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launching redesigned versions of the cars that started this renaissance 15 years ago .
For Rolls-Royce , it ’ s the 2018 Phantom VIII , the stately sedan that is the epitome of bespoke luxury . For Bentley , it ’ s the redesigned Continental GT , a refined Grand Tourer delivering a combination of performance and luxury .
New Rolls-Royce Phantoms don ’ t come along very often : The 2018 model is only the eighth edition since the Phantom was introduced in 1925 . Men as diverse as Fred Astaire and John Lennon owned Phantoms throughout its history . As with all Phantoms , the newest edition was designed for the rear passenger . When the coach doors gently close , you are embraced in a plush , silent sanctuary , soothed by a starlight canopy that can be customized to reflect your birth constellation .
Up front , the Phantom ’ s dashboard can be transformed into a rolling art gallery , where owners can display works behind a single piece of glass that also houses the instrument cluster and a retractable infotainment screen .
Wheeling : Bentley ’ s Continental GT is designed for drivers , not passengers .
And with the average age of Rolls-Royce buyers dipping to the low 40s ( thanks to younger customers in markets like China ), the new model was also engineered to be as pleasing to drive as it is to be driven in . The Phantom floats along on an electrically controlled suspension , called Magic Carpet Ride . And a new twin-turbocharged , 12-cylinder engine delivers 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds .
Meanwhile , Bentley ’ s new Continental GT , likely to start at around $ 240,000 , was designed for a driver who loves performance , while still swaddling passengers in luxury . Its twin-turbo , 12-cylinder engine powers the car to a top speed of 207 mph and goes from 0 to 60 mph in a dazzling 3.6 seconds .
The dashboard also astonishes . An optional three-sided display rotates , allowing the driver to choose between the sleek wood veneer , a 12.3-inch touchscreen and three elegant analog gauges .
But here is the proverbial fork in the road : While Bentley plans to accelerate growth by leveraging the engineering might of Volkswagen , including new electrified power trains , Rolls-Royce shares little with BMW . Instead , it has developed its own , scalable platform , which underpins the Phantom and future models , including Project Cullinan , its first four-wheel-drive utility vehicle , due to be revealed later this year .
Bentley ’ s ambition is to grow sales to 20,000 vehicles a year , while Rolls-Royce aims to stay more exclusive , at fewer than 6,000 . By comparison , Maserati sold 46,186 vehicles last year , Lamborghini just 3,104 .
At prices frequently north of $ 400,000 , Rolls- Royce can afford to thumb its nose at the notion of sharing platforms with a “ mass-market ” brand . Its biggest challenge is shedding the stodgy image still lingering from those notorious Grey Poupon commercials from the 1980s .
Bentley , by contrast , occupies a unique middle ground between the highest-priced Mercedes-Benzes and the cheapest Rolls-Royce models . It ’ s done a good job of creating sex appeal , says Rebecca Lindland , a senior analyst at Cox Automotive , “ but the reality is these brands have to make money .” With the average price of a Bentley around $ 250,000 , you ’ d expect the company to be raking in profits . But its operating margin through September 2017 sank to 2.5 %, well below that of proletarian automakers like General Motors and Ford . So modifying a Porsche platform could help Bentley keep costs down and boost margins , as long as it doesn ’ t sacrifice its brand DNA , notes LMC Automotive analyst Jeff Schuster . Besides , he adds , “ leveraging Porsche isn ’ t exactly slumming it in terms of technology and capability .”
The reality is both automakers have found viable business models . “ If I compare the cars and drive them , they are different ,” says Wolfgang Dürheimer , the recently retired CEO at Bentley . “ Rolls-Royce is ultimate luxury . We are luxury and performance .”
And Rolls-Royce doesn ’ t disagree . “ We are operating in a completely different price segment than Bentley ,” says CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös .
Of course , in this rarefied air , where wealthy owners possess an average of seven cars , it ’ s not about price anyway . “ Our clients have garages like we have wardrobes ,” Müller-Ötvös reasons . “ For every occasion there is the right car .”
FINAL THOUGHT
“ Whither goes thou , America , in thy shiny car in the night ?” — JACK KEROUAC
AUTOS
THE HAUTE LIST
LAMBORGHINI TIME
Fast times call for a watch built for speed . The Swiss watchmaker Roger Dubuis will begin a partnership with Lamborghini Squadra Corse this spring to produce limitededition watches . The Excalibur Aventador S is made in a carbonfiber case with a movement inspired by the engine block of the Lamborghini Aventador . ( Another model is inspired by the Huracàn Super Trofeo EVO .) Like the legendary Italian sports car , the Aventador S timepieces will have very limited production and come with luxurycar sticker prices — 88 pieces will be produced with accents of Lambo ’ s Neptune Blue and Giallo Orion yellow ( retailing for $ 194,500 ) while an 8-piece orangeaccented edition will cost $ 216,000 .
THE HAUTE LIST BY MICHAEL SOLOMON
120 | FORBES FEBRUARY 28 , 2018