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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.

Rolls-Royce Wraith looks rad in red [UPDATE]

UPDATE: An earlier version of this post called this car the "St. James Edition," which is incorrect. It's not a full-on special edition, rather a bespoke color. And an awesome one, at that. Of all the cars that would look right in red, and of all the colors you could specify for a new Rolls-Royce, ordering up a bright scarlet Wraith might not seem like the first choice to many. Fortunately there are plenty of other options available in the Rolls-Royce catalog. But for those who disagree, the British luxury automaker offers St. James Red, the bespoke color seen here. The color is offset by chrome brightwork on the grille, window frames, and door handles. The wheels are done up in a two-tone silver and gloss black, while the interior is swathed in what we're sure is only the softest, most supple black leather known to man. Of course, since it's a Wraith, there's power to match that racy exterior. This coupe is, after all, the most powerful vehicle Rolls-Royce has ever offered, packing a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 with 624 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, propelling over 5,000 pounds of luxury to 60 in a scant 4.4 seconds. More than adequate, indeed. If there was ever a Rolls that could get away with the bright red approach, surely it's the Wraith.

Rolls-Royce Wraith Kryptos Collection is a car with a secret

Rolls-Royce has unveiled yet another special-edition vehicle, this one being a version of the Wraith. It’s called the Wraith Kryptos Collection, and itÂ’s a bit more intriguing than most.  That intrigue comes from the secrets itÂ’s holding within. This car is a driving encrypted cipher. Rolls-Royce designers decided to incorporate a “labyrinth of complex ciphers” outside and inside the Wraith Kryptos. “As a designer, IÂ’ve always been fascinated by the notion that you can communicate messages that are understood by only an elite few, using symbols, pictograms, and ciphers,” Rolls-Royce Designer, Katrin Lehmann said. Finding the key becomes integral to appreciating the full meaning of an item that can otherwise be viewed simply as a work of art.” A number of messages are encrypted throughout the vehicles, but youÂ’ll need to be a decent cryptographer to get anywhere with it. To be frank, weÂ’re not sure how complex Rolls-Royce got with its cipher. Perhaps the scores of folks still looking into the ZodiacÂ’s cipher could take a break and see what Rolls has in store for everyone. Whatever it is, there are only two people who own the code to read the messages, the designer, and the CEO. A paper key has been tucked away into the CEOÂ’s safe at the home of Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce probably hasnÂ’t told us everything, but you can find code on the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament, exterior paint, the headrests, metal trim and headliner. A combination of Kryptos Green (a newly-developed Rolls-Royce color), Delphic Grey, Dark Grey and Orbit Grey paint give this Wraith its signature appearance. For the 50 owners who end up with a Wraith Kryptos Collection, theyÂ’ll be able to submit guesses at cracking the code via the Rolls-Royce application, Whispers. Feel free to drop us a line when you figure it out, too.