Few designs are so well executed that an automaker would choose to continue production for a decade.

Land Rover‘s Range Rover makes that cut and to celebrate the achievement of its flagship SUV, the Tata-owned British marque announced two new trim levels, the Westminster and Autobiography, in celebration of the SUV’s 10th anniversary.

The Range Rover Westminster Edition replaces the previous Vogue trim. Beginning with the exterior, it receives a choice of seven paint colors, a bright-finished front grille and side vents, a silver lower splitter bar and fog lamp bezels, and 20-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels. Much attention went into the interior.

Features include including five color combinations, bright-finished pedals, illuminating treadplates, and an entertainment system featuring a 19-speaker, 1,200 watt Harman/Kardon LOGIC7 surround sound set up, among others. Power is delivered from a refined turbodiesel 4.4-liter TDV8 mated to an eight-speed transmission.

Next, the special edition Range Rover Autobiography and the Supercharged Autobiography feature a front-and-rear bumper styling enhancement that retains the Range Rover’s classic lines. The Autobiography gets 20-inch alloy wheels finished in “Shadow” chrome. Rear passengers enjoy reclining seats with  lumbar adjustment, heat and cool functions and adjustable headrests with wings for added comfort on long trips.

While the Autobiography shares the same power plant as the Westminster, the Supercharged Autobiography packs a supercharged 5.0-liter LR-V8 engine with a 6-speed gearbox.

The TDV8 Westminster Edition is costs just under $110,400. The TDV8 Autobiography is sold at $133,000 and finally just over $137,000 for the Supercharged Autobiography. All models will be available in March, though only to European customers.

GALLERY: Range Rover 10th Anniversary Special Editions

Although Bentley already confirmed its newest SUV will be coming to market, we still have no details on when the luxury automaker will release the specifics to the public.

The newest update from Autoweek says that Bentley is scrambling to get together a working concept to debut at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show. The new Bentley SUV will likely be based on the Audi Q7 platform, and incorporate a turbocharged W12 engine. Bentley is not trying to compete with Cayenne or Q7 however, with the company aiming its SUV at the upscale luxury market. Bentley also says that its newest SUV offering will have legitimate off-road capabilities.

If the SUV doesn’t drop at Geneva, we should at least get some details about when to expect the luxurious vehicle to hit the market.

[Source: Autoweek]

Defining the one percent is messy math business that we’re far from doing, but maybe you can reach this stellar status by demonstrating your wealth through gifts.

If that is the case, hip hop entertainer Birdman certainly made the cut in the video below where he gave away a Rolls-Royce Ghost and Bentley Mulsanne — along with a second Bentley that he kept for himself.

If you aren’t up to date on the world of ultra-luxury cars, here’s a quick rundown.

The Bentley Mulsanne launched in 2010 and is the company’s sedan, sporting a 6.75-liter twin-turbo V8 making 505 horsepower and 753 fl-lbs of torque. You can choose to enjoy that power behind the wheel, though at the $290,000 starting price some people may prefer just to pay a chauffeur. Little Wayne got the Mulsanne, while Birdman’s brother and business partner Ronald “Slim” Williams walked away the happy new owner of a Rolls-Royce Ghost.

The Ghost starts at $380,000, and packs 563 horsepower and 575 ft-lbs of torque. Realistically, people buying these cars aren’t all that concerned with the power specs. Badges and emblems emblazoned on the body and throughout the vehicle mean more to status symbols than big power numbers. The interiors ain’t bad either.

Either car offers a splendid example of what it feels like to swim in fine leather and rich wood. Ferris Beuller said it best, “It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.” Of course in that movie he’s referring to a Ferrari 250 GT California, but the words still ring true.

If you’ve been scratching your head over these names, this “Lil Wayne”, Ronald “Slim” Williams and a grown man who walks around calling himself “Birdman”, you probably don’t have a taste for rap music.

The three men referred to above are responsible for Cash Money Records, the label behind some of today’s pop icons like Drake, Nicki Minaj, T-Pain and among others, the predator look-a-like himself: Lil Wayne. Know then or not, the first guy in the video is Birdman and these cars cost him a total of well over $1 million so he must be doing something right.

You can watch the video below.

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Taking their first Le Mans victory in 1924, the Bentley Brothers and their powerful, heavy, rugged, and reliable Bentley Blower dominated motorsports in the 1920s, outclassing rival Bugatti and its more elegant, lightweight, but considerably more fragile machines.

Despite Volkswagen ownership and the passing of many decades, Bentley cars still retain this trait today. Since 2005, Bentley has provided customers an opportunity to experience the power of new Bentley vehicles in a controlled environment atop a frozen Finnish lake. Known as the “Power on Ice” driving experience program, this year, Bentley instructors will provide excitement and education as customers experience the maximum potential of the new 621-hp Continental Supersport and 567-hp Continental GT.

According to Bentley, the success of “Power on Ice” warranted expansion and for 2012, Bentley will be launching driver training programs in North America as well. No dates and locations have been released so far, Bentley has only said that the program will deliver an experience “like no other.” That statement is hard to refute when we’re considering a track day behind the wheel of 5,000+ lbs. luxury grand tourers with more than 600 horsepower at your disposal.

Check out the Bentley North American Driving Programme promo video; slow-motion action shots, dubstep and all.

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The job of a lifetime is waiting for you at Rolls-Royce. The automaker has just announced that its apprenticeship program is now accepting new candidates.

Open to people aged 16 to 24, the apprenticeships last for up to four years at Rolls-Royce’s Goodwood plant in England. These lucky apprentices will get the chance to work with skilled craftspeople in leather, wood, paint, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, assembly and finesse roles.

The program, which has been running since 2006, has already employed 30 people after the completion of the apprenticeship. In 2011, Rolls-Royce added a business component to the program, so who knows what other fields will open up (up next: social media?).

“We are delighted to announce that Rolls-Royce is seeking candidates for its Apprenticeship Programme. This demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the development and training of young people at the very highest levels of UK manufacturing,” said Andrew Ball, Corporate Communications Manager, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

If you’re interested in applying to the program, you can submit you application online at www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/careers.

For decades, the recipe for a supercar had always been about stuffing a fire-breathing V12 engine in the middle. Some super cars receive the occasional quad-turbo W16, V10, and supercharged or turbocharged v8, but these all build upon pretty much the same idea. What many car enthusiasts have actually been wondering ever since they witnessed the Batmobile for the first time is whether jet engines could be fitted into cars in real life.

Finally, Jaguar answers the question with not one, but two jet engines. The Jaguar C-X75 concept was first unveiled in 2010 at the Paris Auto Show, boasting a twin-turbine power plant tucked within a sleek shell reminiscent of the Jaguar XJ220. However, when Jaguar announced the C-X75 would make it to production last year, the twin-turbine was replaced with a more conservative hybrid drivetrain mated to a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Despite the fact that the power train will be co-developed with Williams F1, the C-X75 isn’t the same without rockets.

Now, Jaguar has revealed that while 250 examples of the C-X75 will be powered by the hybrid turbo-4, an extremely limited quantity of C-X75 supercars will receive the micro-turbines as envisioned from the original concept. These jet engines are produced by the Bladon Jets Engineering Centre in Coventry, which is based very close to Jaguar’s headquarters and is even partially owned by parent company Tata.

Driving the rear wheels, the turbines are expected to produce an extra 95-hp each. Requiring no cooling or lubricant systems like a traditional internal combustion engine, the micro-turbines are also light and easy to package.

While exact numbers are unknown, the C-X75 is expected to meet all supercar requirements, including acceleration to 60 mph in 3 seconds and a top speed exceeding 200 mph.

GALLERY: Jaguar C-X75

[Source: Auto Express]

Bentley recently found an interesting way to prove the all-wheel drive capabilities of its Continental sports car, taking to the sport of skijoring out at the Switzerland Alpine passes.

Skijoring, a winter sport that usually involves a person on skis being pulled by a horse or dogs, can sometimes be seen with a motor vehicle, but not commonly. Especially not with a luxury car like a Bentley Continental. Nonetheless, the British automaker teamed up with 16-time skijoring world champion Franco Moro to show off what the 570-hp Continental GT out in the snow. And of course it was recorded for all of us to enjoy on Youtube.

The event took place at a joring track in Rougermont, Switzerland, and we reckon this was the fastest Moro has ever experienced skijoring – around 40-mph.

Just out the two videos after the break.

GALLERY: Bentley Continental Skijoring

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We already knew that the Aston Martin V12 Zagato was scheduled to make its public debut at the Kuwait Concours d’Elegance, but that didn’t stop the Internet from finding a PDF ahead of time revealing the supercar in all its glory.

The new V12 Zagato will be available in coupe form only and will be made exclusively for just 150 lucky owners. The exotic will be hand crafted at the British automaker’s headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, UK and is expected to make its first deliveries later this year.

Detailed in the PDF leak includes a full spec sheet of the V12 Zagato including the 6.0L V12 powerplant with 510-hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. According to Aston Martin, it’ll hit 62-mph in just 4.2 seconds and has a top speed of 190-mph. The engine will be mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

The vehicle will also feature four unique Zagato exterior paint schemes and will come with 19-inch wheels unique to the vehicle. More exciting in the leak are photos of the interior which shows off the custom hand-stitching, plenty of carbon fiber and the lightweight seats with six-way adjustment.

Pricing on the Zagato is extravagant as well with it sitting at around $520,000 based on today’s conversion rates (£330,000).

GALLERY: Aston Martin V12 Zagato

[Source: Aston Martin PDF via Motor Authority]

What better way to ring in the Chinese new year than with some special edition Aston Martins?

Available only for the Chinese market, 88 special “Dragon88″ models of the V8 Vantage S, Virage, and DBS will be made featuring some Chinese cultural references and iconography.

This news comes right after Rolls-Royce announced that their “Year of the Dragon” Phantom has sold out. It seems that those $1.2-million Phantoms were just right for the Chinese market, and here comes Aston to make a few sales of its own.

The Dragon88 models will be available in three color schemes: Champagne Gold, Volcano Red, and Amethyst Red. Each scheme representing a virtue like wealth and fortune, peace and protection, and “dragon fire.”

Inside, the cars will feature dragon embroidery inspired by the Nine Dragon Wall at Beihai park in Beijing.  Other identifying features include special 10-spoke dragon edition alloy wheels, black brake calipers and a Bang and Olufsen sound system.

Aston Martin has six dealerships in China, and believes that China will be their third biggest market, after U.S. and U.K. in just a few years.

Pricing and availability of the Dragon88 models is likely to be announced in April at the Beijing Auto Show.

[Souce: Jingdaily]

Rolls-Royce is planning an update for its flagship Phantom range.

Recent spy photos brought the changes to light on the traditional Phantom sedan, but now we can see the modifications will find their way into the entire lineup, including the Coupe and Drophead Coupe convertible, shortly after.

The photos don’t reveal much, other than the fact that Rolls is hiding a new headlight design. Don’t expect major changes either, with the most prestigious of luxury automakers not wanting to make the current rides of its high-profile clientele look dated. In addition to mild exterior changes, we expect an updated interior with an improved navigation system, as well as a slight bump in power and emissions for the engine.

The updated Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe could make its reveal as early as next-month’s Geneva Motor Show, or we may have to wait until the Paris show in the Fall.

GALLERY: Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe Spy Photos