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Rolls-Royce commemorates end of Phantom with Zenith models

Rolls-Royce will discontinue the current generation Phantom in 2016 after 13 years. Rolls will also axe the Phantom Coupe and Drophead Coupe in November, and the company won't build new versions of them on its future platform. However, the automaker will send off the pair in style with special edition models. The Phantom sedan will eventually return on Rolls' future aluminum platform, which will underpin all of the company's models. Spy shots suggest minor design tweaks for the new generation Phantom, but there's no mistaking the massive vehicle's chiseled shape. The overall size should remain similar to the current one, but the lightweight metal and carbon fiber should dramatically reduce the weight. Rumors suggest it would still use a V12 for propulsion, and there could be a plug-in hybrid variant later. "I am proud and excited to announce that a new Phantom is on the way – a contemporary and beautiful Phantom enhanced with cutting-edge technologies and design innovations." Rolls CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos said. Rolls will also build 50 Zenith versions of the Drophead and Coupe to give the pair a proper farewell from the lineup. These special vehicles will include a Tailgate Hosting Area to party with class, laser-etched armrests that show the launch sites for the 100EX and 101EX concepts, custom instrument dials, a special version of the Spirit of Ecstasy, and more. "Zenith will be the sum of all the best features of Phantom Coupe and Drophead Coupe, with a few surprises added," Giles Taylor, the company's director of design, said. Related Video: ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS BRINGS SEVENTH GENERATION OF PHANTOM TO AN END Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Chief Executive Officer, Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, has announced that the current Phantom will enter the last stages of its celebrated life in 2016. This announcement follows the recent news that Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has begun testing its all-new aluminium architecture, which will underpin every future Rolls-Royce arriving in-market from early 2018. He also announced that Phantom Coupe and Drophead Coupe models will not be renewed in the future. These two magnificent Phantom models will end their lives with a special collection of only 50 highly desirable cars to be called Phantom Zenith. The current seventh generation of Phantom started production in Goodwood over 13 years ago and quickly became the foundation upon which the renaissance of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars was built.

New Rolls-Royce Boat Tail shows off coachbuilding chops of the Phantom platform

Rolls-Royce is flexing the coachbuilding muscles of its highly versatile new Phantom platform with this gorgeous Boat Tail commission. Rolls-Royce claims the build required the fabrication of more than 1,800 unique parts and 20 years of combined man-hours to complete.  Even by Rolls-Royce standards, this is pretty ambitious stuff. The commission was inspired by a 1932 Rolls-Royce Boat Tail, and like the original, it was inspired by, well, boats. Shocking, right? The trim elements both inside and out (Caleidolegno veneer, if you're curious) were designed to be reminiscent of the teak decking you'd see on a wooden yacht. "Today marks a seminal moment for the House of Rolls-Royce. We are proud to unveil Rolls-Royce Boat Tail to the world, and with it, the confirmation of coachbuilding as a permanent fixture within our future portfolio," said Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos in the Boat Tail announcement.  "We have formally re-established our Coachbuild department for those patrons who wish to go beyond the existing restraints, and explore the almost limitless possibilities this opens up for them," Muller-Otvos said previously. "We are able to offer our customers the opportunity to create a motor car in which every single element is hand-built to their precise individual requirements, as befits our status as a true luxury house." There are quite a few bespoke accessories as well, though apart from the full picnic service shown in some of the pics (there doesn't appear to be much of a trunk — sorry, boot), most of it was left out of the promotional materials. Most notably absent are the custom his-and-hers Bovet 1822 timepieces that were commissioned alongside the car. They can be either mounted in the dash or worn on the wrist (of course), but we see only a glimpse of one in the top-down image Rolls-Royce provided.

Rolls-Royce's design team renders kids' drawings from worldwide design contest

Back in April, Rolls-Royce put out a call to action to kids around the world. The British luxury carmaker wanted to see children design their dream Rolls-Royce of the future. The motivation for doing so? Winners get to enjoy a chauffeur-driven ride to school in a Rolls-Royce with a friend of their choice. Not a bad prize for a kid who is obsessed with cars. It’s been a few months now, and Rolls-Royce has selected a number of winners. Rolls-Royce ended up slotting all the entries into four categories: Technology, Environment, Fantasy and Fun. That means there are four winners, but three other ideas were so good that Rolls gave them “Highly Commended” awards. Rolls-Royce said it received submissions that were inspired by unicorns, space travel, bumblebees, Pablo Picasso and the Egyption pyramids. After selecting all the winners and “highly commended” entries, Rolls-Royce had its design team transform the drawings into digitally-rendered illustrations. They used the same software and processes that theyÂ’d use when working on an actual Rolls-Royce design. You can click through the winners in the gallery at the top, or scroll down below to see them all, along with their corresponding descriptions. Winners: Technology: Bluebird II Rolls-Royce is back to breaking world speed records! Environment: The Capsule For Earth lovers and those that have peoplesÂ’ health at heart. Fantasy: Turtle Car Inspired by sea and land turtles, the Turtle Car can transport patrons not only by sea and land but by air too. Fun: Glow A dream for the future. This timeless Rolls-Royce demonstrates the full spectrum of creative vision. Highly Commended: Bolt The Pinnacle of Intergalactic Space Travel Prosperity The Rolls-Royce Prosperity is only for the most exacting patrons, who believe ease of travel should never be compromised. House of Esperanto This ultimate flying machine can communicate with every creature and combines all the convenience of a house with the mobility of a car. The ground-breaking technology that allows this development is brought to humanity by a mysterious bird that has been living in outer space for a million years.