Car Throttle

As you probably know, Rolls-Royce had a record year in 2008, selling more cars and making more profits then ever. Of course they want to continue that as much as possible. The amazing thing is, according to Chief Executive Tom Purves, Rolls-Royce expects sales for 2009 to remain flat in comparison to 2008. In the midst of a severe economic downturn where every automaker has been hit, that is extremely impressive. The Phantom has been doing very well for itself, with the new variants Coupe and Drophead Coupe helping to increase sales in 2008 from 1010 to 1212 units, a 20 percent increase. For future growth though, Rolls-Royce is counting on the Ghost to grow the brand. At the Reuters Global Luxury Summit in London,Tom Purves commented on the world

For $6 million you can join an super-exclusive club of just yourself in owning this custom one-off Pininfarina Rolls-Royce Hyperion. I think Rolls-Royce would be smart to take some cues from this car in it's next-generation of high-end models. What a beauty! The Rolls-Royce Hyperion is a coachbuilt car built off the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe. While being unmistakably Rolls-Royce, the Hyperion transforms the car from it's basis to be an entirely different take on the classic Rolls-Royce tradition. Flowing and elegant; Hyperion clearly takes a different tack then the Phantom. There are more then aesthetic differences as well. The Hyperion does away with the Phantom's rear seats and moves the windshield back by 15 inches. That's a big undertaking and does much for the car in