SPY PICS: Baby Roller takes to the streets

These pics shot by master spy photographers, Carparazzi, show what is reputed to be the forthcoming "small" Rolls-Royce that could step in where the relatively short-lived Silver Seraph stepped off in 2002, leaving the relatively ancient Park Ward as the last "proper" Rolls and the sole representative of the brand until the BMW-inspired Phantom came in 2004.

Although it is easier to find Bentley Arnage references on this heavily disguised prototype, it is said the car pictured is indeed the new small Rolls and that it is expected to be based on long-wheelbase BMW 7 Series running gear.

With a debut tipped for 2010, the new Rolls will be a lot less expensive than the Phantom, with guestimates varying from $350,000 or so to $500,000 -- smack in the middle of Bentley territory

The strange thing is that, where the Phantom's engine, but little else, is courtesy of BMW, the new one is very BMW underneath in most respects except the engine which, it is  rumoured, will be exclusively Rolls-Royce. An educated guess would suggest V12 power is the most likely way to go.

Word is that a second shift at the Goodwood factory in the UK will cater for the extra demand the new model will place on the production line, which could see the annual rate doubling from 800 to 1600 cars a year.

Given worldwide sales of Bentleys, which added up to more than 10,000 vehicles in 2007, that would seem -- if the new Rolls is as good as suggested -- a conservative target. In Australia alone, Bentley sold 127 cars last year.

With prices less than half that of the Phantom models, this would give Rolls-Royce a viable competitor for Bentley, which has been doing very nicely thank you with its Arnage and Continental GT coupe and convertible models.

The new car will bring the model range to three, joining the massive Phantom saloon and the recently-launched coupe version in RR showrooms.

- with Carparazzi