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Rolls-Royce Phantom Metropolitan Collection wafts into the annals of exclusivity

Limited-edition, hand-built cars are kind of a bizarre thing. On the one hand, people pay umpteen amounts of money for bespoke cars, with the manufacturer adding that iconic descriptor to all its press materials, but then the company goes and produces 20 of the exact same car and sells them as a "special edition." It seems kind of contradictory.
Rolls-Royce must not see it that way, though, as it has just unveiled one of 20 Metropolitan Collection Phantom sedans at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. As the latest member of the brand's Bespoke Collection, the Metropolitan joins the Phantom Drophead Coupe Waterspeed Collection, the Pinnacle Travel and the Ghawwass Edition.
According to Rolls-Royce, the Metropolitan Collection pays "homage to the world's great metropolises" by way of the company's well known craftsmen. The veneers, particularly on the second row picnic table, get extensive attention, with just the table using 500 individual pieces of wood.

Rolls-Royce Wraith gets Inspired by Music for latest special

A favored status symbol of both old money and new, Rolls-Royce has counted some of the most famously wealthy personalities among its clients over the years. More than a few of them, of course, have been musicians – rock n' roll icons, in fact. And it's their legend from which the British automaker has drawn the inspiration for this latest special edition. Based on the Wraith fastback, the Inspired by Music edition is all done up in black and bronze. It's got a dark Lyrical Copper paintjob on the outside, and both brushed and polished copper trim throughout the interior. There's a bright book-matched copper dashboard, along with copper door inserts, speaker grilles, and more. Goodwood's customization department has also fitted it with woven leather floor mats and a special clock with a bezel designed to emulate vinyl records. Of course, it's also got what promises to be one of the finest sound systems in the industry. The Bespoke Audio setup packs 1300 watts of power and 18 speakers – including two subwoofers, seven tweeters, seven mid-range speakers, and two "exciter" speakers embedded in the headliner to round it all out. It even uses microphones to monitor sound levels inside and out of the vehicle, adjusting the volume and tone to compensate. This is the third such inspired Wraith special edition that Rolls-Royce has released. Back in May it released a rather different take in the white-on-white Inspired by Fashion edition. That was preceded in late March by the Inspired by Film edition. Each Wraith packs a 624-horsepower, 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12, making them the fastest, most powerful Rolls models to date. And if none of these particular special editions tickle your fancy, we're sure the company will create one for you to your own exacting specifications – assuming of course that you've got the means. Related Video: ROLLS-ROYCE WRAITH 'INSPIRED BY MUSIC' Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has contributed to the myth and legend of the contemporary music scene since the birth of Rock & Roll. Over half a century later, this long-standing love affair lives on, with some of the world's most celebrated artists choosing the marque as the ultimate affirmation of their success. In this spirit, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is delighted to present Wraith 'Inspired by Music'. Since the launch of Wraith in 2013, customers have been able to commission their Rolls-Royce Wraith with Bespoke Audio; the most exhaustively designed sound system in automotive history.

Rolls-Royce Wraith convertible spied sliding in the snow

Rolls-Royce may be on the verge of producing its first crossover, but it's a different prototype we're looking at here, frolicking in the snow. It's the convertible version of the Wraith, which Rolls-Royce is preparing to join the existing fastback coupe and the Ghost sedan in its "entry-level" lineup. Only we don't expect it to be called the Wraith Drophead Coupe like its larger counterpart, the Phantom DHC, but to go with an entirely different name (just as the aforementioned fastback took to distinguish itself from the sedan). Expect Goodwood to pull another suitably poltergeist-related nameplate from its archives (or from the netherworld) to slap on its new drop-top. Otherwise, we can expect the Wraith convertible (or whatever it's ultimately called) to closely mirror its fixed-roof counterpart, complete with suicide doors and a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12, when it arrives sometime in the middle of next year. Related Video: