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Cargo ship carrying 1,200 Jaguars and Land Rovers deliberately run aground [w/video]

A cargo ship carrying a load of new cars out of Southampton has run aground in the English Channel in between England and the Isle of Wight. The vessel apparently suffered some sort of failure just 45 minutes after leaving port that caused it to list heavily to the starboard side before the crew deliberately beached it on Bramble Bank to prevent the ship from capsizing altogether. The vessel, called the Hoegh Osaka, is a 590-foot car carrier weighing some 57,000 tons and registered in Singapore. Although several automakers (including Honda and Bentley) were reportedly looking into whether they had cars on board, the vessel is said to have been filled to approximately one-third its capacity, with 1,400 vehicles on board – including 1,200 Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles, 65 Mini models and one Rolls-Royce Wraith. 70 to 80 pieces of construction equipment were also said to be on board. The Hoegh Osaka was en route from the southern British port of Southampton to Bremerhaven, Germany. Fortunately, no major injuries have been reported. The crew was mostly airlifted by helicopter off of the beached ship, with two crew members evacuated by lifeboat. One crew member reportedly jumped over 25 feet off the ship into the water before being immediately retrieved by rescue workers. According to the Daily Mail, two crew members were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, including a broken leg. It may take several days, if not longer, to extract the vessel from the sand bank and ascertain the damage to the ship and its cargo. An early attempt to free the ship with tugboats failed, meaning that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency may have to wait until more favorable high tides to try again before towing the ship back into the port. Bramble Bank, where the vessel was run aground, is a well-known obstacle to maritime navigators. The Queen Elizabeth 2 ran aground there in November 2008 with 1,700 passengers on board, but was quickly freed by four tugboats and was able to continue on its way. Two local yacht clubs also play a cricket match there every year at low tide. The vessel's operator, Hoegh Autoliners, praised the skill and quick thinking of the crew in acting to prevent the ship's capsizing by running her aground on the soft, sandy shoal. Watch the clip below for aerial footage of the beached ship, courtesy of the BBC. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Rolls-Royce Ghost meets its muddy maker in Jakarta flood

When severe weather or a natural disaster strikes an area, it's hard to get sentimental over trivial possessions like cars, but at the same time, as auto enthusiasts, it always pains us to see a rare car lost regardless of the circumstances. Heavy rains in Jakarta, Indonesia have produced the worst flooding in the city since 2007, which according to Reuters has left an estimated 18,000 people displaced from their homes in addition to six deaths, leaving the roadways covered covered in feet of water.
One of the many cars claimed by the rising waters was this Rolls-Royce Ghost that is surrounded by water that almost fully covers the massive wheels. There is no word as to how much water got inside this Ghost, but it was obviously enough that it could be bailed out by the bucket.

Rolls-Royce bringing one-off Serenity to Geneva

Rolls-Royce is bringing Serenity of the Phantom kind, not the Joss Whedon kind, to the Geneva Motor Show. In case being driven around in 19-feet of extravagance wasn't enough, the firm's Bespoke Design team has stitched together a silk interior inspired by its historic cars, European furniture and Japanese Royal Kimono designs. We're told the result is a "haven of tranquility," as if that weren't the case before. It's also called "the most opulent interior of any luxury car," which makes us think Rolls-Royce won't let us get within 30 feet of it with our half-finished convention hall coffee and ham sandwich. We'll start cleaning up for the privilege now; there's a press release below in the meantime. Show full PR text ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS TO BRING SERENITY TO THE 2015 GENEVA INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW 12.02.2015 -- The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars stand at this year's Geneva International Motor Show will be a haven of tranquility as the celebrated marque brings Serenity to Switzerland. Celebrating the historical role played by silk as a symbol of regal and imperial power, the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Bespoke Design team has created a magnificent one-off motor car which will set a new benchmark for luxury individualisation in the motor industry, and reaffirm that Bespoke is Rolls-Royce. Delivering authentic modern luxury, Serenity will reintroduce the finest of textiles to create the most opulent interior of any luxury car. This unique design demonstrates the levels of craftsmanship, creativity and attention to detail only Rolls-Royce Motor Cars can offer. The marque's Bespoke Design team has taken inspiration from the opulent interiors of Rolls-Royces that have conveyed Kings and Queens, Emperors and Empresses and world leaders throughout history, whilst using contemporary interpretations of European furniture combined with Japanese Royal Kimono designs to deliver a truly innovative, modern and tranquil Rolls-Royce interior. The new benchmark in super-luxury motor cars will be unveiled at a press conference in Hall 6 of the Geneva International Motor Show at 13.30hrs on 3rd March. The car will be on the stand for visitors to admire from 5th to 15th March. Design/Style Geneva Motor Show Rolls-Royce Luxury Sedan rolls-royce phantom