1988 Rolls Royce Silver Spur Lwb  on 2040-cars

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Rolls-Royce celebrates brand's 120th with Ghost Prism

The Ghost might be Rolls-Royce’s smaller, “entry-level” car, but those words donÂ’t mean much when referring to the storied British automaker. With an almost $350,000 starting price, the Ghost is nearly as exclusive as its larger counterparts, but the recently announced Prism model will be even harder to get. Rolls said it would produce just 120 units of the car to celebrate its 120th anniversary in 2024, though itÂ’s unclear how many are already sold. As these things typically go, high-value clients and famous people tend to get the first crack at exclusive models, as theyÂ’re meant to be rolling advertisements for the brand. Last year was the brandÂ’s best ever, as it moved more than 6,000 vehicles in 2023, with America and record growth in the Middle East leading the charge. The automakerÂ’s demo car came in Gunmetal gray, which it said took 16 hours of hand polishing and a ten-step process that involves four layers of paint application. A high-gloss black-gray color is applied to the grille and trunk lid, which involves polishing the paints to such a high-gloss finish that they appear metallic. The dark colors highlighted with bolder hues are meant to convey the appearance of a prism, hence the carÂ’s name. Buyers can choose between four accent colors: Forge Yellow, Mandarin, Phoenix Red, and Mandarin. The color is applied to the brake calipers, lower bumper inserts and coachline, which Rolls said is a styling element that ties together the “mechanical, aerodynamic, and sculptural elements of Ghost.” Inside, the car gets Rolls-RoyceÂ’s famous Starlight Headliner with 1,040 individual LED “stars” across the interior roof. While these exclusive features are selling points for the Ghose Prism, Rolls said buyers still get access to its entire catalog of colors, materials, and options. Most people extend the automakerÂ’s already extreme purchase prices by several thousand dollars, pushing the average purchase price far above what we see on paper. Related Video

One-off Boat Tail is the tapered tip of Rolls-Royce's coachbuilding iceberg

Rolls-Royce is open to taking additional requests for one-off cars from its wealthiest clients in the coming years. It doesn't plan to make coachbuilt vehicles the norm in order to maintain their exclusivity, however. Rumored to cost nearly $30 million, the Boat Tail (pictured) introduced in May 2021 demonstrated what the BMW-owned British firm is capable of when money is truly no object. It's the product of a four-year development process that presumably cost several million dollars, and it was built at the request of three anonymous clients. It's the first car made since Coachbuild was promoted to a standalone division with the group, and it's very likely not the last. "Our idea is to maybe do one project every second year. Whether it's three cars or one car will hinge very much on the idea of the clients, and also on our appetite for doing it," explained company boss Torsten Muller-Otvos in an interview with British magazine Autocar. He added Rolls-Royce has the luxury to turn down requests it doesn't like. Precisely what will receive the firm's proverbial green light for production hasn't been specified. We're guessing future one-offs will need to adhere to the company's image, so transforming a humble Fiat 500 into a luxury car, Aston Martin Cygnet-style, is probably very low on the firm's list of priorities. Regardless, one-of-a-kind models won't roll out of the Rolls-Royce workshop on a weekly basis. Executives want to keep them "very rare," the CEO added, even if they receive numerous requests. Supply won't necessarily keep up with demand. What comes next depends on what customers request (and are willing to pay for). Rolls-Royce is open to experimenting with different body styles and different powertrain types, including a fully electric system. It's reportedly working on its first electric model, which could be called Silent Shadow when it enters production, and this foundation could be used to make a coachbuilt car if a customer commissions it. "There is no intention to boost any volume, because the intention clearly is to create projects that are significant for the brand's history in 70 or 100 years or so, and that are truly unique pieces. That also fits quite nicely into the heritage of Rolls-Royce with coachbuilding projects in the 1920s and the 1930s," Muller-Otvos concluded. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Rolls-Royce starts a turf war in the Garden of Wraith

The Rolls-Royce Wraith would not be our first choice for hooning. Sure, it's god 624 horsepower channeled to the rear wheels, but it's an automatic, it costs the better part of $300,000 and it's laden with more leather, wood and carpeting than Harrod's. Leave it to Tax the Rich to toss it around then.
For those unfamiliar, the YouTube channel sporadically features videos of some of the most powerful and expensive pieces of automotive machinery being put up to no good. They've done the Ferrari 288 GTO, F50 (two of 'em, in fact) and Enzo and even the Jaguar XJ220 - twice - but now they've turned their attention to the most powerful Rolls ever, tossing it around the grounds of an old-world mansion estate like it was a Subie.