Gizmodo: rolls royce

Electric Rolls Royce Phantom Coming in 2010, Priced Just Around Half A Million Dollars

Rosa Golijan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:37:29 EST

While we don't have the official price, we're reading that the electric Rolls Royce Phantom will run just a bit higher than the current $380,000 gas-powered model. Let's round that to about half a mil and daydream together.

If you're having trouble getting over the price tag long enough to daydream, just think of how much you're saving with the standard HD radio. Or think about a Tesla, which is dirt cheap in comparison. [Autocar via Dvice via Geekologie]

Rolls Royce 200EX Is a Purse Snuggler

Andi Wang — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:00:00 EDT

If you own a Rolls Royce, there's no doubt that you're also the type to treat your fancy, expensive designer purse like a baby. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that the 200EX Royce is equipped with a baby bolster for your bag.

After sensing a bag on top of the holder—a slide-out tray with retractable wings—the shelf automatically adjusts its grip to snugly hold onto your purse, kind of like a seatbelt. This makes me wonder, does it have its own airbag too? [Notcot via DVice]

Stratos Double-Deck Airplane May Be the Future of Aviation

Jesus Diaz — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:20:00 EST

The Stratos is one of those commercial planes that actually makes me think "this is how the future will look like". Rather than just being the same old basic design that has been with us forever now, the Stratos has a large 237-foot wingspan and two massive engines mounted on the back, giving it a way more stylized design than monsters like the Airbus A380. Its features, even compared to the A380, are impressive:

• Two Roll Royce Trent-like engines, capable of developing up to 95,000 lbf.
• 55,000 feet altitude ceiling.
• 505 knots cruise speed at 47,000 feet
• 208-foot long body (which in combination with the wings gives it that stylized look).
• 10,400 nautical miles range.
• 256 passengers in an all-sleeper, double-deck configuration (if only all inter-continental places were all-sleepers).

The Stratos is not made by Boeing or EADS. It has been designed by a group of former British aerospace engineers. According to them, this plane will be much more efficient and environmentally-savvy than the current fleet. However, it's just a design for now, even if they say it could get int into service in 2028. [Flight Global]

Jet-Powered Minivan Is Probably Batman's Aunt's Car

Jesus Diaz — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:50:09 EST

This van has been retrofitted with a Rolls-Royce Nimbus helicopter jet turbine by Chris Krug, who should really be working for Tony Stark. The jet turbine has about 1,000 shaft horsepower at 2,100 RPM, which allows it to do 1/8th of a mile at 103mph in 7.14 seconds. Not bad for a Dodge Caravan, especially one that can ride with the normal combustion engine, then reveal the turbine flipping its rear window. The turbine exhaust doesn't provide any thrust, however:

The jet exhaust is at wide angles for the helicopter application it was in. They wanted the exhaust to go away from the tail boom and have just enough velocity to keep the hot exhaust from being recirculated into the intake. The exhaust provides no thrust, it's all shaft driven but I do spray fuel into the exhaust to make some smoke and fire. It's funny how people think a jet engine isn't working properly if fire isn't spewing out the back, unless it's the engine on the passenger jet they're sitting in.

According to Chris, it can do the 1/4 mile in 11.17 seconds, and it topped at 113mph because he hasn't adjusted the rear axle ratio yet. "I have about $17,000 in the whole thing," Chris told us, "I got the turbine from a friend who deals in Government surplus. This all came about after being on the TV show 'Junkyard Wars' where i built a jet powered tricycle with a jet engine made from an old truck turbocharger." [RunRyder via Hacked Gadgets]