1988 Rolls Royce Silver Spur Base Sedan 4-door 6.7l on 2040-cars

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Rolls-Royce shows bespoke Pinnacle Travel Phantom in Beijing

Rolls-Royce is exclusive. Rolls-Royce's Bespoke Collection, though, takes that exclusivity to the highest levels, representing the very finest work that the craftsmen at the company's Goodwood factory are capable of producing. With the Pinnacle Travel Phantom, set to be shown at the 2014 Beijing Motor Show, Rolls-Royce may have finally outdone itself. Apparently, the puzzling name (as well as the reason it's being shown in Beijing) comes from China's second consecutive year as the largest outbound travel market in the world.
The one-off custom job wears a gorgeous two-tone paint scheme, with a section of Silver Sand and a lot of Madeira Red paint. The intricate coachline includes a few small details that just add to the exterior's specialness.
The cabin, though, is where the work has really been done. It has throw pillows, for crying out loud. Ignoring the silvery poofs on the back seats, the cabin is dominated by Morello Red and Seashell leather, the former of which is on the seats, doors and interior partition. The woodwork, is some of the most beautiful we've seen from Rolls-Royce, which is saying something.

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

Rolls-Royce Cullinan test car takes the wheel — from a BMW 3 Series

The biggest, baddest Rolls-Royce will soon be here. We've seen spy shots the new Cullinan for months, but this is our first look at the SUV's interior. Though much of it is still covered, we can make out a few details hiding beneath the surface. There's no word on when the new Rolls will hit the streets, but look for a debut sometime this auto show season. At first glance, there seems to be a lot of parts taken straight from a BMW parts bin. BMW owns Rolls, so this shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Still, it's disappointing to see the steering wheel from a 3 Series in place of the handsome, thin-rimmed wheels you usually find in a Rolls-Royce. That said, this could simply be a temporary solution while the car undergoes development. The rest looks a lot like the new Phantom. This includes the digital instrument cluster and various switches and knobs. There really isn't anything new we can glean from the Cullinan's exterior. We've seen this all before. The rear doors are of particular note as they each appear to have two door handles. Look closely and you can see a regular one in the back and what appears to be another up front. The latter suggests it may have suicide doors, though it may simply be a trim piece meant to simulate that iconic Rolls feature. We'll have to wait for the full debut to find out more. Related Video: Featured Gallery Rolls Royce Cullinan Spy Shots View 12 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos Rolls-Royce SUV Luxury