1968 Rolls-royce Silver Shadow Drophead on 2040-cars

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What is the most expensive car in the world?

Highlighting one single vehicle as the most expensive car in the world isn't as straightforward as you might think. To get a solid answer, we're going to have to break the question into a couple of parts. First, we'll discuss the most expensive new car in the world, and second, the most expensive collector car in the world. And by the end of the article, you'll be armed with the information you're looking for: What is the most expensive car in the world? Before we get into the stratospheric numbers, let's take a step back and put things in perspective. For the last year or so, the average transaction price for a new car has hovered right around $48,000. That's almost 10 grand more than new cars cost in 2019, before the pandemic. What will that buy you today? Well, you can get a midrange Ford F-150, a Kia Telluride, or a Ford Mustang GT with a few options. Not bad when you consider that these choices are among the best in their respective classes. At the very bottom of the spectrum is the Nissan Versa, which is available brand new for well under $20,000. Sure, there are a few anomalies such as the Changli Nemica (it's kinda a car, though not exactly street legal here in America) that can be ordered from Alibaba for about $1,000 to start, but there are a bunch of hidden costs, including shipping. Most expensive car in 2024: Rolls-Royce Droptail Price: $30 million Outside of the classic car market, the most expensive new vehicle in the world is the Rolls-Royce Droptail. So far, three Droptail models have been built, one called the Arcadia Droptail, one in ruby tones called La Rose Noire Droptail and one called the Amethyst Droptail. The latest example, the Arcadia, is painted in a white shade that is infused with aluminum and glass particles for a pearl-like effect that adds depth. Past that, the overall design of all three Droptails remains largely unchanged with an upright grille, thin rear lights, and a rounded back end. Like other extremely luxurious and expensive nautical-themed cars from Rolls-Royce — see the 2017 Sweptail and the 2021 Boat Tail — the Droptail is a very rare machine. There's a solid chance the lone remaining version will cost even more than the $30 million-plus cost of the La Rose Noire. For those keeping track, the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail, which was previously the most expensive car in the world at $28 million, was the first model to emerge from the company's Coachbuild department that caters to the profanely wealthy.

Rolls-Royce Cullinan configurator delivers a near-bespoke experience

Earlier this month we configured a McLaren Senna with the assistance of two representatives of McLaren Special Operations. In that piece we wrote about few chances there are for the online "shopper" to get a feel for the coachbuilt experience; the Ferrari LaFerrari configurator offered just three color options, for instance, and Bugatti removed the few variables it presented for the Chiron. McLaren didn't build a public configurator for the Senna. It's the Rolls-Royce Cullinan to the rescue — at least for now — with a brand new configurator that can keep you busy for hours. The Cullinan configurator lists seven categories: Inspired Specs, Exterior Style, Exterior Options, Interior Style, Interior Options, Personalization, and Accessories. Inspired Specs comprises eight themes, such as the sassy Urban (Hero), and the self-evident Wellness or Indulgence. To play outside the lines, go to Exterior style to choose one of 16 colors, 23 Coachlines (pinstripes) in single or double lines, seven wheels, and two wheel detail options — whether or not to have the wheel centers matched to the body color. Polish the exterior details with four options for the Spirit of Ecstasy, a satin silver hood, or a tow hitch. View 30 Photos Take a breather and a cup of Lady Grey tea, then dive in again with the interior, starting with six potential "schemes" or a bespoke interior module. We haven't worked out the permutations, but you can create a wildly large number of different cabins with the 20 different interior colors. The seats alone offer color choices for the inserts, gussets, inners, main body, and valance and seat backs. You can specify a color for the sun visors. Harley Quinn would love it. And after all that, you've still got three more categories to work though. We chose a Cullinan in Anthracite, with a double coachline in Creme Light, on 22-inch wheels, and with a trailer hitch — to tow our Icon A5 amphibious plane, because we already have a Ford F-450 Super Duty for the boat. A Tan interior mixed with Seashell accents should be a fine place to hear nothing of the outside world thanks to Rolls-Royce's sandwiched windows. But we're considering going with Ardent Red instead, so we'll see you over at the configurator. Related Video:

Rolls-Royce's all-electric aircraft completes 15-minute maiden voyage

Rolls-Royce, best known in aviation for its jet engines, has taken an all-electric airplane on its maiden voyage. The "Spirit of Innovation" completed a 15 minute flight, marking "the beginning of an intensive flight-testing phase in which we will be collecting valuable performance data on the aircraft’s electrical power and propulsion system," the company announced.  Rolls-Royce said the one-seat airplane has "the most power-dense battery pack every assembled for an aircraft." The aircraft uses a 6,000 cell battery pack with a three-motor powertrain that currently delivers 400kW (500-plus horsepower), and Rolls-Royce said the aircraft will eventually achieve speeds of over 300 MPH.  This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The flight comes about a year after the originally scheduled takeoff and about six months after taxi trials. Rolls-Royce is also developing an air taxi with manufacturer Tecnam, with the aim of delivering an "all-electric passenger aircraft for the commuter market," according to the companies. It has previously teamed with Siemens and Airbus on another e-plane concept.  Aircraft companies have been exploring electric airplanes for a number of years, as air travel and cargo accounts for an increasing amount of greenhouse gases. The World Wildlife Foundation has called it "currently the most carbon intensive activity an individual can make."  Weight is a much bigger problem for airplanes that it is for cars, however. Ford's all-electric Lightning pickup weighs 1,800 pounds more than the gas-powered model, and offers a range that's slightly under half. However, if you added 1,800 pounds to to a Cessna 206 Turbo Stationair, you'd exceed its useful load by 500 pounds before you even loaded passengers (or the pilot) — so it wouldn't even get off the ground.  The project was half funded by the Aerospace Technology Institute and UK government, with the aim of eventually creating all-electric passenger planes. "This is not only about breaking a world record; the advanced battery and propulsion technology developed for this programme has exciting applications for the Urban Air Mobility market and can help make ‘jet zeroÂ’ a reality," said Rolls-Royce CEO Warren East. This article by S. Dent originally appeared on Engadget. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.