Ghost will double the amount of cylinders of the Silver Ghost, and with just a slightly smaller engine capacity of 6.6 Litres. These are no ordinary litres though, these are of the turbocharged variety and produce 563 bhp. I think it is quite telling that Rolls-Royce Motor Cars have published the Rolls-Royce Ghost performance figures. It demonstrates a paradigm shift in Rolls-Royce marketing. The celebrated Ogilvy advertisement half a century ago stated: "At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock." demonstrated that Rolls-Royce did not need to shout to be heard. The typical Rolls-Royce owner was not concerned about horsepower, 0 to 60 timings or other measurements, that (perhaps) lesser cars are judged by. This is Rolls-Royce after all. The Ghost dispels this myth, in quite a bold move for the Goodwood company. However, this is a feisty car. No, it is no stroppy or anarchic boy racer, neither brash or uncouth. It is a daring and courageous car. Designed to compliment rather than replace the existing Rolls-Royce Phantom.

I believe that the Ghost has been designed as a luxury grand tourer. A car that is as comfortable as it is quick. Can we expect The Stig to be shaving tenths of seconds around the Top Gear track? Or Clarkson to be doing donuts in the Top Gear car park? Well, I suppose they would if Rolls-Royce lent them one when it is produced. Yet for all it’s performance indicators: a 0-60mph time of 4.7 seconds, an 8-speed automatic ZF gearbox and a governed top speed of 155 mph, the Ghost will always be a Rolls-Royce. Possibly leaning more towards their arch rival Bentley with this car than any other in the companies history. The Ghost will stand beside the four door Bentley Continental Flying Spur for comparison.

The Flying Spur is not restricted to 155 mph though and given the right circumstances can top out at a speed of nearly 200 miles per hour. But this is a largely academic figure, a figure rarely to be seen in real life. Later in the year Rolls-Royce will publish the full technical specification. It will be interesting to see how much this baby weighs on the scales. At 5399mm in length the Ghost is shorter than the Phantom 5834 mm or the Phantom EWB (Extended Wheel Base) 6084mm. It is still a large car though. Judging by it’s interior finish and the specifications that have been published to date, this is no stripped-down racer like the Bentley Continental Supersports. It looks like being a rather elegant grand tourer. A car built more for the driver rather than the chauffeured passengers, but never the less a very comfortable and luxurious ride for both driver and passenger.

Rolls-Royce Ghost badge, notice is now embossed in black, rather than the red of the experimental 200EX

The Ghost began life as an experimental model, the 200EX. Now as it starts to enter production, the red badges of the experimental car are replaced by black and the speculation is nearly over. In a matter of months we will see the Ghost start rolling on our roads, and I can’t wait to have a drive.

Rolls-Royce decided to unveil their new "Baby Rolls" at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. Previously tagged the RR4, the 200EX as it is now known may perhaps be called "Silver Ghost" when it goes into production during 2010. Originally the name "Silver Ghost" was used to emphasise the spooky quietness of the Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP model, that was dubbed "the best car in the world" by Autocar in 1907.

The world’s most famous grille. "We wanted this to be less reminiscent of the traditional ‘Parthenon’ style and more like a jet intake," – Ian Cameron.

Officially described as an "Experimental" model, as you might expect from Rolls-Royce, the 200EX is not just a clay or paper mache mock-up or a stylish concept drawing. This is a proper working example of this future production Rolls-Royce. If it is a baby, then it is a particularly large example. It might not quite stretch to the length of the behemoth Phantom, but at 5.4 metres long it is still a very large saloon. It has been reported and blogged that the 200EX was born out of the recession, but the reality was that the Rolls-Royce designers started developing this car way before the global economy went into meltdown.

The usual Rolls-Royce luxury, but with a more chunky and sporty steering wheel than the Phantom.

With a more dynamic character than the Phantom, even the steering wheel is a little fatter than the svelte Phantom wheel. This suggests that this car needs to be driven, and by many accounts it has been designed to compete head on with its former sibling Bentley and their Continental Flying Spur. It will be suitably more expensive than the Bentley though, weighing in at an expected £175 000, which hardly puts it in the bargain basement. No, this car looks like being another exquisite design, complete with the signature rear mounted coach doors.

The Rolls-Royce signature rear mounted coach doors on the 200EX.

As a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce it is perhaps slightly overshadowed by the Phantom’s commanding presence, but this car looks like it will be as rewarding to drive as it is to recline in. Powered by a new V12 engine, derived from the new BMW 760i power plant this Rolls-Royce will probably not win any awards for economy, but in the best traditions of the illustrious company this is a Rolls-Royce that will command respect, without shouting. A grand car that will be found in the garages of wealthy motorists, even with or without a recession.

"Alluring, inviting, approachable – this car captivates with each encounter" – Chief Designer, Ian Cameron

Official Rolls-Royce 200EX Micro Site

Sir Alan Sugar recently met the future workforce of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars during a visit to the Goodwood factory. Sir Alan took a tour of the West Sussex facility and took the opportunity to chat with apprentices from the wood, leather, assembly and paint departments. The star of the Apprentice TV show is endorsing Gordon Brown’s new policy to boost the skills of the nation, with a goal of one in five young people gaining an apprenticeship within the next ten years.

Sir Alan said “I was blown away with the investment Rolls-Royce has made in the apprentice scheme at this leading-edge factory. The level of craftsmanship needed to produce one of their high quality cars is incredible. The apprentices are being taught skills that I thought were a thing of the past, it is very encouraging and impressive to see it in action. There’s a real sense that a future British workforce is being trained in an excellent way”.

Several hundred new jobs will be created with the launch of a new model series, codenamed RR4, in 2010. Current staff numbers stand at around 700, having increased by around 100 with the launch of the Phantom Drophead Coupé in 2007.

Details of the Rolls-Royce apprenticeship programme, graduate scheme and current vacancies, are available from www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com.

Last nights showing of the excellent The Nature of Britain BBC programme examined some interesting places and in particular for this viewer the Rolls-Royce factory roof in Goodwood.

Alan Titchmarsh MBE highlighted the plight of the skylark, a bird with a beautiful song, which in the wild would expect to see only one third of it’s chicks surviving as they are easy prey for hedgehogs, weazels and stoats. Some enterprising skylarks have found an ingenious means of keeping their nest out of harms way – by nesting on the green roof of the Rolls-Royce factory.

Designed by Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, the architect of the Eden Project in Cornwall. The 60 million pound Rolls-Royce building features the largest green roof in Europe. One that nesting skylarks have taken full advantage of, and one that keeps them out of reach of many of their natural mammal predators.

The eight acre roof has been planted with sedum plants which have water-storing leaves which helps to foster insects, which in turn creates the perfect environment for nesting skylarks. It is hoped that the Rolls-Royce roof will help keep their beautiful bird song in full chorus over the rolling Sussex Downs.

Over 400,000 trees and shrubs have been planted in the Rolls-Royce grounds where even the man-made lake acts as a heat sink for the climate control systems in the office buildings, resulting in savings in air conditioning costs. Custom-made owl boxes are also being deployed to encourage the increase of barn owls, which are now a specially protected species in the UK.

BMW the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd, are renowned for their driving machines. But their Hydrogen 7 powered cars offer a glimpse of how eco-friendly travel will in the future be as luxurious as it is frugal. I hope that Rolls-Royce will be one of the first manufacturers to incorporate this technology, as soon as the fuel infrastructure is in place…