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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:

Rolls-Royce shows off commemorative Silver Ghost — with actual silver

Ultra-luxury marque Rolls-Royce has been busy developing its ultra-exclusive, 35-model Silver Ghost Collection in homage to the original 40/50-horsepower Silver Ghost from 1907 that traveled a then-remarkable 14,371 miles. Now it has released a video to show off its opulent new creation. Rolls-Royce says it incorporated visual elements from the original Ghost in the new four-door model. Most obvious is the car's silver paint scheme, with a hand-painted coachline that takes eight hours to apply and contains pure silver particles. There's also a solid silver Sprit of Ecstasy hood ornament (remember those?) with an AX201-stamped hammered-copper hallmark at its base, which harks back to the maiden car's registration plate and the material that featured extensively in the original car's engine bay. The video also shows off the black grille vanes, chrome wheel surrounds engraved with the phrase "Silver Ghost — Since 1907," open-pore tudor oak trim with silver inlays. The front fascias get a more protruding grille frame with inset grille, plus redesigned wheels. Inside, the cars get Forest Green leather to match the original, with limited edition stamps on the door jambs and dashboard clock, plus improved sound deadening with the addition of special acoustic glass. There's also lots of running footage of the Silver Ghost navigating a pastoral lane. It's decidedly heady stuff for most of us common folk, indeed. View 5 Photos Related Video:

Even Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce have designed flying taxis

Think British-built taxi cabs and you're likely to think of the classic, black London taxis. However, there are British companies eager to take taxis to the skies — bearing vaunted nameplates. Aston Martin has created the Volante Vision Concept, which isn't a sports car, but a luxury VTOL aircraft. It is the product of a joint venture with Cranfield University, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions and Rolls-Royce, and Aston says it's a "near-future study" that previews a flying autonomous hybrid-electric vehicle. It's meant for both urban and inter-city travel. The hybrid powertrain would come courtesy of Rolls-Royce Electrical, which has already provided such systems for marine and train use. The Volante Vision Concept's design language has been overseen by Marek Reichman, who stated the following: "We are at the beginning of a new generation of urban transportation; vertical mobility is no longer a fantasy. We have a unique chance to create a luxury concept aircraft that will represent the ultimate fusion of art and technology. We have used forms and proportions that express the same devotion to design, engineering and beauty that shape our cars." The leather interior bears familiar, winged Aston Martin badging — though this time the wings are especially appropriate. Beyond working with Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce plc has also designed a flying taxi of its own. Similarly VTOL, Rolls-Royce's hybrid-electric taxi has rotating wings and uses a gas turbine engine paired to hybrid tech; it is designed to carry four or five passengers and offers a 500-mile range with a top speed of 250 mph. And Rolls, of course, as a major supplier of aircraft engines, knows a thing or two about flying. Rolls says that if there is a business case for the flying taxi, it could see production in the early-to-mid-2020s. The Rolls-Royce concept was presented Monday at the Farnborough Air Show. Related Video: Featured Gallery Aston Martin / Rolls-Royce Flying Taxis Image Credit: Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce plc Design/Style Aston Martin Rolls-Royce Technology Emerging Technologies Autonomous Vehicles Commercial Vehicles Future Vehicles Luxury Special and Limited Editions air taxi