1988 Rolls-royce Silver Spirit/spur/dawn on 2040-cars

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2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II [w/video]

Rolls-Royce Director of Global Communications Richard Carter tells me that his storied employer is "a company that does not chase volume." In a perfect world, mused Carter, the carmaker would sell "one less" of its ultra-luxury vehicles than the fast-expanding world market demands.
And, thanks in no small part to the unprecedented success of the Series I Rolls-Royce Ghost that launched in 2010, the Brit brand seems well positioned to strike that perfect balance between exclusivity and record profits. In 2003 (the year in which the first BMW-backed Rolls rolled off the line in West Sussex), the company managed to sell around 500 cars. This year, with the first run of already-back-ordered Ghost Series II models still weeks away from delivery, the marque will top 4,000 units for the first time in its history.
Considering that each one of those "units" - a somewhat unsatisfying term for motor car this special ­- will gross Rolls-Royce $300,000 if we're being very conservative, you'll quickly see that creating a very desirable product for one of the best brands in the world negates the need to chase volume. The rich and free-spending are chasing this Ghost, instead.

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 Cullinan configurator delivers a near-bespoke experience

Earlier this month we configured a McLaren Senna with the assistance of two representatives of McLaren Special Operations. In that piece we wrote about few chances there are for the online "shopper" to get a feel for the coachbuilt experience; the Ferrari LaFerrari configurator offered just three color options, for instance, and Bugatti removed the few variables it presented for the Chiron. McLaren didn't build a public configurator for the Senna. It's the Rolls-Royce Cullinan to the rescue — at least for now — with a brand new configurator that can keep you busy for hours. The Cullinan configurator lists seven categories: Inspired Specs, Exterior Style, Exterior Options, Interior Style, Interior Options, Personalization, and Accessories. Inspired Specs comprises eight themes, such as the sassy Urban (Hero), and the self-evident Wellness or Indulgence. To play outside the lines, go to Exterior style to choose one of 16 colors, 23 Coachlines (pinstripes) in single or double lines, seven wheels, and two wheel detail options — whether or not to have the wheel centers matched to the body color. Polish the exterior details with four options for the Spirit of Ecstasy, a satin silver hood, or a tow hitch. View 30 Photos Take a breather and a cup of Lady Grey tea, then dive in again with the interior, starting with six potential "schemes" or a bespoke interior module. We haven't worked out the permutations, but you can create a wildly large number of different cabins with the 20 different interior colors. The seats alone offer color choices for the inserts, gussets, inners, main body, and valance and seat backs. You can specify a color for the sun visors. Harley Quinn would love it. And after all that, you've still got three more categories to work though. We chose a Cullinan in Anthracite, with a double coachline in Creme Light, on 22-inch wheels, and with a trailer hitch — to tow our Icon A5 amphibious plane, because we already have a Ford F-450 Super Duty for the boat. A Tan interior mixed with Seashell accents should be a fine place to hear nothing of the outside world thanks to Rolls-Royce's sandwiched windows. But we're considering going with Ardent Red instead, so we'll see you over at the configurator. Related Video: