Nineteen-year-old producer Connor Bvrns has a smash of a debut single on his hands. Fittingly titled “Anthem,” it’s a forward-thinking dance production with BONN, the transcendent vocalist known for his collaborations with Avicii, Martin Garrix and Axwell & Ingrosso.
CONNOR BVRNS recently toured with Jauz, performing at shows in 19 different cities in the USA and Canada.
Five-year Trip Advisor Hall of Fame Award Winner Baja AirVentures offers an active travel program completely unique to the world of adventure travel. No other tour operator combines the best opportunities for marine mammal encounters on both sides of the Baja peninsula in one all-inclusive six-day ground and air-supported package.
The 6-day/5-night Best of Baja’s Whales, Dolphins & Sea Lions Tour departs weekly from Feb.3 through April 11, 2020. The all-inclusive per person rate, including round trip private air carriage from San Diego across the peninsula and back, is $3,695 (exclusive of 13% IVA Mexican tax and 3% Marine Park entrance fee).
The package includes private roundtrip air from San Diego with ample opportunity for aerial flightseeing, Pacific whale watching in Scammons Lagoon by motorized panga, two nights at a B&B in the Mexican hamlet of Guerrero Negro and three nights of total seclusion at Baja AirVentures’ Las Animas beachside eco-lodge a scenic hour’s boat ride south of Bahia de Los Angeles on the Sea of Cortez.
“The unique combination of seeing marine mammals on both coasts of the peninsula is something no other whale watching operator in Baja is able to offer in one itinerary,” says Kevin Warren, founder and owner of Baja AirVentures. “In fact, the opportunity to view these magnificent creatures from a bird’s eye perspective is a thrill and rarity in itself.”
According to Warren, through conservation efforts, the Grey whale population in the Pacific continues to rebound and grow. Last year saw a new record with over 1,800 breeding adults and babies sited at Ojo de Libre (Scammons Lagoon). This prime location has the largest concentration of the Grey whales on the planet.
After departing from San Diego in a private plane for Scammons Lagoon, participants spend the better part of three days scanning and interacting with migrating California Gray whales by boat. This is where guests often get to actually “pet friendly whales” in their natural environment. Two nights are enjoyed at a cozy B&B in the small village of Guerrero Negro. Days Four and Five are spent desert hiking, kayaking, birdwatching and snorkeling with sea lions and dolphins. Boat excursions from Las Animas provide an added opportunity to view several types of whales, including Blue and Fin whales (the two largest species in the world).
A recent guest had this to say on Trip Advisor about their intimate encounters with the Grey whales, “The small-plane flights alone, with one pilot and five passengers, were a treat. Once on the water of Scammons Lagoon, we did not merely ‘watch’ wales! Instead, our skiff was at times surrounded by these magnificent creatures. Playful and seemingly curious calves met out-stretched hands, allowing themselves to be stroked and patted, while their enormous mothers swam watchfully close by.”
After crossing the peninsula via a scenic 2-hour drive through the Valley of the Cirios (Valle de los Cirios), a large wildlife protection area filled with exotic Cirio cactus, guests arrive in Bahia de Los Angeles (Bay of the Angels) on the Sea of Cortez. A boat transfer follows, past bird-filled deserted islands and bays to Las Animas Wilderness Ecolodge. The only boat-in ecolodge along the entire coast Las Animas is a remote, eco-friendly property that accommodates up to 16 guests in eight romantic and private beach-side yurts equipped with bathroom, solar shower, composting toilets, comfortable queen- and king-sized beds, covered decks and skylight roofs. The yurts are built around the spacious main palapa which offers an expansive deck that serves as a central dining area, game area and communal lounge space.
The all-inclusive tour price of $3,695 includes double occupancy B&B and yurt accommodations, roundtrip air from San Diego, naturalist guided outings and lectures, boat transportation, healthy homemade meals, beverages (including beer and margaritas) and such activities as kayaking, snorkeling, swimming, sailing and hiking.
For details on the Best of Baja tour call 1-800-221-9283 or visit online:
http://www.bajaairventures.com/bestofbaja/
For information on other adventure packages offered year-round by Baja AirVentures please go to: http://www.bajaairventures.com/.
At CES, Toyota revealed plans to build a prototype “city” of the future on a 175-acre site at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan.
Called the Woven City, it will be a fully connected ecosystem powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
Envisioned as a “living laboratory,” the Woven City will serve as a home to full- time residents and researchers who will be able to test and develop technologies such as autonomy, robotics, personal mobility, smart homes and artificial intelligence in a real-world environment.
“Building a complete city from the ground up, even on a small scale like this, is a unique opportunity to develop future technologies, including a digital operating system for the city’s infrastructure. With people, buildings and vehicles all connected and communicating with each other through data and sensors, we will be able to test connected AI technology… in both the virtual and the physical realms … maximizing its potential,” said Akio Toyoda, president, Toyota Motor Corporation.
Toyota will extend an open invitation to collaborate with other commercial and academic partners and invite interested scientists and researchers from around the world to come work on their own projects in this one-of-a-kind, real-world incubator.
“We welcome all those inspired to improve the way we live in the future, to take advantage of this unique research ecosystem and join us in our quest to create an ever-better way of life and mobility for all,” said Akio Toyoda, president, Toyota Motor Corporation.
For the design of Woven City, Toyota has commissioned Danish architect, Bjarke Ingels, CEO, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). His team at BIG have designed many high-profile projects: from 2 World Trade Center in New York and Lego House in Denmark, to Google’s Mountain View and London headquarters.
“A swarm of different technologies are beginning to radically change how we inhabit and navigate our cities. Connected, autonomous, emission-free and shared mobility solutions are bound to unleash a world of opportunities for new forms of urban life. With the breadth of technologies and industries that we have been able to access and collaborate with from the Toyota ecosystem of companies, we believe we have a unique opportunity to explore new forms of urbanity with the Woven City that could pave new paths for other cities to explore.” Bjarke Ingels, Founder and Creative Director, BIG.
Design of the City
The masterplan of the city includes the designations for street usage into three types: for faster vehicles only, for a mix of lower speed, personal mobility and pedestrians, and for a park-like promenade for pedestrians only. These three street types weave together to form an organic grid pattern to help accelerate the testing of autonomy.
The city is planned to be fully sustainable, with buildings made mostly of wood to minimize the carbon footprint, using traditional Japanese wood joinery, combined with robotic production methods. The rooftops will be covered in photo-voltaic panels to generate solar power in addition to power generated by hydrogen fuel cells. Toyota plans to weave in the outdoors throughout the city, with native vegetation and hydroponics.
Residences will be equipped with the latest in human support technologies, such as in-home robotics to assist with daily living. The homes will use sensor-based AI to check occupants’ health, take care of basic needs and enhance daily life, creating an opportunity to deploy connected technology with integrity and trust, securely and positively.
To move residents through the city, only fully-autonomous, zero-emission vehicles will be allowed on the main thoroughfares. In and throughout Woven City, autonomous Toyota e-Palettes will be used for transportation and deliveries, as well as for changeable mobile retail.
Both neighborhood parks and a large central park for recreation, as well as a central plaza for social gatherings, are designed to bring the community together. Toyota believes that encouraging human connection will be an equally important aspect of this experience.
Toyota plans to populate Woven City with Toyota Motor Corporation employees and their families, retired couples, retailers, visiting scientists, and industry partners. The plan is for 2000 people to start, adding more as the project evolves.
The groundbreaking for the site is planned for early 2021.
Interested in partnering with Toyota on the development of Woven City? Visit: Woven-city.global
GRAMMY® award-nominated, multi-platinum artist Halsey will launch the North American leg of her world tour on June 2 at White River Amphitheatre in Seattle, WA.
Produced by Live Nation, the headline run will include shows at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles (June 10), Forest Hills Stadium in New York (July 15), Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena (July 24) and Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre (July 27). See below for itinerary. The supporting acts will be CHVRCHES and Omar Apollo (June 2 – July 5) and blackbear and PVRIS (July 12 – August 1).
Fans will have access to a chance at advance tickets during the artist presale, which begins tomorrow, January 9. Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, January 17, at 10:00 AM local time.
Visit www.ManicWorldTour.com for more information. All tickets for the North American headline dates will include a CD copy of Halsey’s third studio album, Manic, set for January 17 release on Capitol Records.
Citi is the official presale credit card of the North American tour. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Monday, January 13, at 10:00 AM local time until Thursday, January 16, at 10:00 PM local time through Citi EntertainmentSM. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.
Since 2015, Halsey has amassed over 25 billion streams worldwide and sold more than 11 million adjusted albums globally. She has played sold out dates on five continents (including New York City’s Madison Square Garden), been nominated for a GRAMMY® and appeared on a wide variety of magazine covers, including Rolling Stone, Cosmopolitan, NYLON, Forbes, Playboy and Billboard. Her 2015 debut album, BADLANDS, was certified Platinum by the RIAA within one year of its release.
Halsey claimed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 with 2017’s Platinum-certified hopeless fountain kingdom, which contained such hits as the 2x Platinum “Now or Never” and the 4x Platinum “Bad at Love.”
The success of the 6x Platinum “Without Me” has made Halsey the first and only female artist to have at least three songs chart on the Billboard Hot 100 for 50 weeks each. Rounding out the trio of songs are the 4x Platinum “Eastside,” her collaboration with Benny Blanco and Khalid, and The Chainsmokers’ 11x Platinum “Closer,” which she featured on. “Without Me,” which took Favorite Song, Pop/Rock honors at the American Music Awards, spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in early 2019, marking her first solo single to reach the top spot. It now ranks as the longest-running Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit by a female artist of this century. She is the first artist to rank at Nos. 1 and 2 simultaneously on Billboard’s Hot 100 Pop Songs radio airplay chart. In March 2019, Halsey became the first artist in history to replace herself at No. 1 twice on the U.S. Pop Songs Airplay chart when “Without Me” returned to No. 1, bumping “Eastside” from the top spot. “Without Me” was the most-played song of 2019 at U.S. radio. She featured on BTS’ Platinum hit, “Boy With Luv,” and, more recently, alongside Future on “Die for Me,” a track from Post Malone’s new album.
Halsey continues to push creative boundaries, expanding her influence and impact beyond music. After making her film debut in the animated 2018 summer movie Teen Titans GO! as the voice of Wonder Woman, she was seen in A Star is Born, starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. She continues to use her voice to speak up for causes she passionately believes in, including disenfranchised youth, women’s rights, mental health and the LGBTQ community. GLAAD honored her in 2018 as “Outstanding Music Artist.” In 2019, she has won an AMA, the Hal David Starlight Award, presented by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a VMA and two Teen Choice Awards.
*Photo credit: Aidan Cullen
When bacteria like salmonella infect and sicken people, they hijack a person’s cell proteins to develop a defense against an immune response. Understanding how that works and developing methods for defending against these bacteria is difficult because scientists haven’t been able to track the hundreds of proteins involved in real time.
Now, W. Andy Tao, a Purdue University professor of biochemistry, and colleagues at Purdue and Fudan University in China, have developed a chemical method — host and pathogen temporal interaction profiling, or HAPTIP — for labeling a living bacteria and tracking it as it invades a host cell. Their findings, published in the journal Angewandte Chemie, may help improve understanding of bacterial infections and lead to the development of new drugs.
“The interaction between host cells and pathogens are highly dynamic and complex with many questions to be answered. It is extremely valuable to provide a dynamic picture of such interactions during the infection process,” the authors write. “It is conceivable that the general strategy of HAPTIP can be applicable to many bacteria or virus, thus contributing to the discovery and understanding of host–pathogen interactions in multiple infection systems.”
Salmonella bacteria fend off a cell’s immune defenses by creating a pocket within the cell, called a Salmonella-containing vacuole, in which to hide. The bacteria hijacks and uses hundreds of the cell’s proteins to do so, making identification of those proteins key to thwarting the bacteria.
The HAPTIP method involves labeling the salmonella bacteria with a diazirine group, a chemical group that creates covalent bonds between Salmonella proteins and host cell proteins when an ultraviolet light is shined on the cell. A chemical probe enriches all the crosslinked proteins and isolates them from the other cell extracts. Scientists can then use mass spectrometry to identify the proteins.
One of the method’s strengths is that it can work at any point after salmonella has been introduced to the healthy cell. In their findings, the scientists tested the method at 15 minutes, one hour and six hours after salmonella infected a cell and identified more than 400 proteins interacting with the salmonella bacteria.
“You can design any time point based on when you choose to shine the UV light on the cells,” Tao said. “By looking at which proteins are interacting with the bacteria at those different times, we can determine the method the bacteria are using to hijack the cell, which will differ as time passes.”
Developing strategies to treat foodborne illnesses that stem from bacteria like salmonella and E. coli could have significant impact globally. The World Health Organization estimates there are 600 million global cases of foodborne illnesses each year resulting in 420,000 deaths.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation, as well as the Natural Science Foundation of China, funded this research.
Writer: Brian Wallheimer, bwallhei@purdue.edu
Source: W. Andy Tao, taow@purdue.edu
PHOTO: W. Andy Tao and colleagues have developed a method to implant a chemical label that acts like a GPS tracker into live salmonella bacteria. Once inside the bacteria, the probe can be captured at any given time, showing in real time the proteins interacting with the bacteria. (Photo courtesy W. Andy Tao).
Two of the greatest pioneers of reggaetón, Nicky Jam and Daddy Yankee get back together after 20 years apart to give life to “Muévelo”, an explosive track that promises to take over the radio and digital platforms this year.
For over 20 years, Nicky Jam and Daddy Yankee fans have been waiting for “Los Cangris” to release a new explosive record together. The wait is finally over, and on January 8th a new hit will make history in the urban genre.
The expected musical reunion happened under the production of GRAMMY®-winning brothers Play-N-Skillz (Juan and Oscar Salinas), with support from their labels Sony Music Latin and El Cartel Records. Additionally, the single features an interpolation of a fragment of the song “Here Comes the Hotstepper” by Ini Kamoze, which recalls the golden age of Reggae, specifically in 1994. “Muevelo” will also be part of the soundtrack of the film “Bad Boys For Life” to be released in theaters this January 17, 2020.
“Yankee is my battle brother, the past does not define who we are today, and making our fans happy is the main driver of this collaboration,” says Nicky Jam.
Both artists worked closely on the composition of the single, which they present with its own music video filmed with a cinematic concept in the emblematic streets of Downtown Miami, Florida.
Under the direction of the experienced director Marlon Peña, Nicky Jam and Daddy Yankee present a video with a dynamic performance and shocking action scenes, inspired by street culture with an apocalyptic air.
“We wanted to come back, and we wanted to do it big. Delivering our fans an explosive brand-new single”, added Daddy Yankee.
“Muevelo” is now available on all digital platforms.
Available during Super Bowl Week 2020 (Exclusive to Saks Fifth Avenue)
Paying homage to Miami’s lush landscape and vibrant colors, DSQUARED2 is excited to launch their new capsule collection in honor of the 54th annual Super Bowl taking place in Miami in February 2020. The collection will be exclusively offered in Miami during Super Bowl week in both Saks Fifth Avenue Miami locations at Bal Harbour and Brickell. Exclusively designed for Saks Fifth Avenue, the line-up of limited men’s pieces is comprised of ready-to-wear garments and accessories designed in casual, contemporary silhouettes. A range of tracksuits, t-shirts, sneakers and more are defined by striking logos and tropical motifs in addition to the DSQUARED2 logo accompanied by graphic lines and palm trees with ‘Miami’ placed underneath in vibrant tones. Following its unveiling, the collection will be available in select Saks Fifth Avenue locations including Atlanta, Houston, New York and South Coast as well as www.saksfifthavenue.com.
D2XPepsi
Available Spring 2020
Additionally, DSQUARED2 has partnered with Pepsi® for a Spring/Summer 2020 limited-edition capsule collection, D2XPepsi. The collection showcases Dsquared2’s sport-street style combined with the vivid color palette and high-spirited fun of Pepsi’s iconic advertising strategies from the 1980s and 1990s. The collection is comprised of 43 special designed items all showcasing the Pepsi blue logo combined with Dsquared2’s signature maple leaf motif. D2XPepsi will be available in Spring 2020 at all DSQUARED2 retail stores, department stores and fashion specialty retailers worldwide.
Wheels Up for Canned Wine JetBlue and Archer Roose Team Up for Formal Partnership
Archer Roose’s Sauvignon Blanc Will Be the First-Ever Canned Wine Served on JetBlue
Wine lovers, prepare for take-off: Archer Roose Collective, the Boston-based wine brand that produces worldly wines for the curious in planet-friendly formats, is excited to announce that it has formally partnered with JetBlue to serve its wine onboard flights nationwide – making Archer Roose the first-ever canned wine served inflight on JetBlue. Launching with Sauvignon Blanc on flights this month and transitioning to Provence Rosé in the late spring, travelers will get to experience two top demand offerings from Archer Roose.
Archer Roose and JetBlue’s partnership is a seamless fit given the core values and natural synergy between the two brands. Archer Roose’s mission is to deliver high-quality wine varietals imported from the world’s most iconic winemaking regions to consumers at an accessible price point via eco-friendly alternative packaging formats, with the brand’s most popular format being aluminum cans. The brand also partners exclusively with winemakers that implement all-natural growing techniques and boasts an end-to- end, fully sustainable supply chain, from before the grapes are even harvested to the moment cans hit shelves. What Archer Roose delivers to market is a quality-driven wine in a sustainable vessel that has an undeniably positive impact on global wine consumption. Every single Archer Roose can is the product of previously recycled aluminum, a process proven to be significantly more efficient than recycling glass from both a time and energy perspective. The global recycling rate on aluminum cans is 69%, and aluminum is infinitely recyclable – meaning cans can be recycled over and over, and in Archer Roose’s case, back in the hands of wine lovers in just 60 days. Whereas contrary to popular belief, glass is recycled in less than 40% of municipalities around the U.S. and wine bottles are rarely made of recycled materials.
“Archer Roose brings you and delicious wines in sensible packaging. We carefully source our grapes from specific growers, working with winemakers who focus on sustainability, organic growing methods, and natural wine making practices… from around the world,” shares Marian Leitner, co-founder and CEO at Archer Roose. “We are thrilled to be partnered with JetBlue who have consistently demonstrated a dedication to bringing their customers a premium experience at an accessible pricepoint which is core to Archer Roose’s values. With their support of the can format they’ve shown their desire to be sustainable in every area of their offerings.”
Archer Roose joins JetBlue’s diverse roster of inflight food and beverage offerings available for purchase, alongside the airline’s always complimentary, unlimited brand-name snacks. The addition of Archer Roose is the latest from the airline that’s dedicated to inspiring humanity by
embracing consumer trends, allowing customers to enjoy the products they love on the ground, while they’re in the air.
“At JetBlue, we want traveling to be an enjoyable experience from takeoff to touchdown, which is why we’re always looking to bring new and unique products onboard for our customers to enjoy,” shares Mariya Stoyanova, director of product development at JetBlue. “We are thrilled to toast our new partnership with Archer Roose and offer our customers delicious, premium wine in an exciting new format.”
Archer Roose Sauvignon Blanc, a bright, citrus-forward classic from Chile’s revered Casablanca Valley, is now officially available for purchase on all flights for a price of $8 per can. In late Spring, JetBlue customers will have an opportunity to enjoy Archer Roose Provence Rosé inflight as Sauvignon Blanc transfers to Rosé on all flights during this period.
On average, American home buyers spend 124 hours browsing for a house that would be a good fit for them. Hence, it’s no wonder people just want to get a custom home built instead of going through the time-consuming process of finding a good pre-made house that meets their needs. So, how do you get started on the process? If you’re looking to build your own custom home, it’s important to ace these three points to achieve the best results.
Find a Good Building Contractor
Finding the home builder that’s right for you can be a bit of a mission, as home builders can vary in terms of experience, specialization, and of course, pricing. To get a good handle on the average amount of cash you’d need to put forward, get quotes from multiple contractors. However, that isn’t all you’d need to do to determine the right builder for the job.
You’d also need to background-check the contractors that you’re eyeing. This is to verify their experience and qualifications, as well as if they specialize in the biggest parts of your home design. It’s also important to get to know the builders themselves, to gauge if they’re trustworthy enough to be transparent about expenses and project time frames.
Renting Construction Equipment
Costs for custom home building average at around $200 per square foot. This includes everything from materials and building tools to personnel. Building contractors have enough basic tools and some heavy equipment to begin construction, but most projects would need even heavier or more specialized equipment to complete the job up to specifications. Such equipment includes heavy-duty concrete mixer trucks and dump trucks and an aerial equipment rental fleet.
When renting such equipment, it’s important to look at the rental options that equipment rental services offer and see if they match up with your needs and budget. For example, it may turn out that your building project would need a certain piece of equipment for a shorter or longer time than expected. In that event, flexible rental options that only charge per day are ideal.
Perfecting the Future-Proof Design
Many custom-built homes follow current-day aesthetic trends rather than practical designs, and so their homes quickly become obsolete when it comes to catching up with future circumstances. As an example, many custom homes were made to facilitate the life of a bachelor or a young couple, with little consideration for when the owners marry or start a family. All too often that results in homeowners selling their homes because it is no longer compatible with their new lifestyle.
To avoid such an outcome, it’s important to find an experienced architect or designer. You would need to coordinate closely with them to get advice on how to incorporate features to your build in anticipation for the future, as well as recommendations on practical industry trends. The right architect can not only future-proof your home and fill it with plenty of quality-of-life features, but will also prevent you from spending extra on renovations in the long run.
Custom houses provide aspiring homeowners with tailor-made solutions that production homes just can’t provide most of the time. While it may seem that custom houses take a lot more effort, you need only get the above points down to a T to achieve the house of your dreams.
· Annual sales of 5,152, the highest in the marque’s 116-year history
· Sales reflect growth of 25% on 2018’s previous record of 4,107
· Significant sales growth in all regions worldwide
· Cullinan, the brand’s new SUV, makes major contribution to sales growth
· Black Badge continues to enjoy strong demand, particularly amongst younger clients
· Strong demand for Phantom, Wraith, Dawn and Ghost (in its final year of production)
· Spectacular Bespoke commissions and Collection Cars reaffirm Rolls-Royce’s status as the world’s foremost manufacturer of luxury products
· Significant new investment in manufacturing plant at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood
· 50 new jobs created to meet expanded global demand
· Record number of Apprenticeship Programme recruits in 2019
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has delivered an historic annual sales record in 2019, with a global performance unequalled in the company’s 116-year history. A total of 5,152 cars were delivered to customers in over 50 countries around the world, an increase of 25% on the previous high set in 2018. With these historic results, Rolls-Royce continues to make a meaningful contribution to the overall performance of its shareholder, BMW Group.
Commenting on the results, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said: “This performance is of an altogether different magnitude to any previous year’s sales success. While we celebrate these remarkable results, we are conscious of our key promise to our customers, to keep our brand rare and exclusive. We are pleased and proud to have delivered growth of 25% in 2019. Worldwide demand last year for our Cullinan SUV has driven this success and is expected to stabilize in 2020. It is a ringing testament to the quality and integrity of our products, the faith and passion of our customers and, above all, the skill, dedication and determination of our exceptional team at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood and around the world and our dedicated global dealer network.”
Worldwide Sales Growth
Sales grew across all regions during the year, driven by strong customer demand for all Rolls‑Royce models. The company reported significant sales growth in every one of its key global markets. North America retained top status (around a third of global sales) followed by China and Europe (including UK). Individual countries that achieved record sales results included Russia, Singapore, Australia, Qatar and Japan. In 2019, Rolls-Royce motor cars were sold in more than 50 countries worldwide through a global network of 135 dealerships. As part of its commitment to long-term sustainable growth, Rolls‑Royce announced two new dealerships during 2019 – Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Brisbane and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Shanghai Pudong. Development of the new Rolls-Royce Motor Cars flagship dealership in Berkeley Street, London – more than twice the size of the previous location – is underway and is due for launch in 2020.
Strong Demand for All Models
Phantom retains its rightful place as the company’s pinnacle product, with Dawn and Wraith continuing to dominate their respective sectors; strong demand was experienced for all three models during the year. Cullinan, the marque’s new SUV, successfully translated the media plaudits and public acclaim into the largest advance order book and fastest post‑launch sales growth of any Rolls-Royce model in history. In November 2019, the marque completed its dark, edgy Black Badge family with the addition of Cullinan Black Badge alongside Ghost, Dawn and Wraith variants, all of which were highly sought-after by customers seeking a more individual, rebellious expression of the Rolls‑Royce brand.
Cullinan: ‘Effortless Everywhere’ delivering on its promise
In its first full year of availability, Cullinan exceeded even the highest expectations raised by its successful launch. The world’s pre-eminent super-luxury SUV has become the fastest-selling new Rolls-Royce model in history. The fervor throughout the year around the arrival of Cullinan was matched only by the media and public sensation occasioned by the launch of Cullinan Black Badge, ‘The King of the Night’, in November. This completed the Black Badge family of unapologetic, dynamic products created for an emerging generation of super-luxury consumer; people who refuse to be defined by traditional codes of luxury, follow their own path and make their own rules.
Farewell to Ghost – But Not for Long!
2019 marked the end of Ghost production after 11 years of uninterrupted commercial and critical success. Since its launch at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009, Ghost has established itself as an undisputed modern classic. The most popular Rolls-Royce model of the Goodwood era, Ghost attracted a new audience of younger, often self-made, entrepreneurial customers to the Rolls-Royce brand. An extended wheelbase version was introduced in 2011 and an updated Ghost Series II was unveiled in Geneva in 2014. The last Ghost of the current generation left the Goodwood production line at the end of 2019. Ghost has been a highly successful and vitally important car for Rolls-Royce. Over its 11-year lifecycle – a truly remarkable record for any motor car – it became the biggest-selling Rolls-Royce not just of the Goodwood era, but in the entire history of the marque. The commercial success of Ghost placed Rolls-Royce in a position to scale up its production and make the massive investments that have led to it becoming the truly global brand it is today.
Ghost’s successor is due for launch in mid-2020 after five years in development. With market availability from the fourth quarter, the successor will elevate the Ghost name, and the company itself, to new heights of excellence and ambition in design, engineering, materials and driving dynamics.
Bespoke: The Jewel in the Crown of Rolls-Royce
Global demand for Rolls-Royce Bespoke reached a new peak in 2019. The Bespoke Collective at The Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex, comprises several hundred creative designers, engineers and craftspeople. These highly talented men and women take enormous pride in fulfilling unprecedented levels of customer requests for Bespoke personalisation and delivering on beautiful individual commissions such as the Rose Phantom. Undisputed global leaders in their pursuit of perfection, the Bespoke Collective captured the imagination of customers, enthusiasts, media and fans alike in 2019 with some of the most spectacular Collection Cars ever created in the history of the brand. Bespoke IS Rolls-Royce! Among the year’s Bespoke highlights was the Zenith Collector’s Edition of Rolls-Royce Ghost. Limited to just 50 examples, this masterpiece was created to mark the end of Ghost’s remarkable 11-year reign.
Wraith Eagle VIII celebrated the centenary of Alcock and Brown’s first non-stop transatlantic flight (powered by twin Rolls-Royce Eagle engines). Tranquillity Phantom, inspired by space exploration, features a unique Gallery inspired by the X-Ray coded aperture masks used on the British Skylark space rocket and, for the first time in a Rolls-Royce, incorporates meteorite as an aesthetic embellishment. New accessories added to the existing, much celebrated Bespoke offering included the exceptional Rolls-Royce Champagne Chest.
An Expanding Family
At more than 2,000 strong, with 50 nationalities represented, the workforce at the Home of Rolls-Royce is now at its largest since the opening of Rolls-Royce’s Global Centre for Luxury Manufacturing Excellence, in 2003. During 2020, 50 new jobs were created to meet expanded global demand.
This year’s intake of 26 new entrants on the company’s highly successful Apprenticeship Program included the first-ever Sir Ralph Robins Degree Apprenticeship candidates. Named after the ex-CEO of Rolls‑Royce plc, Sir Ralph has served as a non-executive Director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars since its inception in 2003.
Since the launch of the Apprenticeship Program in 2006, almost 200 participants have completed a combination of hands-on practical training alongside skilled Associates and vocational training at local colleges. A number of these remarkable young men and women have gone on to hold important technical and supervisory roles within the company.
Confidence in the future
The year saw significant new investment in the manufacturing plant at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, reaffirming both the company’s commitment to its UK operations and its buoyant outlook for the years ahead. Projects included further refinements to the already world-class manufacturing facilities, equipment and processes, to maximize efficiency and ensure the highest levels of quality as demanded by Rolls-Royce customers. A new two-story development, due for completion in the first quarter of 2020, will add more than 1,000 square meters to the ground floor Assembly Hall, and create additional first-floor office space. In closing, Mr. Müller-Ötvös said, “There is no other company like Rolls-Royce Motor Cars: we are all conscious of what a privilege it is to design, build and deliver the best car in the world for our customers. PersonalIy, I continue to feel honored and humbled to have led this great company for the past decade.”
