Goodwood, England  - Rolls Royce has released details of a new luxury coupe designed to slot into the range below the flagship Phantom.

The "baby Rolls" codenamed RR4 will be fitted with a new engine unique to the company and produced at the Goodwood factory in southern England. The launch of the model is planned for 2010.

The current Phantom limousine and two-door couple use a V12 power unit derived from German maker BMW which owns the marque.

Chairman Ian Roberstons said the new model was designed to expand the appeal of Rolls-Royce which competes in the ultra-luxury market against Bentley and Maybach.

Chief designer Ian Cameron said, "The RR4 has a more informal presence than the Phantom models with a greater emphasis on driving." (dpa)