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BMW sold 2.49 million BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce vehicles in 2018

FRANKFURT — German carmaker BMW on Tuesday said it achieved record sales of 2.49 million BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce vehicles last year. "BMW Group achieved record sales in 2018. 2.49 million vehicles mean the BMW Group is the world's leading premium automotive company for the 15th year running," Chief Executive Harald Krueger said. In 2017, BMW Group sold 2.46 million vehicles. Daimler has not yet released annual sales figures for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, so it remains unclear whether BMW brand overtook Mercedes-Benz in terms of sales in 2018. Sales of BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce cars were higher than Mercedes-Benz in 2017.

Rolls-Royce builds the Sweptail, a beautiful one-off boattail coupe

When it comes to custom-built cars, Rolls-Royce rarely fails to impress. Its latest creation is this one-off coupe called the Sweptail. According to Rolls-Royce, it was commissioned by a collector of bespoke machinery, and the car's design inspiration was the coachbuilt Rolls-Royces of the 1920s. The end result is an enormous Rolls-Royce coupe with a beautiful trailing boattail design. It looks like a hyper-expensive boattail Buick Riviera in the best way possible. A glass roof sheds light on a particularly plush interior. There are only two seats in the massive coupe. Where rear seats would have gone, are shelves made of wood and glass for storage. Wood veneer, consisting of ebony and paldao, is found everywhere in the car, even in the cargo areas. The darker wood trim is also accompanied by light colored leather. The Sweptail has a few little tricks up its sleeve, too. Opening the suicide doors on either side will reveal platforms for attache cases. The cases are designed to carry the occupants' laptop computers, and they're constructed from carbon fiber, wrapped in leather, and finished with aluminum and titanium hardware. Between the seats is a chiller that comes complete with crystal champagne flutes and a bottle of champagne from the year the owner was born. The trunk is also filled with custom-fitted luggage. Being a one-off, you won't be able to buy one of these coupes yourself. But it does show the capabilities of Rolls-Royce for doing special automobiles. And, who knows, if you have the money and connections, you might be able to have your own unique Rolls-Royce commissioned. Related Video: Featured Gallery Rolls-Royce Sweptail View 14 Photos Image Credit: Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce Coupe Luxury Special and Limited Editions

Rolls-Royce reveals Year of the Dragon-themed customer commissions

Most buyers who order a new Rolls-Royce customize it through the brand's Bespoke department, and four recently requested a car inspired by the Year of the Dragon, which starts on February 10 in China. The company is highlighting the meticulous design changes it made. The batch of four Lunar New Year-themed cars is split into three units of the Phantom Extended and one example of the Cullinan. And, surprisingly, not all of them are headed to the Chinese market; Rolls-Royce says that the orders came from three different continents. Its designers started by creating a dragon logo specifically for the four builds. It's hand-stitched or hand-painted depending on the application. Red has historically been associated with the Year of the Dragon, it represents prosperity and good fortune in Chinese culture, and it defines the look given to three of the four cars (the fourth hasn't been unveiled yet). One of the Phantom Extended models is finished in a two-tone Cherry Red and silver livery with hand-painted Phoenix Red pinstripes and the dragon logo on each fender. The Cullinan is finished in Selby Gray and Cherry Red with white pinstripes and logos, while the second Phantom is black with Phoenix Red pinstripes and no dragon logos.  Painting the dragon logo that appears on the dashboard in three of the four cars is a complex, multi-step process that takes over two weeks. Rolls-Royce notes that the logo is the work of one artist who overlays multiple shades of red in four individual stages to achieve a 3D effect. Look up and you'll see another dragon; it's in the Starlight headliner. It consists of 677 stars that shine to create a dragon's shape and an additional 667 stars spread out across the panel. Designing this headliner took over three months and making it requires over 20 hours. There's no word yet on how much Rolls-Royce charged for each commission, but we're guessing price wasn't a concern.  Related video: