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Leaked patent images reveal one-off Rolls-Royce with boattail rear end

Rolls-Royce's bee apiary is expected to produce a record-breaking amount of honey in 2020, but the 250,000 bees that live and work on the company's property aren't the only ones staying busy this year. Leaked patent images posted online have revealed a one-off coupe that was likely commissioned by a wealthy collector. Spanish enthusiast forum Coches Spias first published the images, which were released by Brazil's patent authority. Up front, the coupe falls in line with the company's current design language with a tall, upright grille and thin LEDs positioned above a set of round headlights. Suicide doors add a touch of class to the overall design, and flying buttresses that stretch over what look like blacked-out b-pillars connect the roof to the rear end.  Rolls-Royce has dabbled in one-off, client-requested models before; it introduced the one-of-a-kind Sweptail in 2017. Shown below, it took the form of a big coupe with a trailing boattail design, but the model depicted in the patent images takes the maritime-inspired design a step further with what looks like wooden decking over the rear end. We'll let you decide if it resembles a boat, or a fancy tonneau cover built for a classic pickup truck. View 14 Photos Although technical details didn't accompany the patent images, we're speculating the one-off is based on the Wraith, which is the only coupe in the Rolls-Royce range. Shortening the Phantom's platform is certainly feasible, but it sounds like a tremendous amount of work, even for what was certainly a money-no-object build. Venturing further into speculation territory leads us to a 6.6-liter V12 engine, which effortlessly develops 624 horsepower and 605 pound-feet of torque when it's bolted in the Wraith's engine bay. It likely powers this car, too, but its power levels might have increased. It probably spins the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Rolls-Royce is keeping its lips sealed about this project. We expect to learn more about it in the coming months, but some details (like the identity of the collector who commissioned it) might not be revealed until several years after the coupe's global introduction. As for pricing, keep in mind the aforementioned Sweptail allegedly cost $13 million. It's not the most expensive new car ever sold; that honor goes to the Bugatti La Voiture Noire. It cost about $12.5 million before taxes, and over $18 million after, claiming it the title. Related Video:    

Rick Ross crashes Rolls-Royce in drive-by attempt [w/video]

Rap star and exotic-car enthusiast, Rick Ross, had a double-close call on Monday morning, escaping harm in what appears to be an attempted drive-by shooting.
According to Fort Lauderdale Police, Ross was driving his 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost (pictured) with his girlfriend, Shateria Moragne-el, as a passenger at 5:00 AM on Monday. An unnamed gunman in another vehicle opened fire on Ross' car, causing the rapper to turn a corner, lose control of the vehicle and eventually crash into the wall of an apartment complex. Neither Ross nor Moragne-el was injured, despite reports that "dozens" of ammo casings were found at the crime scene.
Ross had been out celebrating his birthday on Sunday night; at nearby restaurant Floridian and a club called LIV in Miami Beach. Reports indicate that the restaurant was also the target of gunfire - some 15 shots that "sounded like they came from a high-powered rifle."

This is the very last Rolls-Royce Phantom VII

Rolls-Royce built its very last Phantom VII today. The model was first introduced in 2003 and ends with this one-of-a-kind long-wheelbase model that will go to the unnamed Rolls-Royce collector who commissioned it. The car itself is themed around 1930s-era ships, which is in turn a nod to the era of the first Phantom I, launched in 1925. Immediately upon looking at the car's "Blue Velvet" paint scheme, you can see the oceanic influence. The color is accompanied by coach lines with a ship motif, and the tires have white lines to complement it. Inside, the car features the beautiful marquetry wood trim the brand has become known for. The dashboard shows a '30s-era ship with a map of North America and Europe in the background. Further maritime highlights include dash clocks modeled after ship radios, and embroidery on the "Powder Blue" leather that mimics the look of ocean waves. The front dash clock has a movable bezel for different time zones, and Rolls-Royce says the carpeting has been cut to look like a ship's wake. While this generation of the Phantom is at an end, it's by no means the end of the line for the name. We've seen prototypes of the Phantom VIII running around, and Rolls-Royce has openly said that a successor is coming. We expect the new generation will only be available in short- and long-wheelbase sedans to start, and will probably be revealed sometime this year, perhaps as soon as the Geneva Show in March, or as late as the Pebble Beach Concours in August. Related Video: