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Ringbrothers' 'Paramount' 1961 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II wafts into SEMA

Perennial SEMA show stars Mike and Jim Ring, known as Ringbrothers, brought three builds to Las Vegas this year. There's "Tusk," the Hellephant-powered 1969 Dodge Charger, and there's "Uncaged," a 1965 Ford Mustang that calls back to one of their builds from last year, a 1964.5 Mustang christened "Caged." These two represent the kind of confections we're familiar with from the Wisconsin-based brothers, American metal done up with marvelous lines and monstrous engines. The third build comes out of left field — or perhaps that's right field, depending on your perspective of the map. Known as "Paramount," it is a 1961 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II embodying the ideal balance of restraint and intervention. As we said of the Eneos 1969 Jaguar E-Type XKE 2+2 with the Toyota 2JZ engine, it's the kind of Frankenstein build we love to see at SEMA. The two Rings held themselves back from changing the sedan's lines, a rare and, in this case, excellent show of standoffishness. There's almost nothing to give the game away outside except the Ringbrothers badge on the trunk. An enthusiast would eventually notice the rolling stock, yet even the 18-inch EVOD Industries wheels in Falken rubber comply with the historic look and maintain proportions that respect the Paramount aura — finished here in BASF Glasurit's White as Fluff paint. The wheels hide what would be a glaring tell, Baer Pro six-piston calipers clamping 15-inch rotors. Likewise with the interior, where an oversized steering wheel with knurled spokes, ornate gauges and discrete billet switchgear, seats and picnic tables wrapped in blood red leather, and even the headliner with its 1,000 hand-sewn LEDS convey the appropriate depth of genuine Rolls-Royce veneer. And no one can spot the carbon fiber instrument panel and door cards behind the actual veneers. That headliner is a nod to modern Rolls, as are the gyroscopic center caps in the wheels that ensure the "RR" remains upright. We've never seen a Rolls-Royce with a custom rear armrest hiding two small bottles of Don Julio tequila, though. Everything else? All the bits you can't or rarely see? Gone. The original dual-carb 6.2-liter V8 that produced 185 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque retired to Cornwall, replaced by a Corvette's supercharged 6.2-liter V8 making 640 horsepower and 635 pound-feet of torque.

2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended is a lavish living room on wheels

Rolls-Royce made the second-generation Ghost about 3.5 inches longer than its predecessor. If that's not enough, the British firm just unveiled a long-wheelbase variant named Extended that gains another seven inches. Company boss Torsten Muller-Otvos explained the Ghost Extended was developed for customers who want to be driven during the week, but who prefer to drive themselves on the weekend. His team's challenge was to carve out more space for the rear passengers without compromising the sedan's handling, or significantly altering its proportions. To that end, stylists extended only the rear doors and the sheetmetal around them. Rolls-Royce hasn't released images of the front part of the cabin; it's what's out back that counts. Business-class-like individual Serenity Seats are offered at an extra cost (even the ultra-rich have to tick option boxes), and the BMW-owned company proudly noted it allocated a spectacular amount of resources to developing the perfect in-car champagne cooler. Nestled between the rear seats, it has two operating modes: it chills non-vintage champagne to precisely 6 degrees Celsius, and vintage champagne to exactly 11 degrees. Rear-seat passengers can sit back, sip Dom Perignon Rose that costs as much as a Nissan Sentra, and enjoy more legroom than many people have in their living room. Only the Phantom Extended offers a more spacious cabin, the firm claims. Alternatively, they can work on-the-move thanks in part to the in-car Wi-Fi hotspot. Rolls-Royce made no mechanical changes, meaning the Extended uses the same 6.75-liter V12 as the standard-wheelbase model. It's twin-turbocharged to 563 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, and it spins the four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel steering comes standard, and one of the most advanced suspension systems in the world ensures the Ghost delivers the Magic Carpet Ride buyers expect. Ghost Extended deliveries will begin during the fourth quarter of 2020. Rolls-Royce hasn't announced pricing information, but the sedan likely costs over $350,000 before options — and champagne — are factored in. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended, official images View 10 Photos Rolls-Royce Luxury Sedan

Ex-Rolls-Royce design chief Ian Cameron killed at home

Former Rolls-Royce design chief Ian Cameron, the man who oversaw the automaker's design renaissance with the Phantom and Ghost ranges, was stabbed to death at his home in Bavaria (translated) on July 12. German newspaper reports have identified a suspect via surveillance camera (translated) whom police say is the killer. Apparently, the man went shopping at a store less than a mile from Cameron's house, then changed clothes and showed up at Cameron's door. A surveillance image before the suspect gets to the house shows him wearing the items that neighbors described, notably light pants, a dark blue hoodie, a red backpack and "yellow-green gloves." Someone reportedly cut the wires on the home security system, the suggestion being that the suspect or someone else involved had cased the house for at least a few days. It's said the killer rang the doorbell, attacking as soon as Cameron opened the front door, stabbing the designer to death. Verena Kloos, Cameron's wife, escaped to a neighbor's house and called police. This is a bizarre incident. Reports have floated the motivation that the killer wanted one of the vehicles in Cameron's car collection at the Bavarian property. Instead of going after a car, though, the killer ran off in his distinctive outfit, staying in the open long enough for neighbors to give a detailed description. He then changed clothes and ditched the backpack on a lakeside promenade not far from Cameron's house. Strangest of all, the man apparently left the clothes near the backpack, and the backpack contained items the man had bought during his shopping trip before the murder.  At the time of writing, police are searching throughout Germany but haven't caught the suspect. With a clear picture and a likely trove of DNA evidence, authorities have excellent leads. Anyone who can help is asked to get in touch with the Furstenfeldbruck Criminal Investigation Department at (+49) 8.14.16.120. Cameron's career started at Pininfarina in 1975, culminating in a greatest hits of designs while at BMW. He has exterior design of the third-generation Range Rover on his resume, as well as the BMW Z8. It was Cameron's Phantom, though, that helped create an entirely new Rolls-Royce after BMW bought the brand. CEO Chris Brownridge wrote on LinkedIn that "Ian played a significant role in shaping Rolls-Royce from when it was first acquired by BMW Group and moved to its home at Goodwood, West Sussex.