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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!

Autoblog's top 50 car photos of 2016

This one shouldn't need much explanation. We like cars a whole lot, and that includes not just driving them but taking great pictures of them. We've collected our 50 favorite images from this year in the mega-gallery above. It's a mix of old and new, with a healthy dose of vintage and modern race cars mixed in, and not one single shot under the harsh lights of an auto show. So click through and enjoy. Featured Gallery Autoblog's Top 50 Photos of 2016 View 50 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2016 Autoblog.com Audi BMW Chevrolet Dodge Ferrari Ford Lamborghini Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Porsche Rolls-Royce Volvo Convertible Coupe Motorcycle Luxury Racing Vehicles Performance Supercars Classics

Rolls-Royce rings up best-ever sales year

The wheeled monolith above is the 2013 Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended Wheelbase - a rolling demonstration of the real definition of "More." For that reason we can use it as a symbol of the firm's sales, which have not only achieved 'more' for the past three years but have also broken company records. Adding to its record-setting years in 2010 and 2011, the Goodwood-based carmaker moved 3,575 units, an increase of 38 over the year before.
The US retook its crown as the greatest consumers of Rolls-Royces, snagging it back from China. Other market movers were the Middle East, where sales rose 26 percent, Mainland Europe - the same place where mass-market makers are drowning in woe and inventory - that rose by 21 percent, and the Asia Pacific region and its 18-percent rise. Rolls-Royce is probably making more money on its cars, too, with bespoke uptake reaching 95 percent on the 10-year-old Phantom line and 73 percent for the Ghost line.
With a just-refreshed lineup and one or perhaps two more models coming, the indicators for more upward sales movement are strong, even if we don't know how soon the new models will arrive. For 2012, the brand that sells more cars above $200,000 than any other proved the saying that storms can't affect you when you live above the clouds. The press release below has more to say about the record year.