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Senna director working on biopic about Rolls-Royce founders

Asif Kapadia, the director of the amazing motorsports documentary Senna, has signed on to helm Silver Ghost, a film about the earliest days of Rolls-Royce. Martin Scorsese is among the movie's producers, and Lord Richard Attenborough was involved with the project before his death. Silver Ghost would tell the story of Charles Rolls and Henry Royce at the beginning of the 20th century. Automotive pioneer Lord John Douglas-Scott Montagu and his wife would also have roles. It seems that the film will involve the story of how Montagu's mistress, Eleanor Velasco Thornton, inspired the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament. "What struck me when I read Silver Ghost was how this true story weaves together the lives of five remarkable people that changed the destiny of the Western world and I am delighted to be working together with the legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese and Anthony Haas to bring it to the screen," Kapadia said in the announcement. "Most of the filming is due to take place in England and the intention is for production to begin later this year," project spokesperson Brigitte Hill told Autoblog. She wouldn't unveil anything about the cast at this stage, understandably. We first heard about Silver Ghost in 2012 when Scorsese and Attenborough were working on it. They reportedly had a script from Goldeneye screenwriter Jeffrey Caine and playwright Sharman Macdonald. Silver Ghost is among several automotive biopics that could arrive in cinemas. A Ferruccio Lamborghini film might start shooting this summer, and Robert De Niro has a Ferrari movie in the works. Leonardo Di Caprio also already has the big-screen rights to a future book about the Volkswagen diesel scandal. That's a huge crop of car movies, and we couldn't be more excited about it. Related Video: X ASIF KAPADIA TO DIRECT FEATURE LENGTH DRAMA SILVER GHOST PRODUCED BY MARTIN SCORSESE & ANTHONY HAAS 29/01/16 from Beaulieu Print this page Add this release to Your Downloads Asif Kapadia is to direct the Martin Scorsese/Anthony Haas produced feature film drama SILVER GHOST. The project will be a co-production between Scorsese's Sikelia Productions and Zuma Productions.

Dubai man shells out $9 million for license plate

An Indian businessman lived up to Dubai's wild reputation last week when he dropped a cool $9 million on a single-digit license plate for his Rolls-Royce. According to the Independent, Balwinder Sahani, an Indian-born property developer living in Dubai, won plate number D5 at a government auction on Saturday, October 29. This isn't the first time Sahani has scored a coveted low-number plate at auction, either. The self-proclaimed 'simple man' spent nearly $7 million dollars on plate O9 at an auction last year for his other Rolls-Royce, and picked up a second, unnamed plate at Saturday's auction for a piddling $272 thousand. Sahani considers the money he spends collecting license plates a form of charity and public service. Dubai has no income tax, and the money spent chasing elite license plates goes directly to Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. "I believe in giving back," Sahani told the Independent. "This city has given me a lot." Single digit license plates are highly sought after as status symbols by the rich and powerful in the UAE, and the lower the number the higher the price. Back in 2008, a businessman named Saeed Al Khouri in Abu Dhabi set a record by paying $14 million for plate number 1. These displays of conspicuous consumption are de rigeur in the Emirates. Earlier this year, a set of gold and diamond encrusted tires certified as " The Most Expensive Tires in the World" by Guinness sold in Dubai for around $600,000 dollars. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: The Independent, FortuneImage Credit: AP Auto News Weird Car News Rolls-Royce license plate dubai

Living Life Large: Driving $2 million worth of cars in one week

Monterey Car Week has quickly become one of my favorite events of the year. There's something for everyone – classic car shows, modern concepts and new vehicle debuts, auctions, racing, and so much more. From a media perspective, there's also a chance to drive a ton of cars. Many automakers bring their latest wares out to Monterey for us to test during our limited free time, and it's a great opportunity to experience fantastic metal against a gorgeous backdrop. That's exactly what I did this year. Instead of flying into Monterey and being driven around, my journey started in Los Angeles and ended in Napa, and I managed to get behind the wheel of some $2 million worth of new cars. Some were old favorites, and many were new experiences. But looking back, this was one of the best weeks of driving I've had in years. Rather than try to come up with some common arc to tie these cars together, here are my notes on all the cars I tested in California earlier this month, presented in the order in which they were driven. 2016 Mazda CX-3 The CX-3 pictured here isn't the exact one I drove in California, but it's close. The only difference was color – my delivered-to-LAX tester wore Mazda's awesome new Ceramic hue (pictured below on the MX-5 Miata). I used the CX-3 to slum through crummy Los Angeles traffic for two hours on the way out to Santa Barbara, with a quick stop at In-N-Out Burger on the way for good measure. A lot nicer inside than I remember. Everyone praises Mazda for its excellence in engineering and design, but there's a lot to be said for the improvements in overall interior refinement. Quiet, comfortable, and well-equipped; the CX-3 made sitting on the 405 freeway a lot more pleasant. Not all that functional. I had a hard time fitting a week's worth of luggage for two people inside. The cargo area and rear passenger compartment were filled, with only enough room on top to see out the back window. A Honda HR-V would've swallowed all that luggage with plenty of room for more. So good to drive. Not surprising, since this wasn't my first time in the CX-3. I knew this CUV would be good on twisty roads, but on the highway it's really exceptional. Road and wind noise are minimal and the overall ride quality is a comfortable sort of sporty. This is definitely something I could drive every day – it's enjoyable during commuting and entertaining on more interesting roads.