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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:    

Rolls-Royce Cullinan test car takes the wheel — from a BMW 3 Series

The biggest, baddest Rolls-Royce will soon be here. We've seen spy shots the new Cullinan for months, but this is our first look at the SUV's interior. Though much of it is still covered, we can make out a few details hiding beneath the surface. There's no word on when the new Rolls will hit the streets, but look for a debut sometime this auto show season. At first glance, there seems to be a lot of parts taken straight from a BMW parts bin. BMW owns Rolls, so this shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Still, it's disappointing to see the steering wheel from a 3 Series in place of the handsome, thin-rimmed wheels you usually find in a Rolls-Royce. That said, this could simply be a temporary solution while the car undergoes development. The rest looks a lot like the new Phantom. This includes the digital instrument cluster and various switches and knobs. There really isn't anything new we can glean from the Cullinan's exterior. We've seen this all before. The rear doors are of particular note as they each appear to have two door handles. Look closely and you can see a regular one in the back and what appears to be another up front. The latter suggests it may have suicide doors, though it may simply be a trim piece meant to simulate that iconic Rolls feature. We'll have to wait for the full debut to find out more. Related Video: Featured Gallery Rolls Royce Cullinan Spy Shots View 12 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos Rolls-Royce SUV Luxury

Rolls-Royce sets sales record in 2021, despite ongoing pandemic

LONDON — Luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce, a unit of Germany's BMW, said on Monday its sales soared 49% to a record high in 2021 despite the global coronavirus pandemic, as demand worldwide for luxury vehicles surged. In an online presentation, Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos said the carmaker sold 5,586 vehicles to customers in more than 50 countries, the largest number in its 117-year history despite all the volatility wrought by the pandemic. "In the luxury sector as a whole, the struggle was not so much focused on attempting to find customers, but rather producing enough product to satisfy huge customer demand," Muller-Otvos said. He said sales hit all-time records in most regions, including China and the Americas. Premium and luxury car sales have been growing more broadly in key global markets such as China and the United States as pandemic travel restrictions have left wealthy consumers with more disposable income. "Covid forced many people to ground, not to travel anymore and for that reason there is quite a lot of wealth accumulated and that is spent on luxury goods," Muller-Otvos told Reuters. "We profited from that development." He said the carmaker's British plant in Goodwood was running at close to maximum capacity and its order books were full well into the third quarter of 2022. "If you order a Rolls-Royce today, you will expect to take delivery of it about a year from now," he said. Luxury British carmaker Bentley, a unit of Volkswagen AG said last week that it had cruised to a record year in 2021 as global sales jumped 31% amid strong demand for high-end vehicles. Last week BMW said it had achieved record sales of over 2.2 million vehicles from its BMW brand in 2021, outstripping 2019 sales despite a global shortage of semiconductor chips. Muller-Otvos said that while the chip shortage was cause for concern, Rolls-Royce's parent BMW had "assured that we could take delivery of all the chips we need to build our cars, so we haven't seen any shortages." Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.