1967 Rolls Royce Corniche Partially Restored on 2040-cars

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Toyota Supra, Rolls-Royces, dozens of BMWs recalled for backup camera issue

Weeks after Nissan and Infiniti recalled more than 1.2 million vehicles for a potentially dangerous programming oversight in the backup camera settings, BMW has issued a recall for similar problems. The recall, which covers 257,481 vehicles, includes numerous BMWs, as well as two Rolls-Royce models, and the 2020 Toyota Supra.  In total, the recall potentially affects 51 different products. This includes the 2018 BMW 540D, 2018–2019 BMW 640I, Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2018–2020 BMW 530e, 530i, 540i, M5, M550i, X3, 2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan, 2019–2020 BMW 330I, 740Le, 740Li, 745Le, 750Li, 840i, M340i, M850i, X4, X5, X6, X7, Z4, and 2020 Toyota Supra. On certain BMW models, xDrive variants are also included. According to NHTSA campaign No. 19V684000, "The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rearview image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse." If there is no display image when backing up, drivers can't properly see, and the car no longer meets modern safety regulations. Specifically, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."  The recall was filed on September 27, 2019, and BMW plans to begin notifying affected owners in November. BMW, Toyota, and Rolls-Royce dealers will update the vehicles' software, which should fix the problem. 

Going mobile: Custom Rolls-Royces inspired by British rock

A rockstar lifestyle and luxury cars go hand-in-hand. To recognize this and to celebrate some of the finest rock music created in Britain, Rolls-Royce will build nine bespoke Wraith models customized in the style of British rock stars. The first four cars in the "Wraith Inspired by British Music" series were unveiled at the Sanderson Hotel in London. The cars have been designed in collaboration with some of the most well-known names in British popular music, and Rolls-Royce says the stars were personally invited to the "Home of Rolls-Royce" in Goodwood, England. The first four cars were created with Roger Daltrey OBE of The Who, Sir Ray Davies of The Kinks and Giles Martin, the son of recently deceased music producer Sir George Martin, famed for the work he did with The Beatles among others. Behind the project is English artist Alistair Morrison, who is working on a series of British rockstar portraits. Daltrey helped to design two cars, first a Who-style Wraith and one fashioned for the band's rock opera "Tommy," with a hood that showcases the sleeve of the famous concept album. However, there is not yet word of a Keith Moon edition Wraith to be delivered into a swimming pool. Cars to be revealed later include a Status Quo Wraith designed with Francis Rossi, a Shirley Bassey Wraith with legendary 007 theme-song touches and a Ronnie Wood car designed to suit the Rolling Stones guitarist.

Bugatti and Rolls-Royce set annual sales records in 2022

Most of the carmakers positioned on the industry's upper echelons ended 2021 on a high note, and many posted even better sales figures in 2022. Bugatti and Rolls-Royce independently announced that they set new sales records in 2022 and noted that the future looks bright. Bugatti is one of the smallest car companies so its record might not initially sound impressive: it delivered 80 cars in 2022, which is exactly the number it predicted at the beginning of that year. If that seems like a rounding error, keep in mind that every car it offers is a hand-built, limited-edition model with a price tag pegged well into the six digits. Viewed in that light, making and delivering 80 cars is an impressive feat. That number includes the 400th example of the sold-out Chiron, the last nine units of the Chiron Super Sport 300+, and the 10 planned examples of the Centodieci. Bugatti points out that 80 cars is a record for the Molsheim factory, which was inaugurated in France in 2005. Bugatti has its work cut out for the coming years. It needs to build the final units of the Chiron, the 99 examples of the Mistral (pictured), and the 40 units of the track-only Bolide. All of these cars are sold-out so the firm currently doesn't have a car to sell but that's set to change soon: Bugatti-Rimac CEO Mate Rimac pledged to release more details about Bugatti's future in the second half of 2023, and he added that "Bugatti will honor its rich motorsport heritage and its connection with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which celebrates its centenary year." Across the English Channel, Rolls-Royce delivered 6,021 cars in 2022, an increase of 8% compared to 2021 and its first annual result above the 6,000-unit mark. The company notes that these cars went to customers in about 50 different countries. Demand for personalized cars was at an all-time high in 2022 and the average selling price of a Rolls-Royce now stands at approximately ˆ500,000 (around $536,000). Rolls-Royce's biggest market remains the United States, where sales increased in 2022, followed by China, where sales posted a single-digit drop due to COVID-related lockdowns and other headwinds blowing across the nation. Sales in Europe increased in 2022 as well in spite of the war in Ukraine; Germany and the United Kingdom are among the nations that posted record sales in 2022. Interestingly, one of Rolls-Royce's largest Asian markets is South Korea, and more Bespoke orders came from the Middle East than from any other region.