Here's an unsurprising stat for you: 60 percent of all vehicles sold in the U.S. that cost over $100,000 find homes in New York, Florida and California. The majority of which are parked in garages in Manhattan, Miami and Los Angeles, respectively. So the revelation that Bentley, Ferrari and Lamborghini won't be attending next month's LA Auto Show is -- at the very least -- surprising.
Adding fuel to the rumormill fire, Autocar reports that a pure electric version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom could hit the streets within 12 months. Rolls' parent company, BMW, has been getting heavily involved in EVs and the Phantom would be an obvious choice to launch its new drivetrain considering the price premium already tacked onto the brand's offerings. more detail. ...
Rolls Royce is giving us another preview of its 'baby' Phantom with a new video that shows the luxury sedan's product manager Dan Balmer taking a pre-production prototype for a spin on the road. Scheduled to be revealed to the public for the first time at the Frankfurt Show next month before going on sale in Europe at the end of the year and the rest of the world in spring 2010, the Ghost is powered by a 570 horsepower 6.6-litre turbocharged V12 engine coupled to an 8-speed automatic ZF gearbox.
Rabid Rolls-Royce fans will be familiar with the name of Hans-Günther Zach, who runs his own museum dedicated to the famed marque in Mühlheim/Main, Germany. The old boy has now decided to sell off the whole shebang, including the crown jewel of his collection, the famous “Star of India” (above). The Star is a one-off 1934 Phantom II 40/50 HP Continental “All-Weather Convertible” custom made for the Maharaja of Rajkot. That car alone is expected to fetch as much as €10 million; if it does that would make it the most expensive car in the world.
There's no indication if Herr Zach is feeling the pinch of the world wide economic meltdown -- or if he's just moving on to greener pastures -- but his entire collection is up for grabs. While there's no doubt other impressive cars up for sale (like the 1926 "Aluminum Sculpture" Phantom I Open Tourer) the star is without question the Star. Never mind the royal pedigree, how can you get past the aluminum on orange carriage work?
Should it sell for its asking price, the 7.7-liter pushrod straight-six Rolls equipped with two additional headlights to follow the path of the steering (fourteen headlights total), would be the most expensive car in the world. After all, rumors of the Japanese man that reportedly paid $15,000,000 for a Ferrari 250 GTO before Japan's economy imploded in the late 1980s have never been proved. Happy bidding. More Photos
Jackson owned at least four limousines, including a 1999 Rolls Royce Silver Seraph that was unusually decorated, to say the least. Our friends at Jalopnik described it well, when they said, "The dark blue Seraph wears an interior which looks to have been pulled directly from the Palace of Versailles." Jackson was said to have designed the interior himself, which probably explains the generous use of 24-carat gold. The vehicle was said to have a 5.4-liter V12 aluminum engine that generated up to 322 horsepower.
Michael Jackson 1999 Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph Touring Limousine
Back in February it was announced that a collection of items belonging to Michael Jackson would be auctioned off, including his own fleet of vehicles. Although that auction was cancelled in mid-April, it gave us a chance see how the King of Pop lived while being chauffeured around California.
Michael Jackson 1999 Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph Limousine
Now that MJ has passed on, we decided to take a look back at these vehicles. It is unknown what will happen to many of the Neverland Ranch possessions (Jackson did have a lot of debt), and surely some of these will wind up either on the auction block, or in a museum.
Michael Jackson's 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 60 Special 4 Door sedan from Driving Miss Daisy
Jackson owned a 1990 RollS Royce Silver Spur II, trimmed in contrasting white leather and black fabric. Dark, tinted windows were adorned in white curtains, and a full-service bar that was used for god-knows-what. His white, 1988 Lincoln Town Car had a much more subdued interior that used gray leather and fabric. The fourth limo is the same 1954 Cadillac Fleetwood used during the filming of Driving Miss Daisy. Jackson's collection included a 1997 Neoplan Tour Bus with individual seats and booths, and a king's crown embroidered in the carpet. Possibly used on the HIStory World Tour, the bus featured a bathroom lined in porcelain, gold, and granite.
Michael Jackson 1988 GMC V Jimmy Half-Ton High Sierra Classic and 1993 Ford Econoline E150 van
Jackson other vehicles included a 1993 Ford Econoline van with leather seats, individual tv screens, and an old-school video game console, a 1986 GMC High Sierra firetruck, a 1988 GMC Jimmy, and a replica of a 1909 Detamble Model B Roadster. Amongst the collection was an electrified horse-drawn carriage, and a 2001 Harley Davidson touring police bike.
Michael Jackson's Neverland Valley electrified horse-drawn carriage
Michael Jackson's custom Peter Pan golf cart
Michael Jackson's black Dodge Viper mini-car with The Simpsons decorations
Michael Jackson's 1909 Detamble Model B Roadster Replica Source:worldcarfans
Rolls Royce have been able to sell over 1,000 cars per annum. The introduction of the upcoming, cheaper Ghost will surely see these numbers shoot up even more. This example was spotted in southern Germany this past weekend. It features a two-tone finish on the front end and the same previously-spotted black grille.
Based on the 200EX Concept car, the Ghost was first publicised under the name RR4 during its many sightings by spy photographers. Later Rolls Royce owned up to the fact that they were indeed planning to launch a "baby" Rolls under the name Ghost, which harks back to the days of the old Silver Ghost.
Although the Ghost shares its platform with the BMW 7 Series (long wheel base), it is longer and larger than the 7er. The main engine to be used is a new 6.6-litre twin turbo V12 with 400kW (544hp) and maximum torque of 750Nm. Some technologies will also be shared with the Phantom and the Drophead.
The car will be unveiled officially to the broader public at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. Sales should begin in early 2010 and prices are speculated at around £180,000 (US$286,600) a pop. Source:WorldCarFans
Rolls-Royce is currently developing a brand new model positioned below the Phantom for launch in early 2010, which is expected to double the number of vehicles built by the ultra-luxury carmaker each year. Rolls-Royce has announced the name for its new model series which until now has been known as RR4. The name ‘Ghost’ was announced by CEO Tom Purves at a press conference held at the Shanghai motor show. In a press conference at the Shanghai Motor Show, Rolls-Royce's CEO, Tom Purves, said "We are delighted to formally announce the Rolls-Royce Ghost. It is one of the most revered names in the automotive industry, evoking images of adventure and technical innovation. The name reflects this new model's breadth of abilities. The first cars to bear the Ghost name were known not only for impressive dependability and refinement but also great flair and style."
The vehicle will feature a pair of suicide-style rear-hinged doors in the back, and is designed to comfortably seat five adults. It will stretch roughly 5,399mm in length, 1,948m across and stand 1,550m in height.
Power is expected to come from a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 engine which produces 400 kW (544 hp) and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft) of torque. The engine will be connected to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission which was specifically designed to provide maximum gearshift comfort and fuel efficiency.
Production will start at the company’s Goodwood manufacturing facility on the south coast of England later in the year. via:motorauthority
Symbolic Motors just held their Annual Spring Event to showcase all the new models from the high-end manufacturers they represent in their San Diego dealerships. The latest and greatest from Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Lotus and Spyker were on display, along with some of the restoration projects the firm is carrying out in their Sorrento Valley facilities. Just for good measure, they also invited a few of their friends to bring along their own favorite wheels. That meant there was a Ferrari Enzo, a Pratt & Miller C6RS Corvette, a couple of Miuras, a McLaren F1 GTR, a Porsche 962, an ex-Mario Andretti racer, two BugattiVeyrons, a Koenigsegg CCX, a Lamborghini Reventon, a Blastolene special, and the sixth and final Ferrari Daytona prototype, to name but a few outstanding examples. In addition to the incredible cars on display, Symbolic threw open the doors to their shop and made staff available to answer questions. If that wasn't enough, there was free food and live music, as well as raffles throughout the day. Check out the gallery to see what you might have missed, and check out Symbolic if you happen to find yourself in the San Diego area with a few hours on your hands. More Photos
Rolls-Royce has just confirmed that the upcoming baby Rolls, aka the 200EX, aka the RR4, will be offered with a new and very powerful Turbocharged 6.6-liter V12 engine. CEO Tom Purves made the announcement at a press conference in New York, whee the 200EX is currently being shown as a part of a world tour.
This entirely new powerplant will make in excess of 500hp and be combined with a new 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. There is no word on torque numbers but they will no-doubt exceeds the 500 mark as well, giving the new Rolls that classically effortless old-Rolls feel.
Purves also said that the engine will have significantly better fuel economy and significantly reduced emissions as compared to the 6.75-liter V12 engine found in the current range of Phantom vehicles. more detail. ...
