2008 Rolls-royce Phantom Drophead Coupe' Convertible Oirg. $440k Msrp 26" Wheels on 2040-cars

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Rolls-Royce Arcadia Droptail unveiled as the third in a four-car series

If you're wealthy, you buy a new Rolls-Royce. If you're extremely wealthy, you work directly with the brand to design a one-of-a-kind car from the ground up. The firm has revealed its latest one-off, a convertible named Arcadia Droptail, and detailed the long development process. Built for an anonymous client in Singapore, the Arcadia Droptail borrows the first part of its name from a place known as "heaven on Earth" in Greek mythology. Rolls-Royce explains that the design perfectly reflects the customer's tastes and personality, including a passion for architecture and a subtle, restrained take on the concept of luxury. This likely explains why there's not much in the way of bright trim on the outside; instead, the Arcadia Droptail is characterized by a soft and almost organic design while remaining recognizable as a Rolls-Royce. Working directly with the customer, the brand put a great deal of thought into picking a color: the shade of white chosen is infused with aluminum and glass particles for a pearl-like effect that adds depth. These details help the Arcadia stand out from the two existing Droptail models unveiled in 2023. The overall design remains largely unchanged with an upright grille, thin rear lights, and a rounded back end. Santos Straight Grain wood trim dominates the interior and creates another link between cars and boats. Rolls-Royce explains that this was one of the most challenging parts of the project: Santos Straight Grain is difficult to work with, and the client plans to use the car all around the world so the trim needs to withstand wildly different temperatures and humidity levels. The brand initially considered applying the type of coating used in yachts but ruled it out because it needs to be re-applied on a regular basis. Instead, it went through the trouble of developing a specific lacquer that lasts for the life of the car. It adds that this part of the build required over 8,000 hours of work, including testing. The clock embedded into the dashboard was created in-house as well; it took over two years to develop and five months to make. Referred to as "the most complex Rolls-Royce clock face ever created," it features a guilloche pattern with 119 facets and hand-polished parts. Rolls-Royce hasn't published technical specifications. We're guessing that power comes from a V12 engine. All told, designing the Arcadia Droptail took over four years. There's no word on how much the project cost.

Blacked-out Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge returns with new design

Rolls-Royce's blacked-out Cullinan Black Badge was popular enough to warrant a follow-up. Designed for buyers who want a less traditional look, the Cullinan Series II-based Black Badge features specific exterior details and carbon fiber trim that takes 21 days to manufacture. BMW-owned Rolls-Royce isn't the only carmaker that offers a blacked-out trim level, but it takes the look further than most. Up front, the illuminated grille is finished in black with contrasting silver accents, though buyers can alternatively order an all-black grille, and all of the exterior trim pieces (including the power-retractable Spirit of Ecstasy emblem, the trim around the window, and even the door handles) are black as well. Black Badge-specific 23-inch wheels and red-painted brake calipers round out the list of major exterior changes. Inside, one of the highlights is the Technical Carbon trim also found in the original Cullinan Black Badge. Rolls-Royce notes that this trim is finished with six coats of lacquer, cured for 72 hours, and hand-polished. There are 23 individual trim pieces; making them takes 21 days. One of the numerous upholstery options is a type of cloth called Duality Twill. It's made from bamboo and inspired by the bamboo grove in Le Jardin des Mediterranees, which is a park located in the south of France that's home to numerous exotic plants from around the world. Here again, the amount of work that goes into each detail is stunning: Rolls-Royce notes that making a full Duality Twill interior requires up to 2.2 million stitches and 11 miles of thread. Other upholstery types are available, and the list of options includes a champagne cooler. Power comes from a stock, 6.75-liter V12 that's twin-turbocharged to 591 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. It spins the four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Rolls-Royce added a driving mode called "Low" that changes the exhaust system's tone and volume and makes the shifts 50% quicker when the throttle is pushed at least 90% in. It also decreased the brake pedal's travel. There's no word yet on how much of a premium the Black Badge carries over the standard Cullinan Series II.

Rolls-Royce Spectre EV is revealed, and it's production-bound

Rolls-Royce has formally announced plans to introduce a battery-electric coupe. Dubbed Spectre, the British super-luxe automaker's first EV will begin deliveries in late 2023, which has now become a key milestone in Rolls-Royce's roadmap to full electrification by the end of the decade. Apart from the name and layout, Rolls is being stingy with specifics, telling us only that, despite what appears to be a somewhat familiar silhouette, this is an all-new model built on the company's latest architecture, like Phantom, Ghost and Cullinan. Spectre is not merely a derivative of the Wraith, RR says. And with good reason, because Wraith was engineered around the essence of its V12. Spectre's character, we expect, will be defined by its near-silent, vibration-free electric powertrain, which makes for a very different acoustic backdrop, but that's a challenge Rolls-Royce engineers are prepared – arguably even predestined – to overcome. Even more than a century ago, both Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce were fascinated by electric powertrains. The automaker even shared some of Rolls' impressions of an EV he drove in April 1900 from Connecticut-based manufacturer Columbia:  "The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean," he noted. "There is no smell or vibration, and they should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged. But for now, I do not anticipate that they will be very serviceable – at least for many years to come." View 9 Photos "Today, 117 years later, I am proud to announce that Rolls-Royce is to begin the on-road testing programme for an extraordinary new product that will elevate the global all-electric car revolution and create the first – and finest – super-luxury product of its type," said Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos.  "Charles RollsÂ’ prophecy has been the subject of constant consideration during the marqueÂ’s Goodwood era," he said. "But we have not been satisfied that available technology could support the Rolls-Royce experience. Until now." If there's any coherent theme to the message coming from Rolls-Royce, it's that the company intends to do right by its first EV. To that end,it  says it will develop Spectre "in plain sight," holding it to some of the most stringent development requirements of any vehicle that has carried the Spirit of Ecstasy.  "To do this, we have conceived the most demanding testing programme in Rolls-RoyceÂ’s history.