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Upcoming Rolls-Royce Ghost wears evolutionary design in spy photos

The wow factor of a Rolls-Royce does not come from wild, outlandish design. Its cars and SUV are stately, mature, handsome and do not change looks with a shift of the wind like many vehicles in the auto industry. Those who know model cycles know that Rolls-Royce follows a slightly longer timeline than most, and for the current Ghost, its time is nearly up. These spy shots give us an early glimpse of what the updated model will look like. Even with a ton of camo on the car, the photos confirm what we already know about Rolls-Royce: It's a company that does not stray from what its designers deem to be a classic look. The new Phantom looks like the old Phantom, the Wraith looks like the Ghost, and the Cullinan looks like the Phantom. And thus, the new Ghost is pretty much going to look like the current Ghost, just with a few modernizations that will help the model age as well as Pierce Brosnan. What the spy shots show is evolutionary. It retains its traditional three-box sedan design, if slightly smoothed over. It retains the long hood with the blunt snout and vertical bar grille, it has a high belt line that extends the length of the car, the same coach door handles, and even the exact same wheels (though that is typical of a test car). The changes we notice are minor. The car will likely have updated front and rear lighting, the side mirrors appear to have slightly more aerodynamic designs with cameras embedded, and the small third window appears to have a slight change in shape. Following in the footsteps of the Phantom, the new Ghost will likely ride on Rolls-Royce's new Architecture of Luxury platform for an improved ride and drive. We expect the Ghost will take on the Phantom's new 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V12 powertrain, and it's possible it could also gain four-wheel steering technology. There are rumors about Rolls-Royce producing an EV in the future, but there's no indication which vehicle it would be, or if that's real at all. Check back in the future, as we'll update details on the upcoming Ghost as we see more photos and learn more information. Related Video:

Rolls-Royce bringing art deco-inspired cars to Paris, celebrates with posters

Rolls-Royce announced that it will be bringing some "art-deco inspired" cars to the 2012 Paris Motor Show, and while we really have no clue what that means just yet, we're sure the cars are going to be very expensive.
The images show what appears to be a stylized Rolls-Royce Phantom or Ghost in an artistic rendering that would look at home in South Beach. Like the cars, Rolls-Royce is going all out with the launch of these special cars with an invitation-only introduction including a champagne reception.
We only have to wait until next week to see what features and styling changes Rolls-Royce has in store for these new bespoke models, but for now, enjoy this trio of art deco goodness and check out the press release below.

Check out King Charles III's $17.6 million car collection

King Charles III's coronation will take place in England on May 6, and being crowned a monarch comes with a long list of perks with four wheels. He will gain full access to the Royal Family's fleet of cars, which is valued at about GBP14 million (approximately $17.6 million). The two most expensive cars in the collection are nearly identical: they're a pair of Bentley State Limousine models (pictured) built for Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III's mother, in 2002. Only two units were made, and they're both part of the Royal Family's fleet, so they're difficult to put a value on; it's not like one is going to end up listed on your favorite auction site anytime soon. British company Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, which compiled the list, estimates that each armored, 245-inch long sedan is worth at least GBP10,000,000 (roughly $12.6 million). Dropping below the eight-digit threshold, the second-most-valuable car in the Royal Family's fleet isn't really a car. It's the Gold State Coach, which Matchbox recently released a 1/64-scale replica of, and its value is estimated at GBP1.6 million (about $2 million). At 275 inches long it's even bigger than the Bentley limousine and it weighs about 9,000 pounds. It's 261 years old and designed to be pulled by eight horses, and has been part of every coronation since 1831. The rest of the Royal Family's vehicles are relatively mundane. There's a 1965 Aston Martin DB6 Volante that Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Phillip, bought for King Charles III on his 21st birthday. It's worth GBP1 million (about $1.2 million). The collection also includes a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI (about $627,000), a Bentley Bentayga (about $201,000), a Land Rover Range Rover long-wheelbase Landaulet ($133,000), a Jaguar XE (about $41,000), and a Land Rover Defender ($38,000). "Luxury cars have long been associated with the monarch and King Charles III, in particular, is known for his fondness of motor vehicles. His impressive collection features sentimental value with motors passed down from his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to cars bought for him by his parents," explained Keith Hawes, the director of Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, in an interview with CBS News. Being at the head of a car-making nation's royal family also comes with drawbacks: Every vehicle in King Charles III's fleet is British.