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Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge Ekleipsis Private Collection is an eclipse on wheels

Demand for Rolls-Royce's Black Badge models has been high, so the brand is going further down this dimly-lit avenue with a limited-edition version of the Ghost called Ekleipsis Private Collection. The sedan features several specific astrology-inspired styling cues inside and out. As its name implies, the Ekleipsis is a tribute to the eclipse (the one that you see in the sky, not the one built by Mitsubishi). It's based on the Ghost Black Badge, but it's finished in a special color called Lyrical Copper that captures "the mysterious, ethereal light cast by a total solar eclipse," according to Rolls-Royce's design team. Mandarin exterior accents on the body and the brake calipers add a touch of contrast to the look, and the thin line that stretches from the front part of the fenders to the rear part of the quarter panels is applied entirely by hand. Inside, the Ekleipsis features Rolls-Royce's signature Starlight headliner with a special animation that mimics an eclipse. When the doors close and the engine starts, the stars in the headliner darken and a specific sequence plays to replicate a full solar eclipse. We'll save you the trouble of counting them: The circle that appears consists of 940 "stars" while the background includes an additional 192 "stars." This lasts for seven minutes and 31 seconds, the longest duration of a total solar eclipse, and the standard Starlight headliner returns at the end. Fine-tuning this feature was easier said than done. Rolls-Royce spent a year on it, and it built three complete prototypes to perfect it. Rolls-Royce didn't stop there. The dashboard gains an analog clock whose bezel incorporates a brilliant-cut 0.5-carat diamond. Surprisingly, this is the first time that the company has integrated a gemstone into the clock's bezel. The passengers sit on two-tone leather-upholstered seats with over 200,000 perforations, and the list of standard features includes umbrellas with Mandarin piping as well as a car cover. Production of the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Ekleipsis Private Collection is limited to 25 units globally. Pricing information hasn't been announced, but it's of little interest to us because the model was sold-out before its public unveiling. Besides, if you need to ask ... Related video: Here's a tiny taste of Rolls-Royce Spectre color and customization options!

BMW warns profits will fall, plans $13.6 billion in cost-cutting

FRANKFURT, Germany — BMW said Wednesday that profits in 2019 will be "well below" last year's, and it will cut 12 billion euros ($13.6 billion) in costs by the end of 2022 to offset spending on new technology. The company said profits would be eroded by higher raw materials prices, the costs of compliance with tougher emissions requirements and unfavorable shifts in currency exchange rates. The Munich-based automaker also faces increased uncertainty due to international trade conflicts that could lead to higher tariffs. "Depending on how conditions develop, our guidance may be subject to additional risks; in particular, the risk of a no-deal Brexit and ongoing developments in international trade policy," said Chief Financial Officer Nicolas Peter. The company forecast a profit margin of 6 to 8 percent for its automotive business, short of the long-term strategic target of 8 to 10 percent, which it said still "remains the ambition" for the company if given "a stable business environment." BMW said it had no plans for layoffs even as it outlined cost saving measures that include dropping half of its engine variants as it seeks to reduce product complexity. The BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands are to get a single sales division. Peter said that given the headwinds to earnings, "we began to introduce countermeasures at an early stage and have taken a number of far-reaching decisions." The company said the measures were needed "to offset the ongoing high level of upfront expenditure required to embrace the mobility of the future." Automakers around the world have faced heavy up-front costs for technology expected to change how people get from one place to another in the next decade. Those include electric cars and renting cars through smartphone apps. Yet the returns from such investments remain uncertain and auto companies face competition from tech firms such as Uber and Waymo. BMW made 7.2 billion euros ($8.2 billion) in net profit last year, down 17 percent from 2017, when it booked a gain of $1 billion from U.S. tax changes. The company faced headwinds from increased tariffs on vehicles exported to China from the United States. It also suffered from turmoil on the German auto market when companies faced bottlenecks getting cars certified for new emissions rules. BMW faces uncertainty from U.S.-China trade tensions that could result in new tariffs if talks do not result in an agreement. U.S.

Check out some of the coolest Rolls-Royce Bespoke projects of 2023

The vast majority of buyers who order a new Rolls-Royce customize the car to some extent — the sky is the limit, and we're not talking about the one embedded into the headliner. As 2023 draws to a close, the British brand is highlighting some of the coolest requests it received. Rolls-Royce notes its Bespoke department received several unprecedented requests in 2023; one customer even asked for a special scent, and engineers had to develop several new paint processes. One of the highlights is the Phantom Syntopia, which the company labels "the most technically complex Bespoke commission ever undertaken." Created jointly with Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen, it explores a theme called "Weaving Water" with custom details on the hood, the dashboard, and the headliner, which took nearly 700 hours to make. Travel inspired several Rolls-Royce customers in 2023. Three units of the Cullinan Black Badge Lucid Nights were built for the South Korean market and painted in Lime Green, Indy Red and Tucana Purple, respectively, as a tribute to the neon-lit streets of Seoul. Moving closer to the brand's headquarters, the one-off Phantom Cinque Terre features styling cues inspired by some of Italy's most touristic villages and the wine made in that region. The headliner notably incorporates a map of Italy embroidered with no less than 14,338 individual stitches. Limited to 25 units, the Ghost Black Badge Ekleipsis Private Collection features styling cues from the world of astrology. It's finished in a color combination inspired by a total solar eclipse, and its headliner gains an animation that mimics an eclipse and lasts for seven and a half minutes. The dashboard gets a clock whose bezel incorporates a brilliant-cut 0.5-carat diamond — the first in Rolls-Royce's history. Riding in the one-of-one Rose Blossom Phantom should feel like sitting in a summer garden, without the sunburn and the wasps trying to taste your drink. Rolls-Royce embroidered flowers into the dashboard and the headliner, and it added four species of butterfly (Swallowtail, Peacock, Common Blue and Duke of Burgundy) to bring the backdrop to life. The headliner in this car required over 200 hours of work. Some buyers take a more personal approach to customization.