2013 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupes Olympic Editions

With the 2012 London Olympics closing with a tremendous bang over the weekend, the ceremonies pretty much celebrated everything that is British. If we’re talking about the term "British" in the context of the auto industry, you won’t find anything more British than Rolls-Royce.

Having said that, the British automaker was front and center during the closing ceremonies of the Olympics, particularly three models of the 2013 Drophead Coupe, which was the transport-of-choice for artists Jessie J, Tinie Tempah, and Taio Cruz during their collaborative performance titled ’A Symphony of British Music.’

More importantly, the three Drophead Coupes sported newly-designed badges for the first time in the company’s 108-year history. These new badges were designed by the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Design Team and replaced the traditional double R-R for the first time since the company started in 1904.

"I am delighted that Rolls-Royce Motor Cars was invited to take part in celebrating the success of the Games and it is appropriate that we should recognise this occasion with a fitting tribute," said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Rolls-Royce’s Chief Executive, in a press release.

"These unique cars were hand built at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood by our dedicated and passionate workforce and the whole team can take great pride in their part in making history for our company."

Each of the three models were finished in an English White paint with the company’s iconic Spirit of Ecstacy dressed in the Union Flag sitting elegantly on the grille badge. Meanwhile, the self-righting wheel centers have been scripted with the words ‘London 2012’ and surrounded by the Olympic motto, ‘Citius, Altius, Fortius.’ Translated to English, it means "Faster, Higher, Stronger." Inside, the steering wheel center of the luxury car comes with a traditional laurel wreath and torch.

From there, the cars also have unique tread plates with badges identifying each model of their model designation. Only three units of this special edition model have been built. Can you say ’ultra-exclusive’?

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2013 LandRover RangeRover Exterior and Interior Images Leaked!

Earlier today, we caught wind of a couple of leaked images for the 2013 Landrover RangeRover, but now we’ve got the whole kit and caboodle in the form of interior and exterior shots of the future luxury SUV. These images don’t reveal a whole new vehicle, but that’s not what we were expecting anyway. What they do show is the familiar RangeRover shape and curves with a little Evoque thrown in for modern measure. There are also new air ducts on the front grill and softer edges throughout.

The interior of the Range Rover has also been revamped to look even more luxurious, which is not a small feat considering the luxury the SUV has anyway. The center console was thoroughly cleaned up and only a few buttons and knobs were left to operate. The air vents were moved above the navigation screen and the dashboard looks to be cleaner and digital with striking lights. Overall, the interior has just been updated for more practicality and a modern edge.

Now that the full package has been leaked in pictures, we expect LandRover to officially release all of the details on the future Landrover Range Rover very soon, before it makes its appearance at the 2012 Paris Auto Show in the last week of September. Sales will begin in November 2012.

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2015 Volkswagen Touareg CC

Volkswagen is making it their personal goal to compete with just about every single auto manufacturer in the world, be it from acquiring the Porsche brand or making their own car to compete with someone. The latest rumor afloat in the automotive realm is the BMW X6 Competitor, the Volkswagen Touareg CC.

The information on this new crossover SUV is very scarce, but based on our knowledge, we were able to come up with a rendering of what we think the Touareg CC will look like. One thing that we are fairly certain of is that the Touareg CC will be modeled after the Cross Coupe Concept we saw in Geneva, boasting an aggressive-looking front end with an array of sharp body lines and a stylish chrome grille up front. On the rear, you’ll get exaggerated rear fender wells and arches, semi-oval taillights, and a raked rear hatch. You also get a pair of oval exhaust exits directly under the rear bumper.

Down the side of the Touareg CC, you have a profile that looks more like a coupe, almost like the profile that Nissan gave to the Juke. Unlike the Juke, however, you will have an exposed rear door handle, giving away its status as a 4-door model.

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2013 Nissan Juke Midnight Edition

The Nissan Juke doesn’t lack in funkiness. It certainly has a design that can be best described as ’unconventional," so there’s no measure of surprise that Nissan is bullish on releasing special edition models of the Juke because, hey, it catches attention and, at the crux of it all, it sells.

The latest of these special edition models is the Midnight Edition Package, which is being made available as an accessory for a number of Juke trims, including the S, SV, and SL models. Among the new digs, the Juke Midnight Edition is set to include a choice of three new color options, including Atomic Gold, Brilliant Silver and Pearl White. The model will also get a new Sapphire Black rear roof spoiler, Sapphire black mirror caps, and a new set of 17" Black wheels.

Nissan is only charging $1,200 for these extras, which is pretty sweet considering the additions the crossover will carry in its Midnight Edition guise. As part of the 2013 model, the Juke SV will also get a RearView Monitor added to the Navigation Package while the SL model will get a revised Rockford Fosgate ecoPUNCH audio system for the SV Navigation Package.

Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc, commented on the Juke Midnight Package, saying: "The Midnight Edition JUKE stands out by its subtlety."

"The combination of black-on-black-on-black wheels, spoiler and mirrors gives JUKE a dramatic new look, which we think enhances its already bold styling. We expect it to be a very popular addition to the JUKE lineup for 2013," Castignetti adds.

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