red rose

[al 350i]

i'm sure this might have been asked before so if anyone has a link please direct me but was curious to know how much quicker the red rose cerb is and what the specs are .....bhp (real world), 0-60, top speed (was it much over the standard 4.5 capabilities), did they have close ratio boxes (what's the gain to having one)

[greenracing]

Mainly more bhp ( a claimed 440bhp) than the standard 4.5 (what ever that was!!) and a 95/97ron button, but with aftermarket mods like short induction, decats a sorted map etc, I think a non red rose 4.5 or 4.2 would be just as quick as a factory red rose 4.5 with no other mods.

Last time my RR was on the dyno it was under performing and put out only 398 but that was with a knackered diff (now sorted), a buggered/blocked cat (now sorted) and the cam timing a little off. Just got the cam timing to sort now I have new dial gauges so that I can get it re-tested.

[Gazzab]

Best from mine was 436 I think.....

[dean_ratpac]

Gazzab said:

Best from mine was 436 I think.....

Mine is around here - any more I just I was chasing numbers.

Certainly more of an animal - out of the 3 i've owned that is.


...Although - dare i say i've been driving around in a 56 plate SLK AMG, and quite getting used to the comfort, and ride including 7 speed box.

[al 350i]

are all red rose's the same? was there a particular list of what you got and how much the upgrade was or was it a case of the customer could pick and choose what they wanted!

also from what year was the upgrade available or could you just take a 4.5 back the the factory and have it upgrade even if it was an earlier car?

[gutu12]

Had a reg 4.5 and a Red Rose L/w in my time (the one in the classifieds now actually). The Red Rose was noteably quicker IMO.
Much, much quicker than my current Tuscan.

[al 350i]

you sound like you wish you'd never sold it the tuscans a great looking cars though!

[gutu12]

al 350i said:

you sound like you wish you'd never sold it the tuscans a great looking cars though!

Had this same conversation with the current seller this week.
We can all relate to there always being A particluar car at some point in our lives. That car for me was THE car.

[C3BER]

I asked what was the upgrade cost a week or so ago but no answer I'm afraid.

The red rosé cars where known as "special or special engines" on the production line.

My car has every option you could have from new making it a very special car indeed

[greenracing]

The factory cost for the red rose conversion was £4000 on the nose (in 2002).

[C3BER]

Thank you for that information. If I tot up everything the first owner paid he obviously had deep pockets and I thank him for it

[dempsey]

My late 2001 4.5 LW RR Factory Build Sheet says :

Raised Compression ratio (no figures stated)
3 angle valve seats
Re-worked and polished ports
Balanced combustion chambers
Optimised cam timing
Re-shimmed cam followers
Upgraded head gaskets
ECU EPROM chips (?)
ECU 95/97 octane switch

(not sure what items like 'optimised cam timing' actually mean; just
copying the paperwork)

This cost an extra £3290 on top of the new car price.

[al 350i]

that's not too bad for the price!

they didn't do anything to brakes, suspension or gearbox then? it was just engine work. i've read that the tuscan red rose got a close ratio gearbox, but no idea on cost or what power gains were though.

[C3BER]

Different discs with lovely bells

[al 350i]

ding dong!

[C3BER]

And I need some more or is that

[jackwibble]

My 2000 4.5Lw has nice bells as standard?
The main difference is much better mapping than standard 4.5 so giving closer to the claimed BHP outputs especially if you use high octane juice and push the button also a bit of porting work and higher CR the latter two giving minimal gains 10-15 bhp.

[C3BER]

Discs are bigger

[Gazzab]

My red rose has the normal rubbish Tuscan res rose drilled disc's. Thought that was what a red rose comes with (and all later cerbs)?
I have a set of early 4.5 bells which I intend to add the larger after market AP discs to sometime.

[C3BER]

Ill find out what they are later but the originals are bigger. The last true pair came from power and I got them a few years ago. T2 are the replacements which you mention. I'm looking at a new set on Tuesday.