1983 Rolls-royce Corniche on 2040-cars

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Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini utilities await approval from German parents [w/poll]

A cursory look at the top of the automobile market would suggest that the world's carmakers are gunning it full steam ahead into a new stratosphere of ultra-luxury and high-performance utility vehicles. After all, companies like Bentley and Maserati are preparing to launch their very first crossovers, while established players like Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover keep producing ever more expensive sport-utes of their own. But that's not the case across the board.
Rolls-Royce, for example, has yet to receive the green light to start working on its proposed CUV project. Though the dimensions of its sedans may already eclipse those of some crossovers, this would be the first time that Goodwood would produce a utility of its own. But while the British automaker's financial performance may have earned it a degree of autonomy, the final call may still come down to parent company BMW, which just might be waiting to see how Bentley fares with its upcoming crossover - and how much money it brings in to the Volkswagen Group - before deciding on whether or not it should proceed.
However, Rolls-Royce may not be alone in waiting for its German parent company to approve its high-priced ute. It's been two and a half years since we first laid eyes on the Lamborghini Urus (pictured), but the Italian automaker reportedly has not yet received approval from its parent company Audi and the greater Volkswagen Group to proceed with development and production. Envisioned to share its platform with the next Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and the production version of the Bentley EXP 9 F concept, the high-riding Lamborghini was originally set to reach production as the marque's third model line in 2017. But while Audi drags its feet - potentially waiting to see how the Bentley version pans out - the Urus' launch keeps getting pushed back, if it's ever to be made at all.

Former Princess Diana Rolls-Royce being auctioned for charity [w/video]

While it isn't that uncommon to see cars belonging to celebrities and dignitaries roll across the auction block these days, this car is a little extra special. This particular 1979 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow was the car that Prince Charles and Princess Diana arrived at the White House in during a visit in 1985. As some added trivia, this was also the visit where Princess Di cut a rug with none other than John Travolta.
Volo Auto Museum will be auctioning off this piece of American and British history on November 9th - exactly 27 years from Princess Di's White House visit. According to the auction listing, this armored Silver Shadow was the official car of the UK's embassy, and it has been valued at around $2 million by the Berman Museum of History. The auction will have no reserve with some of the proceeds going to the Children with Cancer UK charity that Princess Diana started in 1988.
Scroll down for more information about this car and its auction as well as a video showing Prince Charles and Princess Diana arriving at the White House in the car back in 1985.

Rolls-Royce's future models will be electric-only starting in 2030

Rolls-Royce's first series-produced electric car, the Spectre unveiled in 2022, won't be its last. The BMW-owned company announced that every new car it launches after 2030 will be electric-only, though it stressed that there's still space in its range for V12-powered models. "All future Rolls-Royces, new ones, will be only electric while maintaining what Rolls-Royce stands for," company boss Torsten Muller-Otvos told British magazine Car. He added that this thinking explains the Spectre's overall design. "That's why we also decided to go with classical Rolls-Royce proportions. It needs to look like a Rolls-Royce: monolithic, great stature, it carries proudly the pantheon grille. It drives like a Rolls-Royce, it accelerates like a Rolls-Royce, it wafts like a Rolls-Royce ... it has all of the same materials — while being electric," he said. That doesn't mean that Rolls-Royce's design department is stuck in a rut. The modular platform that underpins the Spectre (pictured) will serve as the foundation for other EVs, and Muller-Otvos told Car and he's open to experimenting with "very different technologies" and "different shapes," though he stopped short of providing specific details. "[Electric technology fits perfectly with the brand," he opined. Rolls-Royce expects the Spectre will be able to drive for up to 260 miles on a charge. That's not much, but the company explained driving range isn't a big concern for its customers. They mostly use their cars in urban centers and they're able to charge at home and at work. If you're saving up for a V12-powered Rolls-Royce, it's not too late. "I still foresee a very good business for us in future for Cullinans, for Ghosts," noted Muller-Otvos in the same interview.