rolls-royce

VIDEO: Arab Playboys Race Their Supercars Around London

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Wealth, Video

It seems that Bloomberg News finally caught up with our report last month on the cabal of mega-rich Arab playboys who made London the world's supercar capital this summer, shipping an estimated $80 million worth of eye-popping vehicles to the city while waiting out the heat in the UAE. As we noted at the time, Bugatti Veyrons have been seen cruising in Knightsbridge and making Mayfair seem more like Le Mans, while both the Bugatti a Pagani Zonda Cinque, one of only five in the world, are often parked at the Dorchester Hotel where some of the super-rich studs are staying. Rolls-Royces, custom Mercedes-McLaren SLRs, Lamborghinis, Koenigseggs, Ferraris and more are commonplace in certain posh neighborhoods, where protest groups have been formed to combat the problem. Of course, all those powerful machines in a densely populated area sometimes leads to trouble. Check out some of the video footage assembled by Bloomberg on the subject.

Tags: Bugatti, London, Pagani, Rolls-Royce, supercar, UAE, UK, wealth

Rolls-Royce to Highlight Bespoke Design Program in Paris

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Although Rolls-Royce won't have anything new per se to show us at the Paris Auto Salon this week, it will be highlighting its extensive "bespoke design" catalog with five customized models at the Port de Versailles.

Included in the line-up will be specialized versions of the Phantom Coupe, Drophead Coupe, two Ghosts and the long-wheelbase Phantom limousine you see above. It features a special gunmetal metallic paintjob and an interior decked out with custom embroidery, mother of pearl trim and piping on the seats.

Tags: 2010 paris auto salon, 2010 paris motor show, paris, paris 2010, paris auto salon, paris motor show, rolls, rolls-royce, rolls-royce ghost, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe

21-Year-Old Saudi Student's Stunning $10 Million Supercar Collection

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Wealth

Saudi engineering student Dhiaa Al-Essa was one of the unfortunate fellows whose brand new Ferrari 458 Italia (above) went up in flames recently. No worries though – the 21-year-old has 30 other supercars in his $5 million collection, including three more Ferraris, five Porsches, three Lamborghinis, two Rolls-Royces and a Mercedes SLR McLaren. His mega-rich financier father, who purchased the cars for him, has promised him two even more expensive models next year for his 22nd birthday: an ultra-rare Koenigsegg Agera and a Bugatti Veyron, doubling the value of his collection to $10 million. Meanwhile he's replacing the torched 458 Italia with a brand new Ferrari 599 roadster. [continued]

Tags: Bugatti Veyron, car collection, Dhiaa Al-Essa, Ferrari, Ferrari 458 Italia, Koenigsegg Agera, Lamborghini, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Saudi Arabia, Saudia Arabia

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Shiekh Wheels: Rolls-Royce Debuts Bespoke Editions for Abu Dhabi

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Wealth

A regular old Rolls-Royce? Strictly for peasants, my friend. No filthy rich oil sheikh would be caught dead in one. Hence the new bespoke Phantom editions built specially for Abu Dhabi, which as we all know has the actual cash, as opposed to Dubai which thrives on flash and debt thanks to Abu Dhabi's indulgence. Inspired by the emirate's "rich culture and landscape" emphasis on rich – the new models are of course extremely vulgar and insanely expensive. The special edition Phantom Drophead Coupe (above) is called Shaheen, after the local word for the prestigious peregrine falcon used for hunting. It features a marquise-white exterior with Tudor red lines and a red and seashell leather interior, brass falcon inlays and falcon embroidered head-rests. The Phantom sedan meanwhile is named Baynunah after Abu Dhabi's sand dune covered western region. Fittingly finished in shades of brown and tan, it features hand-crafted inlay and marquetry, some of it applied with tweezers to ensure maximum precision, and a solid gold Spirit of Ecstasy on the hood. Better bring a solid gold bucket.

Gallery: Rolls-Royce Abu Dhabi Editions

Tags: Abu Dhabi, bespoke, custom cars, Dubai, hunting, oil, Rolls Royce, Rolls-Royce, Rolls-Royce Phantom, sheikh, UAE, wealth

Rolls-Royce Custom Luggage & Picnic Set For $30,000 - In The Flesh

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags, Luxury Cars & Autos

We covered the custom Rolls-Royce picnic set previously here as part of Rolls-Royce's new Bespoke Program. The Bespoke Program allows Rolls-Royce customers further access to customization features on the cars, as well as a series of accessories. I met with Rolls-Royce at car festivities for 2010 at Pebble Beach for some hands-on with the new picnic and luggage set along with some addition information. My first question was "who is making this stuff for Rolls?" According to the spokesperson - no one is. Roll Royce is making it all themselves at their special wood and leather shop. I thought that was pretty cool. Would have been pretty easy to go to a custom maker of such stuff and ask them to put the Rolls Royce name on it.

The luggage set is beautiful. Retro in design (what, no shoulder strap?), it features very soft leather and serious looking zippers! No plastic here, "luxury hate plastic!" The picnic set is too nice to actually use. Unless you travel with a caravan that will delicately clean it for you after each use. All the silverware is polished like a brand new wedding ring, while the glasses are crystal. If only I ate this well at home! The picnic case looks as though it weighs a ton, but owners will likely have spare people form their palanquin carrying team to move it to their picnic spot. Or maybe you can say "tailgate Rolls Royce style!"

Together, the set is said to cost about $30,000, of course with varying prices as this is the "Bespoke Program." Makes a great addition to your new Drophead Coupe.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com

Gallery: Rolls Royce Luggage and Picnic set

Tags: 2010, bespoke, car, luggage, pebble beach, picnic, rolls-royce

Arab Playboys Arrested After Supercar Smash in London

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Wealth, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Yesterday we reported that a cabal of mega-rich Arab playboys have made London the world's supercar capital this summer, shipping an estimated $80 million worth of eye-popping vehicles to the city while waiting out the heat in their homeland. With all the ultra-luxe vehicles racing around the crowded city, something was bound to go wrong, and it has; two of the fast-living fellows were arrested in Knightsbridge the other day after plowing their $280,000 Lamborghini into four other vehicles, the London Daily Mail reports. Abdulla Saeed Khalfan Al-Dhaheri, 28, and Sultan Khalifa Al-Muhairbi, 35, both from the United Arab Emirates, were taken into custody after their Lamborghini Murcielago smashed into the parked cars, flipping a BMW over completely.

Luckily no one was injured, but Al-Muhairbi was charged with dangerous driving and driving with no insurance and Al-Dhaheri was charged with perverting the course of justice. The men, who are due to appear in court on October 12, are said to have walked away from the pile-up, telling a passerby, "It's all right, we'll pay for the damage." The incident took place in posh Lowndes Square, home to some of the city's wealthiest residents, including Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. Check out an image gallery of some of the Arab-owned supercars, including Rolls-Royce, Ferrari and Bugatti models, which have been flown to London for the summer from the UAE after the jump.

Tags: Arab, car crash, Ferrari, Knightsbridge, Lamborghini, London, Rolls-Royce, Roman Abramovich, supercar, UAE, UK, United Arab Emirates, wealth

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Arab Playboys Ship $80 Million Worth of Supercars to London for the Summer

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Wealth, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Video

A cabal of mega-rich Arab playboys have made London the world's supercar capital this summer, shipping an estimated $80 million worth of eye-popping vehicles to the city while waiting out the heat in their homeland. The bored billionaires get their kicks by racing around London's crowded streets, the London Sun reports. Bugatti Veyrons have been seen cruising in Knightsbridge and Mayfair, and both the Bugatti a Pagani Zonda Cinque, one of only five in the world, are often parked at the Dorchester Hotel where some of the super-rich studs are staying. Rolls-Royces, custom Mercedes-McLaren SLRs, Lamborghinis, Koenigseggs, Ferraris and more are commonplace in certain posh neighborhoods.

"Forget Monaco or Monte Carlo - London is now the supercar capital," Matt Master of Top Gear tells the paper. "Most owners are in their 20s or early 30s and from amazingly rich families. The amount of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Bugattis with UAE plates is unbelievable." Most do 200 mph-plus but they have to drive them around in first gear, though some cut loose and take the consequences – check out a video of one man being pulled over in a pink Lamborghini amidst a number of other exotics after the jump. Others like the supercars belonging to Qatar's Royal Family get "clamped" by the cops. Given the fact that the cars had to be flown to London from the UAE, the sheer amount of money being wasted is simply stupendous:

Tags: Arab, Arabs, Bugatti, Ferrari, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, London, Mayfair, Pagani, Qatar, Rolls-Royce, supercars, UAE, wealth

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Did the Sultan of Brunei Buy 10 Aston Martin One-77s for His Billion-Dollar Car Collection?

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Wealth

Back in February we reported on the mysterious filthy rich individual who purchased 10 Aston Martin One-77 supercars, limited to just 77 examples, for $1.7 million apiece or $23 million in total including fees. Now educated insiders are speculating that the Sultan of Brunei bought the cars to add to his multi-billion-dollar, 7,000-strong car collection, the world's most expensive auto hoard. According to Guinness World Records the Sultan's collection includes over 600 Rolls-Royces, more than 450 Ferraris, 570 Mercedes-Benzes, 380 Bentleys, 170 Porsches, dozens of Koenigseggs, and 20 Lamborghinis to name a few. He owns several rare custom, one-off and concept cars, some worth tens of millions apiece, including a Ferrari Mythos, a Jaguar XJ220 by Pininfarina, a Bentley Java, a Bentley Dominator SUV, bespoke Rolls-Royce and Ferrari station wagons, a Porsche Carma and a Koenigsegg Agera. Known for buying multiple models of supercars in order to have one in every color, he owns several McLaren F1s, six Ferrari FXXs, four Ferrari F40s and three Ferrari F50s. The Sultan, who's worth an estimated $20 billion, stores the collection in five heavily-guarded airplane hangars and employs a team of mechanics and specialists to keep the cars in perfect working condition.

Source

Tags: Aston Martin, Bentley, Brunei, car collection, Ferrari, Ferrari F40, Ferrari F50, Ferrari FXX, Jaguar XJ220, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, McLaren F1, Mercedes-Benz, Pininfarina, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Sultan of Brunei, supercars, wealth

Automotive Elegance at London's Salon Privé

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Events

The Salon Privé, Europe's finest and largest dedicated display of supercars, exotics, classics and luxury goods set up English garden party style, graced the lawns of London's famed Hurlingham Club last week. An exclusive selection of luxury goods was on display alongside a seven-category Concours d'Elégance showcasing modern and classic motors. Jaguar made in impressive showing with a special marquee featuring many of the firm's iconic models in its 75-year history. Rolls-Royce exhibited the new Ghost alongside the Phantom and its new bespoke picnic set. Morgan showcased the Aero Supersports, Bentley showed off the new Muslanne, Aston Martin had a Rapide on display and Lotus brought along the Evora. Classic Ferraris, Alfa-Romeos, Bugattis and more rounded out the alluring eye candy to the obvious appreciation of a stylish audience.

Gallery: Salon Prive 2010

Source

Tags: Aston Martin, Bentley, classic cars, Concours delegance, Ferrari, Jaguar, London, Lotus, luxury goods, Rolls-Royce, Salon Privé, supercar, UK

Fairfield Concours to Showcase 1939/47 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Vutotal

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, Events

The star car at this year's Fairfield Concours d'Elegance will wears the Spirit of Ecstasy on her hood and no less ecstatic design all along her body. The 1939/47 Rolls-Royce Phantom III "Vutotal" Cabriolet by Labourdette, now in the John Rich Museum collection, started off as a standard Phantom III designed by Henry Royce. It was re-envisioned by coachbuilder Hooper and Co. in 1938 with a Sedanca de Ville for the chassis, then showed off in Europe before being tweaked for the U.S. market.

When that show car ended up in the Parisian studio of Henri Labourdette in the forties, he threw out everything but the running gear and rebodied the car gold-plating-and-brass-adorned aerodynamic bodywork that swooped back into a boattail. He also got rid of anything that identified it as a Rolls, save for its mascot and a couple of interior trim pieces. The final detail: the Vutotal windscreen, a thick slice of glass that appears to support itself. The conversion cost $44,000 at a time when the average price of a home was about $4,000.

Elsewhere on the Concours docket, featured judging classes will include Porsche, Bugatti, Period Hot Rods and Custom Cars from 1948 – 1964, there'll be regional vintage club gatherings, an auction conducted by Bonhams, and photographer Jesse Alexander will be the featured artist. The Barn Find category is a new one this year and is still accepting submissions to go with dusty, rusted hulks including the 1949 Willys Panel Wagon and 1961 AC Greyhound. The seventh annual Fairfield Concours opens its lawn on Saturday, September 11, 2010.

Gallery: Fairfield County Concours d'Elegance

Gallery: Fairfield County Concours celebrates Jesse Alexander

Tags: coachbuilder, coachbuilding, Concours, Concours delegance, connecticut, fairfield concours delegance, Fairfield County Concours dElegance, henri labourdette, rolls-royce, rolls-royce phantom iii, rolls-royce phantom iii vutotal

Rolls-Royce White Ghost by Mansory

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Over the past few years, Mansory hasn't exactly earned a reputation for subtlety, its creations as outlandish as Liberace in a house of mirrors. Its latest creation, by comparison, looks relatively tasteful.

Based on the Rolls-Royce Ghost, Mansory's White Ghost features a number of visual and performance enhancements, from the body kit and wheels to a 66-horsepower boost from the V12 engine for 629 overall. The interior is a bit gaudier than the standard Rolls, but downright tame by Mansory standards. Try not to like it too much, though: only three of this special edition will be made, each carrying a $152k premium... that's over the price of the factory-fresh Ghost itself.

Source

Tags: ghost, mansory, mansory rolls-royce white ghost, mansory white ghost, rolls royce, rolls-royce, rolls-royce ghost, rolls-royce white ghost, rolls-royce white ghost by mansory, white ghost

Rolls-Royce Custom Picnic Set Highlights Bespoke Program

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Cars & Autos

Special orders. We'd take that to mean anything out of the ordinary, off the menu, right? What if the majority of products produced by a company were "special orders"? That's what Rolls-Royce is looking at these days.

Globally last year, 75% of Phantom saloons, Coupes and Drophead Coupes were sold with some sort of Bespoke elements, be they custom colors, luggage, or anything in between. Like this picnic set, for example, crafted of aluminum, leather and wood veneers, and packing enough crystal and fine china for four to dine out wherever their chauffeur takes them.

Gallery: Rolls-Royce Bespoke Picnic Set

Tags: bespoke, custom, rolls royce, rolls-royce, Rolls-Royce Bespoke, Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collection, Rolls-Royce Bespoke Picnic, Rolls-Royce Bespoke Picnic Set, rolls-royce phantom

Tsar Nicholas II's Custom 1914 Rolls-Royce for Sale at $7 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Wealth

A royal purple 1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost that's said to have belonged to Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia, is being offered for sale in Germany via global online luxury marketplace JamesList for about $7 million. In the 1920s the custom-made car, which features nickel plated fittings, a speaking tube for communicating with the chauffeur and coachwork by Barker, found its way into the collection of circus impresario John Ringling of Ringling Bros. at Ca d'Zan, his famous 30 room Venetian mansion in Sarasota, Florida. After being displayed in a classic car museum next to Adolph Hitler's Mercedes for a spell, at some point it was acquired by a German collector who kept it in an underground bunker from which it was recently unearthed. The nearly century-old Rolls, made just 10 years after Henry Royce built his very first car, offers not only a royal pedigree but is an important piece of automotive history it its own right.

Tags: classic cars, Czar, Florida, JamesList, John Ringling, Nicholas II, Rolls-Royce, royalty, Russia, Tsars

Rolls-Royce to Design New Line of Superyachts

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Luxury Cars & Autos

Florida's Atlantic Yachts is collaborating with Rolls-Royce's Marine division to design and engineer a new line of superyachts dubbed the NVC 85 Y. The 279-ft. ships will be built by Germany's Nobiskrug GmbH while Atlantic's founder Paul Madden, formerly of Blohm + Voss (builders of Roman Abramovich's gigayacht Eclipse) will oversee the project. Available in different trims, the yachts will be equipped with completely bespoke interiors with plenty of Rolls-Royce branding. Featuring a steel superstructure and hydrodynamically efficient hull the NVC 85 Ys will be capable of a maximum speed of about 20 knots and a cruising speed of 17 knots with a range of 8,000 nautical miles at cruising speed, with the aim of minimizing fuel consumption and environmental impact. Accommodation for 12 passengers in six double cabins and 22 crew members will be the base configuration, while a helipad on the foredeck assures they will arrive in style. While no price has yet been named, Killian Yacht & Ship Brokers will handle sales beginning with the first completed hull in 2012.

[via JamesList}

Gallery: Rolls-Royce NVC 85 Y Superyacht

Tags: bespoke, Blohm + Voss, Eclipse, Florida, Germany, Rolls-Royce, Roman Abramovich, superyacht

Rolls-Royce Riding Ghost Wave to Massive Sales Increase

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Rolls-Royce is reporting sales of 678 automobiles through the first five months of 2010. Although that might not sound like a lot of vehicles at first blush, it represents a 146-percent increase over the same period a year ago. Company head Torsten Müller-Ötvös expects sales to continue in their upward path throughout the remainder of the year, saying that the automaker will post figures "at least double the volume of last year."

While the slight uptick in the global economy may have something to do with the sales resurgence, the real driving force behind the increase is the new Ghost model for 2010. With a base price of around $250,000, the Ghost represents a substantial savings over the revered Phantom, which starts at some $380,000 and quickly rises from there. And while the Ghost may be less expensive than its big brother, there's no doubt that it is every bit the exclusive luxury ride that its new owners will expect.

Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: Rolls-Royce Ghost