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Rolls-Royce reveals new Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament for electric era

It’s a big day in Rolls-Royce land, as the mega-luxury British car company just revealed a new Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament to grace its future vehicles. In the world of automobiles, the Rolls-Royce hood ornament is one of the most iconic, and now itÂ’s getting a new look for the electric era. Or as Rolls prefers, “she” is getting a new look. The first Rolls-Royce vehicle to wear this new Spirit of Ecstasy will be the upcoming Spectre electric car. Its design is tied to the brandÂ’s electrified future, too. Rolls-Royce says the new design is sculpted to both look and be more aerodynamic than the outgoing model. Instead of standing with legs straight, tilting at the waist and feet together, the new ornament is “braced for the wind, one leg forward, body tucked low.” Height-wise, the new ornament is 82.73 mm tall, while the outgoing ornament was 100.01 mm tall. Plus, the robes (they're not wings!) flapping behind her have been reshaped to be more aerodynamic and look more realistic. Left: Current Spirit of Ecstasy; Right: New Spirit of Ecstasy Why is aero such a great focus? Well, aero is everything when it comes to electric car range and efficiency. Rolls-Royce says its current Spectre prototypes have a drag coefficient of just 0.26, making the Spectre the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce ever. That figure is expected to be even better once the production design is finalized, Rolls says. “111 years ago today, the Spirit of Ecstasy became an official part of Rolls-Royce,” says design director Anders Warming. “Yet, she has come to represent a spiritual direction for our brand. Her form perfectly captures the marque – she leans forward, expressing our relentless pursuit of progress, and her dress gracefully flows in the wind, echoing the serenity of our products in motion. For Spectre and beyond, she becomes lower and more focused; braced for unprecedented speed and the exciting future her presence will define.” The ornament is the product of 830 hours of design modeling and wind tunnel testing. Instead of drawing it out on paper or real-life sculpting, though, this Spirit of Ecstasy was designed via digital “sculpting” on a computer. That said, the actual construction of the ornament will continue to be finished by hand after undergoing its “lost wax casting.” This hand finishing process means that even in the age of computers, Rolls promises that every single ornament will be minutely different from the next — itÂ’s about charm.

BMW shuffles chairs in its design department

BMW Group has made some changes to its design team since August 1, and has shuffled top personnel to different positions at BMW Design, Mini Design and Rolls-Royce.
The BMW Design team led by Karim Habib (middle, right) gains a new head of Exterior Design in Domagoj Dukec (right), who has worked for the exterior design team since 2010 and shaped the Concept Active Tourer.
Oliver Heilmer (left), who has worked for BMW's interior design unit since 2000 and designed the 5 Series interior, replaces Marc Girard as head of Interior Design BMW Automobiles. Marc Girard goes to manage BMW's subsidiary design group, BMW DesignworksUSA.

Rolls-Royce debuts super limited Ghost Mysore edition

Rolls-Royce is celebrating the history of India with its latest, extremely limited edition of the Ghost Extended Wheelbase called the Mysore Collection. Just three of these specially upholstered versions are being made. These Ghosts are dedicated to Mysore, India, and to the Tipu Sultan there in the 18th century. They receive a two-tone blue and silver livery with a pinstripe featuring a stylized peacock running down the side. For the interior, they feature light-colored wood, white leather and blue carpets. However, the most obvious change for this limited edition is the inclusion of a tiger on each headrest. Rolls did make one rather odd decision for this commemoration of India. According to the luxury brand's Facebook post about them, the three special Ghosts are only for sale in Abu Dhabi. Although, the brand says, "In Arabic, Mysore also refers to wealth and power." Rolls-Royce Bespoke Ghost Mysore Collection 'In this world I would rather live two days like a tiger, than two hundred years like a sheep.' Tipu Sultan - 'The Tiger of Mysore.' Tipu Sultan was the ruler of 18th century Mysore in India. In Arabic, Mysore also refers to wealth and power. The Bespoke Ghost Mysore Collection takes inspiration from this, and each of these extended wheelbase models are adorned with symbols of success. Ghost Mysore will be available exclusively in Abu Dhabi. Only three have been created. Related Video: Featured Gallery Rolls-Royce Bespoke Ghost Mysore Collection News Source: FacebookImage Credit: Rolls-Royce Design/Style Rolls-Royce Luxury Sedan rolls-royce ghost