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BMW profit of $2.7B is down as automaker invests to keep luxury lead

Despite selling 6.6-percent more vehicles - a record by volume - and posting higher revenues in the second quarter of 2013, BMW Group's profit of 2.07 million euros ($2.75 billion) is down 8.8 percent from last year. Investments in new technology (e.g. the new i3) and personnel, in addition to a competitive market, are to blame, BMW states. But the automaker remains committed to its fiscal targets for 2013, which, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Norbert Reithofer, says will be "on a similar scale to 2012."
The BMW brand's sales performance in the first half of the year, which increased by 7.7 percent to 804,258 vehicles delivered, was good enough for it to maintain its lead in the luxury market, narrowly beating Audi, which delivered 780,510 vehicles, Automotive News reports. Mercedes-Benz delivered 694,433 vehicles to cement third place.

Rolls-Royce to auction one-off 115th birthday Phantom

Rolls-Royce and RM Sotheby's has announced a partnership amidst an expected luxurious environment, with a five-course dinner at Sotheby's redesigned 90,000-plus-square-foot New York City headquarters. As part of Rolls-Royce's 115th birthday celebration (the official date was May 4), the two announced a one-off, bespoke 2020 Rolls-Royce Phantom will be auctioned off this fall exclusively on Sotheby's online auction service. The lead image shows an early-stage sketch of what the special-edition Phantom could look like. There are extremely limited details about the car, but Rolls-Royce confirmed it will be red. It will also include "an original hand-crafted leather work of art" as part of the interior. We expect this to be in the same vein as the dashboard inlays and hand-stitching we've seen in past bespoke Rolls-Royces. Because the one-off car will be honoring a birthday, we wouldn't be surprised if it featured several indicators that mark the occasion. Think numbered door sills, treadplates, dashboard or console plaques, and possibly special-edition badges. This, of course, is speculation, but these are often features on these types of vehicles. The base price of a Rolls-Royce Phantom is approximately $450,000, and when we first tested the uber-luxe personal limo, it reached as high as about $650,000. And that was just a "regular" Phantom. As a guaranteed collector's item, a set price for this vehicle would likely cost significantly more. But its price is not set, as it will be sold through RM Sotheby's online auction. It seems likely that this thing could easily tick right past $1 million. Rolls-Royce said the car will be auctioned in the fall but gave no specific dates. We'll provide updates as soon as we get 'em. Related Video:

Autoblog Minute: Rolls-Royce launches Dawn with global digital event

Rolls-Royce unveils its newest vehicle in grand modern fashion. Autoblog's Eddie Sabatini reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute, with an interview with head of communications for Rolls-Royce, Gerry Spahn. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] Rolls-Royce unveils its newest vehicle in grand modern fashion. I'm Eddie Sabaitni and this is your Autoblog Minute. Dawn is the name of Rolls-Royce's new convertible. The name, Dawn reaches back into the company's heritage, all the way back to the 1950s post war Rolls Royce Silver Dawn. While the naming convention looks to the past there's nothing old fashioned about the way Rolls Royce revealed the Dawn to the public. The four seater was [00:00:30] revealed with a multi-platform global digital event. The British automaker first teased Dawn using twitter and instagram, with the grand reveal coming via a live web feed. For more on this unique launch Autoblog spoke with the Head of Communications for Rolls-Royce, Gerry Spahn: [00:01:00] [Gerry Spahn Interview] The large-scale digital event certainly was a modern statement for the classic automaker. [00:01:30] Let us know what you think about Rolls-Royce's digital efforts. For Autoblog, I'm Eddie Sabatini. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals. Rolls-Royce Convertible Luxury Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video rolls-royce dawn