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Someone turned a Rolls-Royce Ghost into a real Crazy Taxi

One of the unexpected perks of the Autoblog office is that we get to see some pretty amazing cars, and not just what's in our review fleet. Right next door is Platinum Motor Cars, a premium used car dealer, and while they have some pretty stunning exotics on display, we noticed something a bit more unusual this week. And this Rolls-Royce Ghost is certainly unusual: It features a vinyl wrap that makes it look like a rusty yellow taxicab. The distinctive logo on the rear door also shows that this Ghost is a rolling tribute to Sega's classic arcade racer Crazy Taxi. Fortunately, we haven't seen it tearing through outdoor restaurants and up sidewalks like you might in the game. We wanted to know more about the car, so we talked to Jonathan Smith from Platinum Motor Cars. He told us that he and the car's owners participate in various cross-country rally events and they needed a car for the Motor City Rally on August 3. Smith explained they picked up a Ghost they weren't worried about putting miles on, and because, as he put it, they "are kids at heart," looked to a video game from their past for inspiration. Smith said they were in a tight spot getting the car wrapped, since the Ghost arrived only two days before the start of the rally. But he explained they were fortunate Envy Auto Group was able to finish the job in just 36 hours. This car also continues their trend of using fun cars for their rallies. Smith told us about the various themes they've had for past vehicles such as a Love Bug-themed Audi RS7, and a "Family Truckster" Mercedes-Benz E63 wagon. The latter of which got the complete olive green and faux wood color scheme to match the movie car. Smith said that the Motor City Rally was the only rally the Ghost will participate in, but they will show it at the M1 Concourse Cars and Coffee, at the Woodward Dream Cruise, and probably a few other local events. So if you happen to be in the Birmingham area, keep an eye out for the yellow Rolls. It's hard to miss. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Image Credit: Jonathan Smith / Platinum Motor Cars Auto News Toys/Games Rolls-Royce Luxury Sedan video games rolls royce rolls-royce ghost

Rolls-Royce Spectre electric coupe testing moves to sunny southern France

Rolls-Royce's first series-produced electric model is well on its way to production. Called Spectre, the big coupe is undergoing shakedown testing on and off the track in the sunny south of France, and the British firm announced that development work is about 40% complete. Going electric isn't an excuse for Rolls-Royce to stray from the reputation for excellence that it has earned over the past 116 years, so engineers are putting the Spectre through the most rigorous testing program they've ever subjected a new model to. We're told that, when all is said and done, the prototypes will have covered over 1.5 million miles of testing, which represents on average more than 400 years of use for a Rolls-Royce. Some test mules were sent to freeze in Sweden near the Arctic Circle, while others were shipped to the French Riviera. Testing in France will be split into two parts. First, the Spectre will be put through its paces on the track that Rolls-Royce parent company BMW operates in Miramas, a town located about an hour west of Marseilles. Engineers will notably get the opportunity to drive the prototypes on handling courses, on a 3.1-mile oval with steep banks, and in standing water. when they have passed every challenge with flying colors, the prototypes will be sent out to the picturesque roads that zig-zag through the countryside surrounding the test track. Rolls-Royce explained it's putting a tremendous amount of effort into fine-tuning the Spectre because the coupe packs more technology than any model it has previously released. It features "141,200 sender-receiver relations and has more than 1,000 functions and more than 25,000 sub-functions," according to the company, which is around three times more sender-receiver signals than in a typical Rolls-Royce. The Spectre will inaugurate a new suspension system that promises to take the firm's Magic Carpet Ride to the next level. It relies on technology that scopes out the road ahead and on data sent by the navigation system to decouple the anti-roll bars when needed, such as on a straight road, and recouple them as the car approaches a corner. The suspension system also gets firmer ahead of a bend. Rolls-Royce hasn't released powertrain specifications yet, and the Spectre's final design remains hidden by camouflage, but the few official numbers available are impressive.

Rolls-Royce Alpine Trial Centenary Collection celebrates century-old Austrian race

Among the harvest of premieres at the Shanghai Motor Show was a special-edition Rolls-Royce Ghost to celebrate the 1913 Austrian Alpine Trials. Four Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts entered the race a century ago, and in completing the 1,820-mile challenge flawlessly earned the sobriquet "The Best Car in the World." The new Ghosts commemorating the feat represent two firsts for the brand: Rolls-Royce has never created a bespoke homage to one of its own cars, and it has never released a car with a black grille.
Those two features, as well as blue paint and black wheels, are in tribute to James Radley's privateer entry in that 1913 race that drove alongside the three factory teams. Other special features include the coachline (pinstripe) that evokes the four cars from the 20th-century race, and inside, a color-matched headliner, a clock with the rally stages and times, and topographical inlays on the front fascia and rear picnic tables.
The 20-Ghost Club will be reenacting the event this year, the parade including Radley's 1913 car. It kicks off in Vienna, Austria on June 14. For the time being you can read the press release below and check out the high-res photos above.