03 Mac 2015

A Bentley for a modern Bond


  • 200mph coupe Exp 10 Speed 6 launched at Geneva Motor Show today
  • Estimated £130,000 price tag when it goes on sale within three years
  • Bond characters have driven Aston Martins on screen for five decades
  • Bentley chiefs want smaller but sporty 'baby' to take on other brands
The wraps came off Bentley’s stunning new two-seater Aston Martin rival on the eve of the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland.
The prototype coupe will be available for an estimated £130,000 price tag when it goes on sale within three years.
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Bentley 'baby': The EXP 10 Speed 6 is pictured today ahead of the 85th International Motor Show in Geneva
Bentley 'baby': The EXP 10 Speed 6 is pictured today ahead of the 85th International Motor Show in Geneva
Unveiling: Bentley CEO Wolfgang Durheimer speaks next to the EXP 10 Speed 6 at the event in Switzerland
Unveiling: Bentley CEO Wolfgang Durheimer speaks next to the EXP 10 Speed 6 at the event in Switzerland

And Bentley bosses believe the two-seater GT grand tourer is just the job to tempt 007 to ‘defect’ from his big screen affair with Aston Martin stretching over five decades and go back to his first love from the original Ian Fleming books: a Bentley.
Bond’s relationship with Aston Martin dates back to the original DB5 in Goldfinger to the new DB10 in the forthcoming movie Spectre.
Bentley executives have spoken over the past year about their desire to produce a new smaller but sporty ‘baby’ Bentley to take on Aston Martin, Ferrari and Maserati.
It comes as Bentley also prepares to launch its first 4x4 sports utility vehicle called Bentayga.
Leading motor magazine Autocar produced images of how the sleek new two-seater to be built at Crewe would look. But there was a chance tonight to see the real thing in the metal.
The new car is likely to be powered initially by a specially-tweaked 500 brake-horse-power 4.0 litre twin-turbo engine introduced recently into other Bentley models. 
Through the smoke:The wraps came off Bentley’s stunning new two-seater Aston Martin rival today
Through the smoke:The wraps came off Bentley’s stunning new two-seater Aston Martin rival today
Favourite: James Bond’s relationship with Aston Martin dates back to the original DB5 in Goldfinger to the new DB10 in the forthcoming movie Spectre. He is pictured last month with the DB10 during filming in Rome
Favourite: James Bond’s relationship with Aston Martin dates back to the original DB5 in Goldfinger to the new DB10 in the forthcoming movie Spectre. He is pictured last month with the DB10 during filming in Rome

But higher powered options are also likely to match the 200mph top speed of other cars in the Bentley range.
We’ve got a very good Bond at the moment in Daniel Craig. It would take a lot of years to get him to defect from Aston Martin. But we’re working on it
Kevin Rose, Bentley sales director
And though already widely dubbed Bentley’s new ‘baby’, bosses stressed that it will not be a noticeably small car, despite having fewer seats and just two doors.
It is set to sit alongside the existing Bentley Continental GT rather than below it, say insiders.
The British-based but German-owned luxury car firm is part of the giant Volkswagen Group and employs nearly 4,000 people at Crewe.
The car was the star of the packed Volkswagen Group night in Geneva which attracted hundreds of journalists and executives.
Bentley sales director Kevin Rose said: ‘Emotionally for an Englishman it’s fascinatingly attractive. And we’ve got a very good Bond at the moment in Daniel Craig. 
Interior: Bentley executives have spoken over the past year about their desire to produce a new smaller but sporty ‘baby’ Bentley to take on Aston Martin, Ferrari and Maserati
Interior: Bentley executives have spoken over the past year about their desire to produce a new smaller but sporty ‘baby’ Bentley to take on Aston Martin, Ferrari and Maserati
On the road: Bentley bosses believe the two-seater GT grand tourer is just the job to tempt 007 to ‘defect’ from his big screen affair with Aston Martin stretching over five decades
On the road: Bentley bosses believe the two-seater GT grand tourer is just the job to tempt 007 to ‘defect’ from his big screen affair with Aston Martin stretching over five decades

‘It would take a lot of years to get him to defect from Aston Martin. But we’re working on it.

NEW 4x4 OUT THIS YEAR 'TO HELP BENTLEY DOUBLE RECORD SALES'

Bentley is on track to double its record sales to more than 20,000 on the back of the new 4x4 to be unveiled later this year, before going on sale next year at around £130,000.
Last year Bentley sold a record 11,020 sportily luxurious limousines, coupes and cabriolets.
But Bentley expects the new sports utility vehicle to increase sales to 20,000 a year by the end of the decade after hitting 15,000 deliveries by 2018 - and is already expanding its factory to cope with it and other new models.
Bentley’s chief executive Wolfgang Duerheimer said last month: ‘We think the success of the SUV will lift us into a new dimension.’
He added that Bentley would remain British, even if the UK voted to leave the European Union, saying: ‘The bright future is based in Britain and in Crewe.’
Bentley said more than 4,000 potential customers have already expressed an interest in the new luxury off-roader without having seen it.
He added: ’There’s a lot we could do. The idea of a fifth line is attractive. We seriously not short of ideas but a small car could be something we could do.’
’The advantage of a smaller car is that it would enable us to have something to go up against Aston Martin or Maserati.’
However, small will not mean cheap - as prices are expected to range from £120,000 to £140,000.
Regarding the forthcoming Bentayga 4x4, Mr Rose added: ‘There’s nothing to say James Bond might not drive a sports utility vehicle.’
Autocar editor-in-chief Steve Cropley said Bentley was out to ‘steal Aston Martin’s lunch’.
He said: ’Bentley will unveil a super performance front-engined two-seat sports GT at the Geneva Motor Show.
‘It is a preview to a new model aimed squarely at stealing sales from Aston Martin and Ferrari.’
He noted: ‘Bentley is likely to say the car’s main purpose is to test the reaction of potential new customers.’
But Bentley’s well-established track record is to show first, then build later. Mr Cropley said: ‘The new two-seat coupe would extend Bentley’s product portfolio to five distinct models.’
In the original Ian Fleming books, Bond drove a powerful ‘blowers’ Bentley with a supercharged engine.
Luxrious: Bentley codenamed its new two-seater 'baby' Exp 10 Speed 6 and said it was 'a potential future model line'
Luxrious: Bentley codenamed its new two-seater 'baby' Exp 10 Speed 6 and said it was 'a potential future model line'
Looking inside: The car was the star of the packed Volkswagen Group night in Geneva which attracted hundreds of journalists and executives
Looking inside: The car was the star of the packed Volkswagen Group night in Geneva which attracted hundreds of journalists and executives

Bentley codenamed its new two-seater 'baby' Exp 10 Speed 6 and said it was 'a potential future model line'.
A British interpretation of a high performance two-seater sports car using modern automotive design, highly skilled handcrafting, the finest materials and advanced performance technology
Bentley spokesman 
A company spokesman said: 'The concept is a British interpretation of a high performance two-seater sports car using modern automotive design, highly skilled handcrafting, the finest materials and advanced performance technology.' 
Wolfgang Dürheimer, chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors, said: 'Exp 10 Speed 6 is one vision for Bentley’s future – a powerful, exquisite and individual concept.
‘The showcar has the potential to be the new pinnacle luxury two-seat sports car. It offers thrilling, driver-oriented performance, complete with trademark modern Bentley luxury and effortlessness. '
He added: 'It could be a future model line, alongside the Continental GT and redefining the pinnacle of another market sector, and the styling of the EXP 10 Speed 6 could influence the expansion of the Bentley family.
‘This is not just a new sports car concept – but the potential Bentley sports car – a bold vision for a brand with a bold future'.

Number of British billionaires on Forbes rich list has risen to 53


  • Stephen Rubin, who made his fortunes through sportswear, is worth $3bn
  • Founder of The Range and the boss of Home Bargains also now on list
  • Other Britons include property mogul and textiles tsar who provides to Gap
  • Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates topped list for 16th year, worth $72.9bn 
  • List also saw record number of women among world's 1,826 billionaires 


The number of British billionaires on the Forbes rich list has risen to 53, with the chiefs of Home Bargains, Monster energy drinks and The Range among six new UK entries.
Stephen Rubin, the brand owner of various sportswear companies including Speedo, was the highest-ranking British newcomer on the list, with a net worth of $3billion (£1.95bn).
Hilton Schlosberg, the boss of Monster energy drinks and Chris Dawson, who owns The Range, also gained a spot on the list, with a net worth of $1.4bn and $1bn respectively. 

Stephen Rubin
Chris Dawson
Stephen Rubin, the brand owner of Speedo (left), and Chris Dawson, who owns The Range, make up two of the new British entries on the Forbes Rich List
Property mogul Christos Lazari (pictured) who owns acres of commercial and residential property in Mayfair, Baker Street and Tottenham Court Road. He is worth around £2.1bn
Property mogul Christos Lazari (left) who owns commercial and residential property in Mayfair, Baker Street and Tottenham Court Road, is worth around £2.1bn, while textiles tsar Kenneth Lo (right) is worth £1.4bn

Other British newcomers include retailer Tom Morris, who founded Home Bargains in 1976 and is now worth £1.7bn, and property mogul Christos Lazari, who owns acres of commercial and residential property in Mayfair, Baker Street and Tottenham Court Road. He is worth around £2.1bn.
Textiles boss Kenneth Lo, who is worth $1.4bn, also entered the list for the first time. He runs Crystal Group with his wife Yvonne, a company makes clothes for companies such as Uniqlo, Gap and Wal-Mart.
The Hinduja brothers, who control the London-based Hinduja Group, are the wealthiest Britons on the list with a net worth of $15billion, or £9.76bn. They are ranked number 16.
The magazine said it calculated each person’s wealth based on stock prices and exchange rates on February 13. 

THE NEW BRITISH BILLIONAIRES  

Stephen Rubin - Pentland Group, $3bn (#603) 
Christos Lazari - property developer, $2.1bn (#894)
Tom Morris - Home Bargains, £1.7bn (#1118) 
Hilton Schlosberg - Monster energy drinks, $1.4bn (#1386) 
Kenneth Lo - Crystal Group, $1.4bn (#1324)
Chris Dawson -The Range, $1bn (#1741) 
In total, there were 1,826 billionaires this year, up from 1,645 in 2014. 
And the world's richest person got even richer. Bill Gates's net worth rose to $79.2 billion in 2015 from $76 billion last year.
The Microsoft co-founder's fortune increased $3.2 billion - despite a $1.5 billion gift of Microsoft shares to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in November.
That put him at the top of the magazine's list for 16 of the last 21 years.
In second place is telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helu, with a net worth of $77.1bn. He had topped the list in 2013.
Next is investor Warren Buffett, who moved up one slot this year with a net worth of $72.7billion.
In fourth was Amancio Ortega, founder of the Inditex fashion group that includes Zara clothing retail shops. He counts a fortune of $64.5 billion. 

Snapchat's Evan Spiegel, 24, is the world's youngest billionaire
The world's youngest female billionaire is Elizabeth Holmes, 31, the head of blood-testing firm Theranos
Snapchat's Evan Spiegel, 24, is the world's youngest billionaire (left). The world's youngest female billionaire is Elizabeth Holmes, 31, the head of blood-testing firm Theranos (right)

Seven of the richest people in the world are from the U.S. Completing the top ten is Helu, of Mexico, Amancio Ortega of Spain who built his wealth with retail chain Zara and French L'Oreal heiress, Liliane Bettencourt.  
The biggest loser worldwide was Nigerian tycoon Aliko Dangote, who saw his fortune drop from a net worth of $25billion (£16.26bn) to $14.7bn (£9.56billion).
The number of Russian billionaires on the list also plummeted from 111 to 28, while Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko also dropped out, in the wake of controversial military intervention. 
But there was a record number of 197 women on the list, up from 172 last year.
They include Walmart’s Christy and Alice Walton, L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt and the chocolate industry’s Jacqueline Mars.

THE WORLD'S WEALTHIEST PEOPLE UNDER 40

1. Mark Zuckerberg, 30 - Facebook ($33.4bn)
2. Dustin Moskovitz, 30 - Facebook ($7.9bn) 
3. Elizabeth Holmes, 31 - blood-testing ($4.5bn) 
4. Tom Persson, 30 - H&M ($3bn)
5. Julio Mario Santo Domingo, III, 29 - beer ($2.2bn) 
6. Tatiana Casiraghi, 31 - beer ($2.2bn)  
7. Nathan Blecharczyk, 31 - Airbnb ($1.9bn) 
8. Anton Kathrein Jr, 30 - antennas ($1.7bn) 
9. Evan Spiegel, 24 - Snapchat ($1.5bn)
10. Bobby Murphy, 25 - Snapchat ($1.5bn)   

The average net worth of a 2015 billionaire was $3.86 billion (£2.51 billion), down $60million from last year. 
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg jumped five spots to number 16, his first time in the world's 20 richest people. 

RICH PICKINGS: THE WORLD'S TOP

 1. Bill Gates - Microsoft, $79.2 bn
2. Carlos Slim Helu -  telecoms, $77.1 billion
3. Warren Buffet - investor, $72.7 billion
4. Amancio Ortega - Zara, $64.5 billion
5. Larry Ellison - Oracle, $54.3 billion
6. Charles Koch - various, $42.9 billion
6. David Koch - various, $42.9 billion
8. Christy Walton -  Walmart, $41.7 billion
9. Jim Walton - Walmart, $40.6 billion 
10. Liliane Bettencourt - L'Oreal, $40.1 billion 
Jack Ma, whose Alibaba online marketplace made the biggest global IPO ever last year, was ranked among the world's 50 richest people, along with two other Chinese nationals. 
Other newcomers included Michael Jordan, who was ranked at number 1,741.
The average net worth of those on the list was $3.86 billion. And those under the age of 40 took up 46 places on the list. 
Snapchat's Evan Spiegel, 24, is the world's youngest billionaire while Uber co-founders, Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, and their first employee, Ryan Graves, also made up the under-40s group.  
The world's youngest female billionaire is Elizabeth Holmes, 31, a Stanford University dropout who is the head of blood-testing firm Theranos.
Then there were those who dropped off the list - 138 people including designer Michael Kors and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
The combined wealth of the billionaires club is double the GDP of Germany according to NBC.
Oxfam claims that the world's growing wealth divide could see the world's wealthiest 1 per cent outstripping the other 99 per cent next year. 

WORLD'S WEALTHIEST WOMEN (BUT ARE ANY SELF-MADE BILLIONAIRES?)

1. Christy Walton, 60, $41.7 billion, Walmart
With wealth inherited from her late husband John, Mrs Walton holds the largest stake of the Walmart empire.
She married the son of Walmart founder Sam. However, the retail heir died when a small plane he was piloting crashed in 2005.
Christy and the rest of the Walton family made headlines after they did not sign on to Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett's pledge to give half their wealth to good causes while they were alive.
The family has given an estimated .04 per cent of their wealth to charity.

2. Liliane Bettencourt, 92, $40.1bn, L'Oreal
The 92-year-old heiress of French cosmetics company L'Oreal suffers from dementia and is no longer involved with running the company.
She inherited her stake from father Eugene Schueller, who first began selling beauty products in the early 20th century.
In the 1950s she married Andre Bettencourt, who also worked at L'Oreal after being involved in a French fascist group that collaborated with Nazi persecution of Jews during World War II.
He died in 2007 after leaving L'Oreal in the midst of revelations about his past.
The years since Ms Bettencourt's retirement have seen her give away large sums of money. There is currently a fraud trial of ten people accused of using her dementia to swindle her out of millions.

3. Alice Walton, 65, $38.6bn, Walmart
Alice Walton also inherited her stake in her father's empire, though she has not been involved in running the business.
She instead chooses to devote her time, energy and vast financial resources to art, building a 200,000-square-foot museum filled with modern works in northwest Arkansas, according to Forbes. 
Though her primary residence is a horse ranch in Texas, she also owns two floors on Park Avenue where protesters demanded higher wages for her company's workers last year.

4. Jacqueline Mars, 75, $27bn, Mars Inc
Life for Jacqueline Mars has always been pretty sweet.
She inherited $26.8billion from the company which bears her name after her grandfather started the business at the turn of the last century.
She shares the company evenly with her two brothers, Forrest Jr. and John. 
5. Maria Franca Fissolo, 97, $23.4bn, Nutella & chocolates
The widow of Michele Ferrero, who built Ferrero Group with its iconic Ferrero Rocher chocolates and Nutella spread. Mr Ferrero died in February 2014. He had taken over his father Pietro's business which started in Italy during the Second World War from his wife's pastry shop.

Laurene Powell Jobs, 51 (pictured 2013), inherited shares of Apple from late husband Steve
Laur2013), inherited shares of Apple from late husband Steve
6. Laurene Powell Jobs, 51, $19.5bn, Apple
Laurene Powell Jobs, widow of Steve Jobs, inherited the majority of her wealth from her stake in Apple and Disney.
The graduate of Stanford Business School keeps busy with her own set of initiatives, including running the Emerson Collective, which fosters entrepreneurship for the underprivileged and advocates for education reform. The businesswoman is also on the Board of Trustees at Stanford.
Though she generally keeps a low-profile, the widow was recently spotted on a Caribbean vacation with former Washington D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, 44. The pair are believed to have been dating since 2013.
7. Anne Cox Chambers, 95, $17bn, Cox
The only media mogul among the world's wealthiest women, Anne Cox Chamber's inherited her stake in various Cox media ventures from her father James.
A vast information empire, Mrs Cox Chambers has shares in companies including Cox Communications cable company, Kelley Blue Book automotive reselling manual and many local television and radio stations.
She has remained active in various affairs beyond her father's businesses, however.
The heiress served as ambassador to Belgium during the administration of President Jimmy Carter and was the first woman member of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. 
7. Susanne Klatten, 52, $16.8bn, BMW
Susanne Klatten, 52, began working for her father Herbert Quandt's company under an alias before marrying an engineer and inheriting her wealth.
She also owns stakes in a wind turbine company, Nordex, and chemical company Altana.
The mogul earned a bachelors at University of Buckingham in England, an MBA in Switzerland and has three children.  

8. Johanna Quandt, 88, $13.9bn, BMW
Susanne Klatten's mother Johanna Quandt, 88, was Herbert Quandt's third wife after working as a secretary for the automaker.
Beyond a large stake of the car manufacturer, which makes vehicles including Minis and Rolls-Royces, she also controls part of a security software company based in the Netherlands.
Both parents of Mrs Quandt were art historians. She now lives in the German spa town of Bad Homburg, near Frankfurt.
Neither Mrs Quandt or Mrs Klatten have ever sold a share of Herbert Quandt's company. 

9. Iris Fontbona, 72, $13.5bn, various ventures
Chilean Iris Fontbona, 72, inherited her wealth from her influential family as well as from a marriage to Andrónico Luksic.  
Her assorted business interests include Chile's largest brewer and a resort in Croatia. The Luksics make investment decisions collectively.
                                                                                                                                 Source: Forbes 

High Roller: Bespoke model complete with silk interior and mother of pearl paint job to be unveiled at cost of £1million


  • Phantom II Serenity already had a buyer before it was officially unveiled
  • Makers have ditched leather and opted for silk interior on the £1m car 
  • Inspired by royal carriages, it has ten-yard panels of hand-painted silk
  • Silk from China was hand-woven in one of Britain’s oldest mills in Essex
  • Exterior mother of pearl paint is most dear ever developed by Rolls-Royce
  • Model due to be unveiled today at Geneva Motor Show and already has a buyer 
For its specially commissioned one-off Phantom II Serenity, the luxury British car-maker has looked back for inspiration to the era of royal, silk-lined horse-drawn carriages which carried Kings, Emperors and other assorted potentates.
It has adapted centuries-old hand-crafted skills of silk-weaving and decorating , then updated them for the super-luxury car of the 21st century.

Rolls-Royce launches its most opulent bespoke limousine today – with a silk interior and £1million-plus price tag to match
Rolls-Royce launches its most opulent bespoke limousine today – with a silk interior and £1million-plus price tag to match
Rolls-Royce said the Serenity – designed to be an oasis of calm in a hectic world – already had a buyer, unnamed, before it is officially unveiled today
Rolls-Royce said the Serenity – designed to be an oasis of calm in a hectic world – already had a buyer, unnamed, before it is officially unveiled today
It said the Serenity, shown at the Geneva Motor Show, ‘introduces a completely new level of individualised luxury’
It said the Serenity, shown at the Geneva Motor Show, ‘introduces a completely new level of individualised luxury’

Rolls-Royce said the Serenity – designed to be an oasis of calm in a hectic world – already had a buyer, unnamed, before it is officially unveiled today at the Geneva Motor Show.
Rolls-Royce said the Serenity ‘introduces a completely new level of individualised luxury’ applied to a Rolls-Royce Phantom whose base price starts at around £350,000.
Designers were inspired by co-founder Sir Henry Royce’s maxim: ‘When it does not exist, design it.’
After more than a century of cars having leather interiors, designers decided to revert to the luxury material of a bygone age – silk.
A Rolls-Royce spokesman said: ‘Our bespoke design team took inspiration from the opulent interiors of Rolls-Royces that have conveyed Kings and Queens, Emperors and Empresses and world leaders.’
Added into the mix are contemporary interpretations of furniture design and Japanese Royal robe motifs.
Rolls-Royce said: ‘Serenity reintroduces the finest of textiles – silk – to create the most opulent interior of any luxury car. This unique design demonstrates the levels of craftsmanship, creativity and attention to detail only Rolls-Royce Motor Cars can offer.’
Giles Taylor, director of design at Rolls-Royce said: ‘Having revisited the history of the amazing interiors of the elite Rolls-Royce’s of the early 1900’ s, we felt inspired to share this heritage with our new customers in a very contemporary way.

Laser-cut Mother of Pearl petals have been hand-applied – petal by petal - onto the wooden marquetry on the rear doors
Laser-cut Mother of Pearl petals have been hand-applied – petal by petal - onto the wooden marquetry on the rear doors
The luxury British car-maker has looked back for inspiration to the era of royal, silk-lined horse-drawn carriages which carried Kings, Emperors and other assorted potentates
The luxury British car-maker has looked back for inspiration to the era of royal, silk-lined horse-drawn carriages which carried Kings, Emperors and other assorted potentates

‘The choice of Phantom for this project was obvious, but creating the motif that would define this most opulent and modern of automotive interiors would require considerable new expertise.
This added expertise came from Cherica Haye and Michelle Lusby, both textile arts graduates from the Royal College of Art and Plymouth University respectively, who worked on the project.
Michelle Lusby said: ‘Some of the most opulent silk motifs come to us from the Orient, where imperial families’ and rich merchants’ robes were made from the finest silk materials.’ This includes a highly complex handmade ‘twelve-layer robe’ of silk worn only by female Japanese courtiers.
From the 17th to 19th century Japanese merchants commissioned beautiful clothes ‘to demonstrate their wealth and good taste’ she said.
They demonstrated ‘elegant chic’ focussed on subtle details: ‘Those with style and money found ways to circumvent rules that forbade the use of certain colours, such as red, by applying them to undergarments and linings.’ 

Added into the mix are contemporary interpretations of furniture design and Japanese Royal robe motifs
Added into the mix are contemporary interpretations of furniture design and Japanese Royal robe motifs
Each car has ten yard-long panels of specially woven and painted silk, each of which is the product of 600 man-hours of painstaking craftsmanship
Each car has ten yard-long panels of specially woven and painted silk, each of which is the product of 600 man-hours of painstaking craftsmanship

Cherica Haye said: ‘The rear compartment of a Phantom is the most tranquil, beautiful place to be, a place where time and the outside world simply slip past.
‘This tranquillity made us think of the Oriental tradition where Emperors would take to their private gardens to reflect in solitude under the blossom trees. The blossom motif is one that is cherished in Far Eastern culture and has been beautifully applied to Royal robe design over the centuries.’
Silk for the Serenity came from the town of Suzhou in China, renowned for its creation of imperial embroidery.
It was then sent to one of Britain’s oldest mills, Vanners in in Essex, to be hand-woven into just 10 metres of the fabric – enough to clothe the interior of Serenity – in a process that took two days or two hours per meter of fabric.
Some 140 silk threads per centimetre were blended into the lustrous Smoke Green colour which was then hand-painted and embroidered by craftsmen from Britain and China. 

The Mother of Pearl petals are also hand-applied on the clock-face and instrument panel
The Mother of Pearl petals are also hand-applied on the clock-face and instrument panel

Each car has ten yard-long panels of specially woven and painted silk, each of which is the product of 600 man-hours of painstaking craftsmanship. Each individual petal of the crimson blossom motif is hand-painted directly onto the silk.
Laser-cut Mother of Pearl petals are hand-applied – petal by petal - onto the wooden marquetry on the rear doors.
It is also used on the clock-face and instrument panel.
And the bespoke exterior Mother of Pearl paint is ‘the most expensive one-off paint ever developed by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.’ It is added in a three-stage pearl effect and hand-polished for 12 hours at Goodwood. Even the two-colour coachline – an upmarket ‘go-faster stripe’ – was applied in a sweep by the ultra-steady hand and squirrel-hair brush of expert Mark Court.
Powered by vast 6.6 litre V12 engine, the Phantom Serenity is no slouch either accelerating from rest to 60mph in around five seconds to a top speed limited to 155mph.

Powered by vast 6.6 litre V12 engine, the Phantom Serenity is accelerates from rest to 60mph in around five seconds to a top speed limited to 155mph
Powered by vast 6.6 litre V12 engine, the Phantom Serenity is accelerates from rest to 60mph in around five seconds to a top speed limited to 155mph

And there’s a huge market among the super-rich. Some 85 per cent of all Rolls-Royce global sales in 2014 had some level of bespoke content – up by a third (31 per cent) in the year.
Rolls-Royce design director Giles Taylor said: ‘From renaissance times to the modern day, eminent people have surrounded themselves with rare fabrics such as silk to signify their power and position in society, whether at home or on the move.
‘In the early 20th Century, as closed Rolls-Royce’s replaced luxurious carriages, these opulent fabrics began travelling with their owners in the rear compartments of the world’s finest motor cars.’
Only when automotive leather became more refined was it accepted by the super-rich of the day, and then becoming the norm. Bamboo and Smoked Cherrywood are also used in the interior, along with Arctic White leather and carpet in the luggage compartment.
But he added: ‘The thought that fabrics such as silk have been discounted from use because of their delicacy only spurred us on to go further than any other car maker is capable of doing. The result is Serenity.’
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös said: ‘Celebrating the historical role played by silk as a symbol of ultimate elegance, the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Bespoke Design team has created a magnificent one-off Phantom which will set a new benchmark for luxury individualisation in the motor industry.’
Rolls-Royce sold more than £1.2billion worth of cars last year after announcing its biggest ever annual sales in its 111-year history.
The BMW-owned company employing 1,5000 people near Chichester in Sussex delivered a record 4,063 cars in 2014 - up 12per cent on 2013 and boosted by sales to America, China and the Middle east.

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