Luxury Cars
All New Rolls-Royce Ghost: CEO’s Open Letter
As the final preparations are being made for the reveal of the new updated Rolls-Royce Ghost, the marque’s Chief Executive Officer, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, has prepared an open letter.
Torsten Müller-Ötvös
Chief Executive Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
27th July 2020
Dear Reader,
The launch of a new Rolls-Royce is unquestionably an historic moment. However, presenting a new Ghost carries with it tremendous responsibility. Our new Ghost, which will debut in the Autumn, follows the first ever Goodwood Ghost, which, since its launch in 2009 has become the most successful model in the marque’s 116-year history. Indeed, such was its timeless appeal, it enjoyed a lifespan of more than a decade. A truly remarkable achievement.
As we reached the final development stages of this our new product, we were faced with the coronavirus pandemic. This invisible enemy cast a grave and stubborn shadow on the world. At Rolls-Royce, we kept our spirits up. With the utmost focus on the wellbeing of our people at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, and around the world, we carefully and responsibly continued work on finalising this remarkable motor car. The experience reminded us that Rolls-Royce, with the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy at its prow, has endured with resilience and continues to serve as a symbol of ambition and endeavour.
To create a product that would resonate with our Ghost clients for the next ten years meant that we had to listen very carefully to their demands and desires. And we did so. They told us that they very much enjoyed Ghost’s versatility and breadth of character. It is a car they enjoyed driving themselves – or to be driven in should the occasion call for a chauffeur. They also appreciated the car’s pared-back simplicity, or as they put it, “a slightly smaller, less ostentatious means to own a Rolls-Royce”.
Going further, our clients expressed an ardent desire for even more minimalism in design. This demand resonated with findings of our Luxury Intelligence Unit and designers at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex who, for some years had been tracking an emerging contemporary movement within a particular layer of luxury consumers, which included our Ghost clients, and which we called ‘Post Opulence’. We found that these clients are showing a marked tendency towards luxury objects that celebrate reduction and restraint – that don’t shout, but rather, whisper. They are seeking design purity by rejecting obvious and unnecessary embellishments and overt complication. To complement this minimalism, our Ghost clients require innovative but effortless technology and real engineering substance in their car.
Of course, there will always be a place in this world, and at Rolls-Royce, for items and products of opulence that express the very best of human endeavour, inspire greatness and present a sense of theatre and magic. But we at Rolls-Royce remain alert for any signs of a recalibration of need within layers of the global luxury marketplace.
And so, five years ago, we set about the creation of our new Ghost. And such was the task that the only components we deemed fit to carry over were the Spirit of Ecstasy and umbrellas. Everything else is entirely new. The car has been designed, engineered, and crafted from the ground up at our Global Centre of Luxury Manufacturing Excellence in Goodwood, West Sussex, to answer the express wishes and desires of a post-opulent group of clients.
Ghost is the purest expression of Rolls-Royce yet. It distils the pillars of our brand into a beautiful, minimalist, yet highly complex product that is perfectly in harmony with our Ghost clients’ needs and, I believe, perfectly in tune with the times in which we are all living.
Rolls-Royce will always continue driving forward. Our company will be neither defined nor limited by the temporary constraints of the times. We will continue planning for a better tomorrow with positivity and hope, striving for perfection and producing powerful symbols that inspire greatness and ambition.
In this spirit, we invite you to experience our new Ghost in the next few months. More details of this historic moment will follow over the coming weeks, beginning with a series of four beautiful animations, detailing rare insights into the lifestyles and behaviour of our Ghost client layer, and the tremendous technical substance underpinning what we believe is the most sublime expression of Rolls-Royce yet. These informative pieces will culminate in a fully digital debut of new Ghost to be followed by numerous client, media and public events around the world.
Thank you.
Stay Safe and Keep Your Spirits Up!
Torsten Müller-Ötvös
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Lamborghini is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Countach with a special edition LPI 800-4 model debuting at this year’s Monterey Car Week.
In celebration of the Countach’s 50th anniversary, Lamborghini has unveiled a special limited edition Countach LPI 800-4 as a futuristic tribute to the poster car of the 1980s.
While sharing the same name and drawing on the visual legacy of its predecessor, the new Countach LPI 800-4 is powered by Lamborghini’s aspirated V12 engine combined with new hybrid supercapacitor technology initially developed for the Sian.
Delivering 802hp maximum combined power (rounded to 800 for the sake of its model name), the LPI 800-4 can reach 0-62mph acceleration in just 2.8 seconds and hit a top speed of 220mph.
“The Countach LPI 800-4 is a visionary car of the moment, just as its forerunner was,” says Automobili Lamborghini President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann. “One of the most important automotive icons, the Countach not only embodies the design and engineering tenet of Lamborghini but represents our philosophy of reinventing boundaries, achieving the unexpected and extraordinary and, most importantly, being the ‘stuff of dreams.
“The Countach LPI 800-4 pays homage to this Lamborghini legacy, but it is not retrospective: it imagines how the iconic Countach of the 70s and 80s might have evolved into an elite super sports model of this decade. It upholds the Lamborghini tradition of looking forward, of exploring new design and technology avenues while celebrating the DNA of our brand. It is a Lamborghini that innately expresses the marque’s enduring and emotive power: always inspirational and thrilling to see, hear and most of all drive.”
Inspired by the Countach’s distinctive silhouette, sharp angles, and wedge shape, the Countach LPI 800-4’s exterior inspiration was taken specifically from the Quattrovalvole edition in the bold lines of the front bonnet with long, low rectangular grille and headlights, as well as in the wheel arches with their hexagonal theme.
Unfortunately for fans of the Wolf of Wall Street Countach, there’s no fixed rear wing on the latest model. However, there are still air scoops integrated fluidly into the car’s shoulders and the distinctive Countach slatted “gills” and famous scissor doors.
The rear of the Countach LPI 800-4 still features a distinctive inverted wedge shape, with the rear bumper featuring a lower, sleeker line and the hexagonal rear light design similar to that of the Sián.
Lamborghini has revealed only 112 models of the new Countach LPI 800-4 will be produced (a number chosen in honor of the internal project name “LP 112” used for the original Countach development) with allocations already fulfilled prior to the public launch.
Porsche Motorsport celebrates 25 years partnership with Manthey-Racing and reveals the limited edition 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25.
Porsche Motorsport is celebrating 25 years of collaboration with Manthey-Racing GmbH and has unveiled the limited edition 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 to commemorate.
Founded by racing driver Olaf Manthey in 1996, Manthey-Racing GmbH is responsible for running the Porsche 911 RSR of the factory squad in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and has made a name for itself in both the motor racing world and as a GT road car specialist.
The basic concept and technical ideas for the new special edition was provided by Manthey and based on the 911 GT2 RS Clubsport with Porsche providing the final design.
Developed specifically for track days and circuit racing, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 is powered by a 3.8-liter flat-six twin-turbo engine and produces 515 HP directed to the rear wheels through Porsche’s seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox (PDK).
Taking inspiration from Manthey’s 911 GT3 R, known as the “Grello” because of its distinctive green and yellow livery, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 sports a similar green and yellow color scheme to highlight functional areas of the vehicle and adopts many vehicle components and elements from future Porsche racing cars.
“The design of the 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 expresses the long-standing collaboration between Porsche Motorsport and Manthey,” emphasizes Grant Larson from Style Porsche. “It amalgamates the respective strengths of each partner into one racing car, and at the same time bridges the gap between the 991 and 992 model generations of the 911.”
The Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 is limited to 30 vehicles in total (only six are allocated for North America) with deliveries expected to begin in early 2022.
To order, customers will need to email 911GT2RSClubsport25@porsche.de directly and have a spare $620,00 on hand.
The new Pagani Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta is set to make its debut at this year’s Monterey Car Week and celebrates ten years of the Huayra supercar.
This year at Monterey Car Week, Pagani celebrates ten years of the Huayra with the world premiere of the new Pagani Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta.
Based on the Huayra BC, the new Pacchetto Tempesta package means the Huayra BC’s high-performance platform can be equipped with a range of “state-of-the-art technical and artisan solutions” to maximize the car’s racing abilities and achieve an 8% power increase to deliver 827 hp and 1,100 Nm torque.
Pagani has only teased several introductory images of the green carbon fiber bodied beauty ahead of the premiere, and although full details are yet to be shared, Pagani has noted that the Pacchetto Tempesta features a new front splitter, dedicated air intake, rear wing with an integrated central fin, and six-pipe exhaust system to maximize aerodynamic efficiency.
A tweaked suspension system and the addition of an all-new “Soft Driving mode” also ensure drivers are afforded maximum comfort in the aggressive Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta.
The Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta will make its debut at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering event on Friday 13th August at Monterey Car Week 2021 and will be seen alongside the Huayra R project and an up-close-and-personal look at the all-new Pagani V12-R engine, six-speed sequential gearbox.
While no prices have been revealed yet, the Pagani Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta will no double start above the $2.25 million price tag of the Huayra BC.
Breitling Releases Limited Edition Premier Chronograph in Burgundy
Harrison Eisgaard Reveals New 417ft Expedition Yacht Concept
Lamborghini Reveals Countach LPI 800-4 Revival
Porsche & Manthey Racing Collab on Limited Edition 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25
Pagani to Reveal Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta at Monterey Car Week 2021
Heesen’s Project Altea Launches As MY ELA
Ferrari Launches New Fashion Line At Maranello Factory
Life Size LEGO Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 Built With 400,000 Pieces
Aston Martin x Girard Perregaux Collab on $146,000 Limited Edition Tourbillon Watch
New Hublot Big Bang Unico SORAI II Draws Attention to Rhino Conservation
Breitling Releases Limited Edition Premier Chronograph in Burgundy
Harrison Eisgaard Reveals New 417ft Expedition Yacht Concept
Lamborghini Reveals Countach LPI 800-4 Revival
Porsche & Manthey Racing Collab on Limited Edition 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25
Pagani to Reveal Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta at Monterey Car Week 2021
Heesen’s Project Altea Launches As MY ELA
Ferrari Launches New Fashion Line At Maranello Factory
Life Size LEGO Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 Built With 400,000 Pieces
Aston Martin x Girard Perregaux Collab on $146,000 Limited Edition Tourbillon Watch
New Hublot Big Bang Unico SORAI II Draws Attention to Rhino Conservation
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