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One-off Boat Tail is the tapered tip of Rolls-Royce's coachbuilding iceberg

Rolls-Royce is open to taking additional requests for one-off cars from its wealthiest clients in the coming years. It doesn't plan to make coachbuilt vehicles the norm in order to maintain their exclusivity, however. Rumored to cost nearly $30 million, the Boat Tail (pictured) introduced in May 2021 demonstrated what the BMW-owned British firm is capable of when money is truly no object. It's the product of a four-year development process that presumably cost several million dollars, and it was built at the request of three anonymous clients. It's the first car made since Coachbuild was promoted to a standalone division with the group, and it's very likely not the last. "Our idea is to maybe do one project every second year. Whether it's three cars or one car will hinge very much on the idea of the clients, and also on our appetite for doing it," explained company boss Torsten Muller-Otvos in an interview with British magazine Autocar. He added Rolls-Royce has the luxury to turn down requests it doesn't like. Precisely what will receive the firm's proverbial green light for production hasn't been specified. We're guessing future one-offs will need to adhere to the company's image, so transforming a humble Fiat 500 into a luxury car, Aston Martin Cygnet-style, is probably very low on the firm's list of priorities. Regardless, one-of-a-kind models won't roll out of the Rolls-Royce workshop on a weekly basis. Executives want to keep them "very rare," the CEO added, even if they receive numerous requests. Supply won't necessarily keep up with demand. What comes next depends on what customers request (and are willing to pay for). Rolls-Royce is open to experimenting with different body styles and different powertrain types, including a fully electric system. It's reportedly working on its first electric model, which could be called Silent Shadow when it enters production, and this foundation could be used to make a coachbuilt car if a customer commissions it. "There is no intention to boost any volume, because the intention clearly is to create projects that are significant for the brand's history in 70 or 100 years or so, and that are truly unique pieces. That also fits quite nicely into the heritage of Rolls-Royce with coachbuilding projects in the 1920s and the 1930s," Muller-Otvos concluded. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Rolls-Royce Cullinan spotted playing in the snow

This is no ordinary Phantom. Not that you'd call any Rolls-Royce ordinary, considering the brand's stratospheric pricing and hand-built pedigree. But this one is extra special, because it's a test bed for the British luxury brand's very first SUV, tentatively known as the Cullinan. We've known Rolls-Royce was out and about testing this brand-new, all-aluminum platform in the wild, but this is the first time we've seen it so clearly. It looks a little bit like a shortened Phantom sedan, with big swathes of metal seemingly cut away from the rear doors, but it's more than that. We can't be certain, but there's probably a big V12 engine underhood sending torque to all four wheels, and it looks to be riding high enough to offer some legitimate off-road capability. The aggressive tires are another giveaway that this Rolls may be going places no Phantom before it has dared. With Bentley finding success in the luxurious 'ute market with the Bentayga, we're sure Rolls-Royce is pushing to get its Cullinan into the driveways of one-percenters the world over as soon as possible. See the mule for yourself in our high-res image gallery above. As for us, well... we're just wondering what happened to that sweet rear spoiler. Related Video: Featured Gallery Rolls-Royce Cullinan: Spy Shots View 10 Photos Spy Photos Rolls-Royce Crossover SUV Luxury rolls-royce cullinan

Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe Waterspeed Collection is a real land yacht

There aren't very many better places to show the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé Waterspeed Collection than at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Not only is this aquatic-themed land yacht parked on the Concept Car Lawn appropriately very near the Pacific Ocean, it's being seen by some of the most wealthy car enthusiasts in the world on one afternoon.
The car actually debuted in May in Europe, but Rolls-Royce decided to show it again to West Coast customers. This luxury droptop is dedicated to former British waterspeed record-holder Sir Malcolm Campbell, hence the name. Campbell used a boat powered by a Rolls-Royce R engine to reach 126.33 miles per hour in 1937 on a lake in Italy and break the old milestone. Later, he took the same craft to 129.5 mph to further establish his dominance.
The Phantom Waterspeed takes inspiration from these accomplishments with a two-tone look that mixes shining Maggiore Blue exterior paint and a brushed steel tonneau cover to replace the normal teak. The blue color scheme even extends to the engine and interior trim in combination with contrasting Windchill Grey leather. Rolls isn't building many of these marine-inspired leviathans; check one out on the lawn at Pebble Beach in our gallery.