Ask the head honcho at Rolls-Royce if they're jealous of Bentley's success since the two companies split in 1998 and you're met with a well rehearsed 'No'.
Still, that hasn't stopped Rolls looking to edge in on the Bentley Continental GT's and Flying Spur's £130,000 territory with a new model.
Work is well under way down in Chichester on the new car, which is set to arrive in 2009.
The new Roller, which is expected to be a saloon, will be based on the same platform as the next generation of BMW 7-series.
The Rolls will come with a V12 engine and may also have twin turbochargers to boost performance and further distance it from BMW's luxury saloon range.
The need for a smaller Rolls is pressing because sales of the Phantom have not reached the hoped-for 1,000 per year target, and European buyers are said to be wary of the vehicle's size.
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