1976 Rolls-royce Silver Shadow Long Wheelbase on 2040-cars

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Rolls-Royce Phantom to soldier on through 2020?

The more a car costs, the less frequently it's replaced - usually. Take, for example, the Bugatti Veyron. It's one of the most expensive cars on the market, and it's been there for eight years now. Eleven years passed in between the launch of the Ferrari Enzo and that of its successor LaFerrari. Now comes word that the Rolls-Royce Phantom could stick around essentially unchanged until the year 2020.
The report comes from LeftLaneNews, which cites Rolls-Royce communications chief Richard Carter in stating that the Phantom isn't going anywhere fast - despite its massive 6.75-liter V12 engine. The Phantom is the car that essentially relaunched the brand under BMW ownership way back in 2003. It has since spawned long-wheelbase, coupe and convertible models, and underwent a few minor upgrades in 2009. It may yet get another series of enhancements before it's replaced entirely, but don't expect anything drastic within the next half-dozen years or so.
For what it's worth, Rolls-Royce has other things to focus on, and we don't just mean an endless parade of special editions and one-offs for emerging luxury markets in Asia. After launching the Ghost, the company followed up with the Wraith coupe and is said to have a convertible version in the works. An SUV is reportedly under consideration, as is a sixteen-cylinder roadster. But that's not even why the Goodwood-based automaker is stretching out the Phantom's lifecycle like it did its wheelbase: the average Phantom buyer pays a good half million for their new ride, and they wouldn't be too happy to see it replaced quite so soon.

Queen Elizabeth II was a longtime automotive enthusiast

Since driver's licenses, license plates, and passports were issued in her own name, Queen Elizabeth II didn't need them to drive and travel. She started combining the two just before she turned 19, joining the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) transport division in 1945 for vehicle mechanic training. She wanted to help the British effort during World War II and would drive an ambulance — one that, theoretically, she could also fix if it broke down. The war ended before she graduated as an Honorary Junior Commander, the other ATS members dubbing her Princess Auto Mechanic. We donÂ’t know if she got under the hoods of the many official state vehicles and the far more numerous unofficial fleet in the royal garages, but she was still driving herself around England as late as this year. Here is a tiny selection of royal conveyances used during her 70-year reign. Gold State Coach (1762) True, she never drove this one, but a tour of every royal garage should start with the coach. King George III commissioned Samuel Butler to build it in 1760. Butler spent two years on the gilded carriage 24 feet long and more than 12 feet high. The quarters are suspended from the frame by leather straps, so occupants get tossed about even during a slow stroll, which is as fast as the eight Windsor Gray horses can pull it. It wasnÂ’t until the 1900s that King George VI rubberized the wooden wheels. Word is the queen didnÂ’t like it.   1953 Land Rover Series 1 Land Rover gave Queen ElizabethÂ’s father, King George VI, the 100th example of the 80 Series off the line in 1948. She picked up the Landie habit for herself five years later, when a 1953 Series 1 with a custom 86-inch wheelbase was part of the fleet used for her six-month tour of the Commonwealth in 1953 and 1954. That Land Rover became Ceremonial Vehicle State IV. The models above were built in Australia in 1958 as near copies of the Commonwealth tour vehicle, when Australia decided it wanted six identical versions for royal service. ItÂ’s thought the royal family went through around 30 Land Rover Series cars and Defenders since then, and many of the most common photos of her have her posing in or near one, especially the 2002 Defender built just for her. The royal family isnÂ’t finished with them, either: A current Defender 110 served as a luggage hauler for family members headed to Balmoral Castle during the queenÂ’s final days.

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.