The Daily Car

We’ve been hearing a lot recently about cars which will be seen at next month’s 78th International Geneva Motor Show, and here’s another: the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé. Its origins lie in 2006’s 101EX drop-top concept car, the success of which proved so great that Rolls-Royce said it’d create a production version.

This coupé is, pretty much, the 101EX minus the dynamic roof. It’s the third Roller made under BMW’s command, and it is designed to be the sportier model in the range - much different to the soothing sobriety of the Phantom saloon.

The coupé’s sporty nature is reflected in the 6.75-litre V12 engine, with a mighty 453 brake horsepower. Presumably because the car will be driven fast and thus a lot of fuel will be burnt, the fuel tank is 25% more capacious than that of the cabriolet. Jeremy Clarkson, however, will be saddened to learn that the top speed’s been limited to a mere 155mph.

The car’s handling also looks promising, thanks to a lightweight chassis and the fact that this is Rolls-Royce’s most rigid car ever.

It’s not just for pant-wetting speeds, however. The coupé’s rear features a 395 litre ‘picnic boot’ (with enough room for up to four sets of golf clubs) as well as rear-hinged coach doors to provide easier access for more passengers. Inside, the usual luxuries are to be found although the iPod connectivity seems a tad unusal on a car such as this.

Hybrids are not really the answer. The trouble with them is that while they may be fuel efficient and emit little CO2, they take a lot of resources to manufacture. However, that isn’t stopping Lexus, who will launch their next hybrid - the LS600h - in October. And they have told the world some more information about the forthcoming machine.

The basic LS600h model will cost £81,400 whilst the price will increase to £83,645 for the LS600h L model, with a longer wheelbase. While obviously getting a longer wheelbase (and thus more legroom), LS600h L customers will also exclusively get the option of spending £4,355 on a rear seat relaxation package.

All cars are all-wheel-drive and come with a 5.0-litre V8 engine helped along with a powerful and high-output electric motor. This leads to a combination of high performance (0-62mph takes 6.3 seconds) and (to a certain extent) planet friendliness (30.4mpg and 219g/km).