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Rolls-Royce releases sketch of Phantom Drophead Coupe Bespoke Waterspeed Collection

A limited-edition Rolls-Royce Phantom is something of an oxymoron. The company only sold 3,630 cars last year, and even fewer of those were its flagship Phantom. However, that isn't keeping the company from regularly revealing even more limited editions of its already hyper-exclusive cars. This is precisely the case with the new Phantom Drophead Coupé Bespoke Waterspeed Collection, a forthcoming model limited to 35 examples.
The special models are inspired by a famous speedboat race on September 1, 1937, between the United States and Great Britain on Lake Maggiore on the Swiss-Italian border. The British fielded the Bluebird K3 hydroplane boat powered by a massive supercharged V12 Rolls-Royce R-Type engine with Sir Malcolm Campbell at the helm. All that displacement shot the sleek watercraft to 129.5 miles per hour, claiming a new world waterspeed record in the process.
For the special commemorative Drophead Coupé model that celebrates "a seminal act of British daring and endeavor," Rolls-Royce is finishing the convertible in Maggiore Blue paint with a brushed steel hood and tonneau cover, along with inlaid wood trim. Rolls is not announcing an official release date or price for the special cars yet, but they are going on sale before the end of the year. Scroll down for the whole story about the car's inspiration.

Rolls-Royce reveals new Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament for electric era

It’s a big day in Rolls-Royce land, as the mega-luxury British car company just revealed a new Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament to grace its future vehicles. In the world of automobiles, the Rolls-Royce hood ornament is one of the most iconic, and now itÂ’s getting a new look for the electric era. Or as Rolls prefers, “she” is getting a new look. The first Rolls-Royce vehicle to wear this new Spirit of Ecstasy will be the upcoming Spectre electric car. Its design is tied to the brandÂ’s electrified future, too. Rolls-Royce says the new design is sculpted to both look and be more aerodynamic than the outgoing model. Instead of standing with legs straight, tilting at the waist and feet together, the new ornament is “braced for the wind, one leg forward, body tucked low.” Height-wise, the new ornament is 82.73 mm tall, while the outgoing ornament was 100.01 mm tall. Plus, the robes (they're not wings!) flapping behind her have been reshaped to be more aerodynamic and look more realistic. Left: Current Spirit of Ecstasy; Right: New Spirit of Ecstasy Why is aero such a great focus? Well, aero is everything when it comes to electric car range and efficiency. Rolls-Royce says its current Spectre prototypes have a drag coefficient of just 0.26, making the Spectre the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce ever. That figure is expected to be even better once the production design is finalized, Rolls says. “111 years ago today, the Spirit of Ecstasy became an official part of Rolls-Royce,” says design director Anders Warming. “Yet, she has come to represent a spiritual direction for our brand. Her form perfectly captures the marque – she leans forward, expressing our relentless pursuit of progress, and her dress gracefully flows in the wind, echoing the serenity of our products in motion. For Spectre and beyond, she becomes lower and more focused; braced for unprecedented speed and the exciting future her presence will define.” The ornament is the product of 830 hours of design modeling and wind tunnel testing. Instead of drawing it out on paper or real-life sculpting, though, this Spirit of Ecstasy was designed via digital “sculpting” on a computer. That said, the actual construction of the ornament will continue to be finished by hand after undergoing its “lost wax casting.” This hand finishing process means that even in the age of computers, Rolls promises that every single ornament will be minutely different from the next — itÂ’s about charm.

Rolls-Royce Wraith gets Inspired by Music for latest special

A favored status symbol of both old money and new, Rolls-Royce has counted some of the most famously wealthy personalities among its clients over the years. More than a few of them, of course, have been musicians – rock n' roll icons, in fact. And it's their legend from which the British automaker has drawn the inspiration for this latest special edition. Based on the Wraith fastback, the Inspired by Music edition is all done up in black and bronze. It's got a dark Lyrical Copper paintjob on the outside, and both brushed and polished copper trim throughout the interior. There's a bright book-matched copper dashboard, along with copper door inserts, speaker grilles, and more. Goodwood's customization department has also fitted it with woven leather floor mats and a special clock with a bezel designed to emulate vinyl records. Of course, it's also got what promises to be one of the finest sound systems in the industry. The Bespoke Audio setup packs 1300 watts of power and 18 speakers – including two subwoofers, seven tweeters, seven mid-range speakers, and two "exciter" speakers embedded in the headliner to round it all out. It even uses microphones to monitor sound levels inside and out of the vehicle, adjusting the volume and tone to compensate. This is the third such inspired Wraith special edition that Rolls-Royce has released. Back in May it released a rather different take in the white-on-white Inspired by Fashion edition. That was preceded in late March by the Inspired by Film edition. Each Wraith packs a 624-horsepower, 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12, making them the fastest, most powerful Rolls models to date. And if none of these particular special editions tickle your fancy, we're sure the company will create one for you to your own exacting specifications – assuming of course that you've got the means. Related Video: ROLLS-ROYCE WRAITH 'INSPIRED BY MUSIC' Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has contributed to the myth and legend of the contemporary music scene since the birth of Rock & Roll. Over half a century later, this long-standing love affair lives on, with some of the world's most celebrated artists choosing the marque as the ultimate affirmation of their success. In this spirit, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is delighted to present Wraith 'Inspired by Music'. Since the launch of Wraith in 2013, customers have been able to commission their Rolls-Royce Wraith with Bespoke Audio; the most exhaustively designed sound system in automotive history.