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Latest Rolls-Royce Wraith teaser reveals fastback form

In its fourth and final teaser before the 2014 Wraith is introduced next week, Rolls-Royce has released another image of the car showing a distinct fastback appearance. We've seen this car teased in its profile before, but that image had a heavy shadow over the rear of the car obscuring what should be the Wraith's defining element.
Rolls-Royce motorcars aren't exactly known for having overtly sporty proportions, but this could all change with the Wraith's styling. Judging by the teased drawing and official words from Rolls-Royce, the coupe's roofline will flow practically in a straight line from the A-pillar back to the rear of the car. With such a design, the Wraith could well become one of the world's most elegant and expensive hatchbacks, though it may also have a conventional hinged trunk opening.
Over the last month, we've also seen a rear shot of the car as well as glimpse of what the interior has in store, but the two images showing the car's profile give us our best idea of what to expect when the car is unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. Until then, you can check out our winter testing spy shots and read a brief quote from Rolls-Royce design director Giles Taylor in the press release posted below.

BMW's Connected Drive feature vulnerable to hackers

BMW is working to fix a cyber-security flaw that has left 2.2 million vehicles worldwide vulnerable to hackers. Cars equipped with the automaker's Connected Drive remote-services system are affected, according to the German Automobile Association (ADAC), which first discovered the problem. Researchers found they could lock and unlock car doors by mimicking mobile communications and sending phony signals to a SIM card installed in affected vehicles. An attack could be launched "within minutes" of accessing the system without the perpetrators leaving a trace, according to their report, in part because once they had gained access to the network, the communications were not secure. In response to the security gap, BMW says it has been upgrading software via over-the-air updates over the past week, so no visits to dealerships are needed to remedy the security hole. In fact, owners of affected cars may not have even noticed the updates taking place. The problem affects BMW, Rolls-Royce and MINI vehicles equipped with Connected Drive since 2010. Flaws were first reported to BMW last year by ADAC, which is the country's equivalent of AAA. ADAC says it withheld a public announcement until the car company could address the problem. While BMW has pushed the software patch to most affected vehicles, the organization said it's possible some at cars in the United States had not yet been updated. BMW did not respond to a request for comment Monday. In a written statement, the automaker said it knows of no real-world breaches. 2015 Off To Dubious Start The hack could raise the eyebrows of industry leaders: Cars are now the equivalent of mobile computers and cyber-security experts have been warning that the auto industry has been slow to close its security holes. BMW's breach marks the second time in 2015 that researchers have found a popular automotive feature with little or no security precautions. Last month, experts said a popular device made by Progressive Insurance that allows motorists to track their driving habits contained no security whatsoever. Like the Connected Drive smart-phone app, many automotive components and infotainment features were conceived and produced at a time when industry executives never considered the possibility someone might want to hack into them. But increased connectivity brings increased risk. Going forward, BMW says its Connected Drive features will now operate by using encrypted communications via the HTTPS protocol.

First Dawn from Rolls-Royce raises $750k in charity auction

Even for a Rolls-Royce, $750,000 seems like a lot of money. But that's how much one customer paid this past weekend for the privilege of acquiring the very first example of the new Dawn convertible. And we're glad to report that the the money is going to a good place. Rolls-Royce introduced the Dawn this past September at the Frankfurt Motor Show as the convertible counterpart to the Ghost sedan and Wraith coupe. It's set to take on the likes of the Bentley Continental GTC and Mercedes S-Class Cabriolet, packing a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 good for 563 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque up front and a folding fabric roof over its four-seat cabin. The company's Bespoke division set up this particular example in Andalusian white, with a deep red roof, red coachline, and a corresponding interior in red and white with Indian rosewood paneling and special treadplates. Valued at over $400,000, the vehicle was donated for the charity auction at the Naples Winter Wine Festival held this past Saturday to benefit the Naples Children & Education Foundation. The winning bid of $750,000 was placed by insurance mogul and hedge fund manager Julian Movsesian, pictured inset at left with Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos. He'll take delivery in April from the dealership in Naples before anyone else gets theirs. Over the same weekend in Arizona, an Acura NSX sold for $1.2 million, a COPO Camaro for $300k, and Jay Leno's Harley-Davidson edition Ford F-150 for $200k – all of them the first of their kind, and all benefiting charitable causes. Related Video: Rolls-Royce Dawn Raises $750,000 For Children's Charities As The Brand Marks A New Era With The Most Social Rolls-Royce Ever NAPLES, Fla., Feb. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- - Dawn brought a winning bid of $750,000 at the 2016 Naples Winter Wine Auction - California area collector to receive the very first Rolls-Royce Dawn globally - Over past 15 years, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars have grossed $4.8M in bids for the auction - Proceeds to benefit Naples Children & Education Foundation It is one thing to bid on a prize as rare as a Bespoke Rolls-Royce and quite another to bid on the once in a generation opportunity to be the first owner of the newest member of the Rolls-Royce Motor Car family, the all-new Dawn.