The Bugatti Super Sport tops the list.

If you ever see me giving stock tips on RideLust, be afraid. I’m not a “play the stock market” kind of guy, and every spare dollar I’ve ever made has gone into cars, bikes, racing or travel (usually centered around cars, bikes or racing). With that in mind, you have a certain right to be skeptical when Forbes publishes a list of the most expensive cars. First, it’s only a snapshot in time, as new supercars are introduced every year. Next, there’s no clarification on where the prices are from, so I assume they’re a manufacturer’s list price, translated in to U.S. dollars. That’s hardly an accurate representation, as cars typically sell for higher prices in the EU than they do in the United States. Finally, any car’s price is based on supply and demand: since the entire run of Bugatti Veyron Super Sports has been spoken for, good luck finding one at the list price of $2.6 million.

Here’s Forbes’ list of the ten most expensive cars for 2010. I know that some of them don’t yet exist (like the Ferrari F70), so pricing is sheer speculation. Likewise, the list has a few glaring omissions (like the $550,000 Gumpert Apollo), so take it for what it’s worth. Just remember that there’s a reason we don’t give you investment advice on RideLust.

Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, $2.6 million

Koenigsegg Agera, $1.5 million

Maybach Laudaulet, $1.405 million

Pagani Zonda C9, $1.3 million

Ferrari F70, $870,000

SSC Ultimate Aero, $750,000

LeBlanc Mirabeau, $728,000

Ferrari SA Aperta, $520,000

Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce, $455,400

Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, $447,000

The last time I ventured out to SEMA was in 2008. I spent five days in Las Vegas and by the end of the trip I was ready to blown my brains out. The Las Vegas Convention Center is MASSIVE, and even with attending the show for 5-days straight I still was not able to take it all in. This year the guys from Cardomain/Autoholics are out in SEMA in full force and are bringing out some major coverage for everyone to see. However there was one post in particular that caught my eye, so I wanted to post it up. Rob Enaudi, Editor-in-Chief of Cardomain was apparently walking through the Giovanna wheel booth and snapped off about 15 pics of high-end cars clad with terribly gaudy wheels. To me these wheels not only ruin the overall look and feel of most of these rides, but they can also seriously detract from their performance. Listen, I’m all for aftermarket wheels, I just prefer ones that actually look good.

Check out the rest of pics at Autoholics.com.

For some reason I started thinking about Super Fly again and more specifically the old pimp daddy Caddies from back in the day. Then I started to do a little research and actually found some information on the guy who actually produced them. Super Fly’s car was actually built by Les Dunham, founder of Dunham Coachworks in north Jersey and in the above Youtube clip he tells the story of how he created one of the most memorable cars in cinema history.

Rolls Royce Ghosts, that is, unless you live in an old house, under high tension wires, with a stream running underneath it. Then all bets are off, especially if you have a vivid imagination.

Back to the topic: Rolls Royce is enjoying a resurgence in sales, thanks largely to the popularity of their entry-level Ghost sedan. Starting at a modest (for Rolls Royce, anyway) $245,000, the Ghost is $135,000 less expensive than a Rolls Royce Phantom sedan, and nearly $200k less than a Phantom Drophead Coupe.

Rolls Royce has sold 678 cars through May, an increase of 146% over the same period in 2009. While Ghost sales clearly boosted that number, Rolls Royce was careful not to release unit sales by model. There are still plenty of Ghost detractors, who feel that an “entry level” Rolls cheapens the brand.

The Ghost may be the cheapest rolls, but you still get plenty for your hard earned dollar. The motor is a 6.6 liter, twin-turbo V12, good for 563 horsepower. Mash the fun pedal, and you’ll hit sixty in under five seconds, on your way to a top speed of 155 miles per hour. On the inside, you’ll be wrapped in obscenely rich leather, surrounded by exotic wood trim. Want lambswool floor mats? Just check the option box. Want massaging rear seats, a cooler and drop down wooden tables for an enjoyable picnic in the country? They’re options, too. As you’d expect, every conceivable safety feature and electronic aid comes standard. Rolls Royce wants to keep you safe enough to upgrade to a Phantom next time around.

There are certainly better bargains to be had in a luxury sedan. The price of a Ghost would buy you a Mercedes S Class sedan with enough coin left over to buy a BMW 7 Series, for those days when you’re feeling “sporty”. Still, this isn’t about price or value; if you want a Rolls Royce, and you have the means to afford one, nothing else will really do.

Source: Rolls Royce sales up 146% due to Ghost popularity

I wonder if she's part of the 'Bespoke' special order program...

RPM magazine, a Kuwaiti publication for auto enthusiasts, has named the Rolls Royce Phantom as its inaugural luxury car of the year. The Phantom features a unique platform and a body that is constructed primarily of aluminum. Power comes from a 6.75 liter V12 motor that produces 453 horsepower and 530 ft.-lbs. of torque. Since Rolls Royce buyers don’t do pedestrian things like shift gears, a six speed auto is the only transmission choice.

If you want one, you’d best plan on getting to know your Rolls Royce dealer well. There are over 44,000 paint color choices, and the leather interior can be specified in any color the customer chooses. All Phantoms come with a 26 speaker sound system, 18-way adjustable front seats, 16-way adjustable rear seats, heated and cooled cup holders, rear seat tables, a refrigerator and five zone climate control. The ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ hood ornament is automatically retracted in the event of an accident (to prevent pedestrian injury) or when the alarm is set (to prevent theft). If you forget to set the alarm, don’t worry; the hood ornament has a built in motion sensor and will retract if someone attempts to grab it. Phantoms don’t have tachometers, since only the little people care about how fast their engine is turning. Instead, Phantoms come equipped with a “Power Reserve” dial that shows how much scoot a driver has remaining under his right foot.

Phantoms start at $380,000, with the top price being limited only by the owner’s creativity. Have an option in mind that isn’t on the Rolls Royce order sheet? No worries, your Rolls Royce dealer will happily discuss their “Bespoke” program with you, which allows the Rolls Royce factory to create any option a customer desires. For a price, of course.

Source: Best Luxury Car of the Year: Rolls Royce Phantom

Brian Johnson has been the lead singer for AC/DC for the past 30 years. He’s cooler than you’ll ever be, but he’s also about the most approachable rock star that you’ll ever meet. This video shows him touring around Sydney, Australia in a brand new Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, telling stories from the old days, greeting fans and speaking his own barely comprehensible version of English.

Ever since the economy took a dump you’ve been contemplating a new direction as far as your career goes. You’ve looked into high finance but didn’t feel that warm cushy connection. Then you checked into cooking school, after all those celebrity chefs seem to be bringing in some pretty big coin. Then after knocking back a 12 pack of Bud and watching a rerun of Boogie Nights, it finally hit you didn’t it… PIMPIN’!!

It’s the worlds oldest profession and has always proved to be a money maker even in times of a recession. So, you’ve now done your due diligence and have managed to find a great pimp corner right around the block from the elementary school and secured 12 of the finest hoe’s you could from the local X-Mart. There is however one thing that your missing… the car.

Well my aspiring Pimp, you are in luck because your old pal Mr. Angry has found the perfect ride for you to pimp out your love packages right here at the New York International Auto Show. This is the Phantom Drophead Coupe from Rolls Royce and it comes stock with the full Mac Daddy package. You want real wood throughout the cabin… no problem. How about some ghetto-fabulous 24″ superstar wheels, yep, their included too. And last but not least is the lease agreement for you to sign – only 73 months at 28.6% interest. Don’t worry though, because like we talked about, Pimpin’ is the oldest profession out there. Now go fourth, sign on the dotted line and watch that green cheddar roll in.

There are times in life when you just need to ask yourself the question: Why? All to often in the automotive world customizers and tuning companies try and strut their stuff to see if they can improve on what the manufactures put out. Some succeed and others fail miserably. Choosing the car to put under the knife is an even bigger challenge as some car companies produce automobiles that are so good that they really don’t need any improvements.

Take the Rolls-Royce Ghost, baby brother to the Phantom and all around stunner. This is a car that needs nothing except a nice tush to fill the drivers seat. The car is truly beautiful from every angle and has an air of opulence around it that makes the world around it stop and take notice.

HOWEVER – and this is huge, why would you take such a beautiful car and completely ruin it by transforming it into one of the most gaudy and ostentatious things to ever roll on four wheels. Swiss tuner Mansory has done just this with their version of the Rolls-Royce Ghost. Ok fine, they’ve given it more power, but that may just be to help the new owners get as far away from civilization as possible. I mean blue and gold? Really? Mansory calls it “self-assured coloring”. My opinion – if you’re driving this mess around you must REALLY be compensating for something.

In the end you may just want to tell Mr. Winky that you had no choice and that your new purchase really isn’t a reflection on him.

Source: Autoblog.com

You order a bedroom set for your son, but when it arrives, the mattress you thought would be included in the deal is missing. What do you do? If you’re Robert Caton of Hampshire, UK, you guzzle two bottles of cheap whiskey, hop in your ‘83 Rolls-Royce, and plow through the store in a drunken, poorly conceived rampage. Oh, and not on the first try either – he made two unsuccessful attempts to raze the store before finally succeeding in careening the Roller through the window, causing roughly $100,000 worth of damage.

Given our slightly macabre sense of humor, we would probably think this funny if the incident hadn’t hurt several people, including one pregnant woman. Explained Caton, “I would like to say anybody breaks if the stress is enough. I broke. I gladly offer my sincere apologies to all affected by my reckless and irresponsible behaviour.” Despite his truly moving apology, the local magistrate sentenced hapless Caton to 16 months in the dank Hampshire Gaol, took his license away for 5 years (130.44 fortnights for our British friends), and ordered the forfeiture of the offending Rolls. Good riddance, we say.

[Source]

After a 15-month pregnancy Rolls-Royce has finally given birth the new, frequently gossiped about, baby rolls. Developed under the codename RR4, details surrounding the “entry level” Rolls were leaked out in carefully orchestrated increments over the course of the past few months, leaving us with a hodgepodge of features painted on a largely blank canvas. Today, however, all the minutia have been cleanly pieced together with the unveiling of the Rolls-Royce Ghost.

Virtually indistinguishable from the 200EX concept coyly introduced back in March, the Rolls-Royce Ghost is indeed a more austere (if such a word can be applied to Rolls-Royce) version of its big brother, the flashy, hulking Phantom. A full 15-inches shorter than the aforementioned rapper’s delight, the Ghost was designed with simplicity in mind, aimed at highlighting function and performance while still maintaining the old world luxury synonymous with the brand. The result is, quite simply, a success.

Beneath the stately hood sits a newly-developed twin-turbocharged 6.6L V12 that puts out a snarling 563 bhp and 575 lb-ft and, despite the Ghost’s 5000+ lb curb weight, manages to hurtle the Baby from 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds. Of course, in the age of the W16 brute force is not hard to come by, and what sets the Ghost apart from workhorses is the refinement with which all that power is delivered. Unlike the Phantom, the Ghost is more of a driver’s car and handling was engineered to reflect that. In addition to a host of driver controls, the Ghost is also equipped with a hyper-sensitive intelligent air-suspension and electronic variable damping system that automatically adjusts to even the most minute shift. Individual load assessments are recalculated every 2.5 milliseconds, and the air suspension system employs a lift and kneel function that raises or lowers the Ghost by 25mm accordingly. “A Rolls-Royce should be graceful in every way: the way it handles, feels and brakes,” explained Helmut Riedl, Engineering Director, “The balance of refinement and dynamic ability is astonishing.”

Source: Rolls-Royce