Sleek and ultra luxurious, the Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail is just one of four unique commissions and inspired by the allure of the Black Baccara rose. The exact price has not been announced, but an insider claims that each one costs at least $25,000,000 USD, which isn’t too surprising, considering that its exterior paint process required 150 iterations to perfect.
John Dodd’s ‘The Beast’ is not sleek or stylish, but this custom 1972 vehicle is the world’s first and only to be powered by a 27L Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 tank engine that generates 750 hp, mated to a custom-built automatic transmission. Inside, there are two bucket seats, a center console with several gauges, a shifter for the automatic transmission and red rocker switches that initiate the starting sequence for the Merlin engine.
There’s the Rolls-Royce Spectre EV, and now, the world’s first hydrogen-powered jet engine. Rolls-Royce partnered with easyJet to develop the first modern aero engine that runs on hydrogen and a ground test was conducted on an early concept demonstrator using green hydrogen created by wind as well as tidal power.
Photo credit: target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>Travis Yang via Car Scoops
The Spectre EV is coming next year, but there’s no word yet on when we’ll see a Rolls-Royce pickup truck. Automotive designer Travis Yang wasn’t going to wait around for an official concept, so he created the Rolls-Royce Britannia Concept. Measuring in at 216.5-inches long, it retains the iconic styling, while adding a large bed and ground clearance to get around any obstacle.
The Rolls-Royce Spectre EV is the company’s first all-electric motor car, and it’s a stunner to say the least. Classified as a ‘Ultra-Luxury Electric Super Coupé’, its split headlight treatment is intersected by the widest grille ever bestowed on a Rolls-Royce vehicle, while an aero-tuned Spirit of Ecstasy figurine enhances the vehicle’s impressive drag coefficient, which at just 0.25cd makes Spectre Rolls-Royce’s most aerodynamic yet.
Priced from $500,000 USD for the complete vehicle, 1016 Industries’ Rolls-Royce Cullinan is unlike any other as it integrates 3D-printed body parts, including new running lights as well as sweeping fender flares. Customers will be able to choose from non-exposed, partially exposed or partially forged carbon fiber, with each commanding a higher price tag. Considering a standard Rolls-Royce Cullinan retails for $330,000 USD, this modified version commands quite the premium.
It’s official, the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Innovation is the world’s fastest all-electric aircraft after hitting a maximum speed of 387.4 mph during one of its record-breaking runs, as certified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). It’s powered by a 400kW (500+ hp) electric powertrain that draws power from the most power-dense propulsion battery pack ever assembled in aerospace.
Germany-based tuner Klassen has built an armored Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV designed to go anywhere, literally. Featuring a CEN 1063 BR6 ballistic protection level, which means it comes equipped with a reinforced ceiling and floor that can withstand the full force of two DM51 hand-grenades exploding simultaneously. That’s not all, its multi-layer bulletproof glass withstands ammunition from a high-powered rifle, while a special overlap system ensures bullets cannot penetrate the door seals.
Many already know how lucrative asteroid mining could be, but what about scavenging the Moon and Mars for precious metals? Rolls-Royce is developing a nuclear reactor just for that purpose. More specifically, they are building a micro-nuclear reactor that could not only be used to propel spacecraft, but also installed on other celestial bodies to provide energy for drilling, processing, and storage during mining operations.
Rolls-Royce makes luxury vehicles, jet engines, and now, all-electric aircraft. One of them, the “Spirit of Innovation”, recently completed its first 15-minute flight after taking off from the UK Ministry of Defense’s Boscombe Down site. Powering this one-seat airplane is a 6,000 cell battery pack with a three-motor powertrain generating 400kW (500+ hp), making it the most power-dense battery pack every assembled for an aircraft. The company hopes said the aircraft will eventually achieve a top speed of over 300 mph. Read more for the video, additional pictures and information.