But there's also another side to Dubai's automotive scene, one less ritzy but equally gaudy at times.
Read more »
In fact, with 156,957 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles delivered worldwide in May, the group recorded a 6.4 percent increase over the same month last year, achieving its best-ever May sales result.
Read more »
Like other Phantom Series II models, the Extended Wheelbase model features improvements in design, drivetrain and technology.
Read more »Like other Phantom Series II models, the Extended Wheelbase model features improvements in design, drivetrain and technology.
Read more »
Still, that doesn’t mean you won't find common parts in these two models, and not only, as the BMW Group's latest recall proves.
Read more »
Rolls-Royce collector Roland Hall from Britain, custom ordered the Hyperion from Pininfarina back in 2008 only to put the car up for sale a year later for €4.5 million (roughly US$6 million at today's exchange rates).
We're not aware if the car was actually sold at the time, but we re-discovered the Rolls Royce Hyperion listed for sale for an undisclosed price at an Abu Dhabi dealership.
Named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology, the convertible model was designed by Jason Castriota of former Saab fame and built by the Special Projects division of Pininfarina.
It is based on the running gear of the Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe with power coming from the British model's 6.75-liter V12 engine.
Enter the world of Italian coachbuilder Fenice Milano, which has revealed plans to build a one-off custom Rolls Royce Ghost for an unnamed client with bottomless pockets and a gaudy sense of style.
Fenice Milano's customer was fascinated with the brand's Ghost-based Diva collection, previewed back in 2010, but wanted something a bit more glitzy.
The car will be finished in a deep purple paint job before the Italian firm customizes the exterior with a 24k gold paint and trim accents covering the hood, grille, front and rear bumper aprons, side skirts, wheels and window surrounds.
More gold can be found in the British limousine's interior, which will also be customized in terms of styling and materials to match the outside theme.
Read more »
But wait, did we mention that all Phantoms were custom tuned? Now that's a sight you never forget.
You'd be inclined to believe that such a happening would most likely take place in Dubai, and you'd be partially right. We say partially because the street is named Dubai but it's not located in the United Arab Emirates but on the other side of the world in Tokyo, Japan.
Make your way through the jump to watch the videos.
Read more »
The only visible upgrade on the exterior is a set of massive 22-inch Kahn Silver Mist Rolls Royce alloy rims with a diamond polish to each spoke, which fill in the Ghost's wheel arches.
Read more »
This is the first major facelift for the Phantom since the introduction of the series with the sedan model in 2003, which was followed by the convertible in 2007 and the coupe in 2008.
Read more »
BMW Group’s long-standing importer for the region, Abu Dhabi Motors, invested some AED 300 million (roughly €62 million or US$81 million) in the new 35,000-square-metre showroom over its three-year construction.
The facility features separate showrooms and sales areas for the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce cars, and for BMW motorcycles, with more than 70 automobiles and 10 motorcycles on permanent display.
Read more »
This will be the first facelift for the Phantom Coupé that was presented five years after the sedan version of Rolls-Royce's flagship line in 2008.
Read more »
According to news reports from Australia, the convertible Rolls-Royce, which costs upwards of AU$1.35 million, the damages to the car's interior from the rain may cost the owner as much as AU$100,000. Watch the rainy clip in the video after the jump.
Read more »
The British luxury brand's personalization program includes anything from the application of unique paint colors, coach lines and tread plates to special features such as champagne sets, humidors and picnic cabinets.
Read more »
The Japanese firm's offering is a styling package is named "Black Bison Edition", which starts off with an assortment of aero parts made of carbon fiber.
Read more »
The rebirth of the Rolls Royce under the control of the Bavarian firm started with the extravagant Phantom that was introduced in 2003. Even though nine years is a long time in a vehicle's product cycle, the BMW Group doesn't intend to replace the Phantom just yet.
Read more »
In the automotive field, the Top 10 premium car brands included some of the usual suspects such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari and Lamborghini along with some surprise entrants like Saab's former owner Spyker and Koenigsegg. Not that it matters any more, but Daimler's Maybach brand didn't make the cut.
Read more »
The first thing that comes to mind is that, in the midst of a recession, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.
Bentley’s North American president Christopher Georges, however, sees things from a different perspective, in that booming sales of uber-luxurious cars are reflecting a confidence in the economy.
Read more »
After discovering that Britain does more business with Ireland than with the second most populous country in the world after China, the Top Gear crew set out on a mission to boost the trade between the two countries – or at least that's the excuse for the epic road trip.
Read more »