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BMW profit of $2.7B is down as automaker invests to keep luxury lead

Despite selling 6.6-percent more vehicles - a record by volume - and posting higher revenues in the second quarter of 2013, BMW Group's profit of 2.07 million euros ($2.75 billion) is down 8.8 percent from last year. Investments in new technology (e.g. the new i3) and personnel, in addition to a competitive market, are to blame, BMW states. But the automaker remains committed to its fiscal targets for 2013, which, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Norbert Reithofer, says will be "on a similar scale to 2012."
The BMW brand's sales performance in the first half of the year, which increased by 7.7 percent to 804,258 vehicles delivered, was good enough for it to maintain its lead in the luxury market, narrowly beating Audi, which delivered 780,510 vehicles, Automotive News reports. Mercedes-Benz delivered 694,433 vehicles to cement third place.

Next-gen Rolls-Royce Ghost spied with new interior design

The Rolls-Royce Ghost is going to be entering a new generation soon, and things are remaining largely the same. You'll be hard pressed to notice any significant, new design details through the camouflage on the exterior, but Rolls is coming in hot with new interior bits. Technology from the Cullinan and Phantom appears to be on the table, as Rolls-Royce adapts to the modern world. We can see the digital dials in the instrument cluster that aren't lit up in this photo, in addition to the large infotainment display alongside. Comparing this setup to a Cullinan, it appears to be largely the same. And even though Rolls has covered much of the fancy trim on the center console, it's left some of the parts uncovered. The placement of the vents and other parts seen here echo the design of both the Cullinan and Phantom. The new Rolls Royces have succeeded in adding great tech while also retaining that old world feel about them. It's no surprise to see the same thing happening with the Ghost. We expect this newest Rolls to be riding on a version of the "Architecture of Luxury" modular platform underpinning the new Phantom and Cullinan. Normally, automakers would want to switch up the exterior styling with the move to a new platform, but there's no reason for Rolls to ruin what's working here. We can clearly see a lack of change on the outside from these spy photos. New LED headlight tech will surely be on the ticket, but the rest of the car will retain classic Ghost styling. It's hard to find any problem with that logic, as the design is instantly recognizable, even under heavy camouflage wrappings. Nobody will mistake this for anything other than a Rolls-Royce, and that means the design team is doing something right. This big car will undoubtedly take on the updated 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12 we saw in the Phantom — it makes 563 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque in that application. Just as we mentioned in the first spy shots we saw of the Ghost, there are rumors this car could get four-wheel steering. Electrification rumors continue to swirl, as well, pointing at a possible 48-volt system in this car and even more electrified powertrains down the road for Rolls-Royce.

Rolls-Royce electric airplane smashes record, hits 387.4 mph

Just two months after its maiden flight, Rolls-Royce's "Spirit of Innovation" has hit a top speed of 387.4 mph, tentatively smashing the speed record for electric airplanes, Gizmodo has reported. It also claimed the top speed of 345.4 MPH over a 3 kilometer (1.86 mile) course and lowest time to a 3,000 meter (9,843 feet) altitude (202 seconds). The records have yet to be certified, but if the 345.5 mph speed stands, it would beat the current record of 213 mph — held by a Siemens-powered Extra 330LE — by an impressive 132 mph.  Rolls-Royce (the aviation, not the car company), conducted the tests on November 16 as part of its ACCEL (accelerating electrification of flight) project. To have the records certified, it's submitting the trials to the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), the body in charge of world aviation records. If confirmed, the speeds would be pretty impressive considering that the plane only made its maiden flight in September — suggesting that with more time, it could go even faster. 51690212450_7e8bcb3ad8_k View 12 Photos The Spirit of Innovation is an old-school "tail-dragger" airplane (steering at the rear) with the canopy pushed way back, and looks as fast as it goes. It's powered by a 400 kW (535 HP), 750 volt motor. Rolls-Royce said it uses the "most power-dense propulsion battery pack ever assembled in aerospace," with 6,480 cells.  As Engadget detailed in an explainer, electric airplanes aren't practical since current batteries are 50 times less energy dense than jet fuel. However, they do hold some promise for very short trips, like a 30 minute jaunt between Vancouver and Victoria in Canada. And unlike non-turbocharged ICE engines, electric motors retain full power as an airplane climbs, making them ideal for time-to-altitude record attempts — as the Spirit of Innovation has just shown.  Green Rolls-Royce