Customisation Archives

First bespoke Pininfarina Battista hypercar revealed

The Pininfarina Battista hypercar is already very exclusive to start with as only 150 units will be built. Each unit of the electric hyper GT has a starting price of US$2.5 million (about RM10.56 million) but customers are likely to pay much more as they will also want their Battista to be personalised. Naturally, Automobili Pininfarina is prepared for this and has an all-encompassing bespoke personalisation programme. It is something which the company would excel in, having its origins as a famous Italian automobile design house (it is now owned by India’s Mahindra Group).

All customers are invited to have discussions with the design team as part of an in-depth collaborative process. At the production facility is a perfect environment to inspire the creative process as it houses an extensive range of colour and material samples close to the car assembly area. Every element of the hypercar can have bespoke treatment, with clients offered a 360-degree consulting service resulting in a truly unique creation.

Creating a unique collector’s piece
“The Pininfarina name has a storied heritage of individual cars, and the Battista continues this legacy as every vehicle will be truly bespoke by design. Our clients have the unique opportunity to join the Automobili Pininfarina family, immersing themselves in the design process with our talented craftspeople to ensure their vehicle authentically reflects their personality and tastes, created with a truly personal touch,” said Sara Campagnolo, Head of Colour and Materials Design of Automobili Pininfarina. “Clients have the opportunity to drive forward the development of sustainable luxury, whilst creating a unique collector’s piece.”

New York City-inspired
The first bespoke commission is inspired by New York City and features a sophisticated red, white and blue colour theme, led by Exposed Signature Carbonfibre bodywork with Iconica Blu thread, the first application of its kind in the automotive industry.

The car also has Performance Stripes and Pinstripe finished in distinctive Bianco Sestriere metallic – meticulously applied by hand due to the complex shapes of the body panels – with a red Exterior Jewellery Pack elegantly completing the exterior design with a Furiosa Carbon Accent Pack finished in Black Exposed Signature Carbon.

Advanced materials, traditional coachbuilding
Mixing advanced composite materials with traditional coachbuilding techniques, the hand-painted finish for this one-off model will take hundreds of hours of expert attention. For this first unit, the Impulso wheels are finished in Dark Matt Grey with brushed aluminium centre-lock ring anodized in black, matching the black Goccia roof, rear diffuser, rear wing and brushed aluminium headlight engraving.

The luxurious interior provides further scope for personalisation, with everything from the choice of leather and Alcantara to the contrast stitching, Interior Jewellery Pack and fine aluminium interior detailing.

A total of 128 million combinations provides opportunities for clients to reflect their individual tastes, with all clients benefitting from Automobili Pininfarina’s commitment to sustainable luxury. This is evident in the methods used to craft the exquisite materials, such as leather interior elements tanned with olive leaves, a process that reduces the need for harmful chemicals in the creation of every Battista.

The Pilota seats are finished in black leather upholstery with Iconica Blu Alcantara that have navy colour inserts. The exterior theme is carried through to the interior with Iconica Blu stitching with unique red and white cross stitch, red headrest logo and unique white seatbelts, with Iconica Blu thread on the back of the carbon seats. Brushed aluminium detailing is finished in red, subtly referencing the red Exterior Jewellery Pack, with darker details provided by the Interior Jewellery Pack finished in brushed aluminium anodized in black.

56 exterior colour choices

In addition to the selection of 56 exterior paint finishes, Battista owners also have the opportunity to choose exposed carbonfibre bodywork, bespoke paint finishes for the ‘Goccia’ roof, exterior jewellery in the form of anodised finishes or bespoke paint, or a contrasting front end in the customer’s choice of colour. Even the engravings on the Battista chassis plate, located between the seats, can be personalised, along with a custom passenger-side door plate engraving.

The Carbon Accent Pack and Furiosa Carbon Accent Pack are available with a selection of bespoke paint colours or exposed carbonfibre finishes, complemented by the precise Furiosa pinstripe around the extremities of the bodywork. In addition, the mirror caps, rear wing, brake calipers, alloy wheels – both Prezioso and Impulso designs – and centre-lock rings can all be fully customised.

Can outrun a Formula 1 car
The Battista is claimed to be the most powerful car ever designed and built in Italy, with the promise of delivering a level of performance that is unachievable today in any road-legal sportscar using internal combustion engine technology. It will be quicker than a current Formula 1 car with a claimed 0 -100 km/h time of less than 2 seconds, and with 1,900 ps/2,300 Nm output from 4 electric motors. Operating with zero emissions, the Battista’s 120 kWh battery pack is expected to provide a range of over 500 kms when fully charged.

Pininfarina Battista hypercar starts real-world testing with high-speed run at Nardo (w/VIDEO)

In future, your car may compose unique music for each drive

Having music while motoring began with radio broadcasts and over the decades, new technologies enabled the selection of music to become more varied and then more personalised. Connectivity today gives you access to the enormous music libraries on the internet as well as bring along your own favourites.

In future, when you tire of listening to all the familiar tunes, your car could compose music for you. Science fiction today but it could well be a reality some day and it may be Porsche that is the first. In fact, the sportscar carmaker is already exploring this idea with a prototype system in a Macan. The ‘music’ is created by the SUV’s movements, changing according to the different actions. Welcome to ‘Soundtrack My Life’ …

“This new technology isn’t about playing personalised playlists or simply adjusting the tempo and pitch of existing music to match the car’s speed,” explained Norman Friedenberger, Product Owner at Porsche Digital and the person responsible for ‘Soundtrack My Life’. “It’s about creating an individual sound experience from a construction kit with a variety of sounds and musical structures during a drive. This is created by the driver and their journey in real time. This will then sound different for everyone – as unique as the journey itself.”

Connecting movement and music
Adaptive sound is the technical term, and it gives users of this technology an alternative: a complement to radio and streaming music. “The connection between the movement of the vehicle and the generation of music in the context of driving offers a completely new listening experience,” said Friedenberger. “It’s about becoming one with the driving situation.”

To do this, the driver first selects a basic musical mood, a soundtrack composed specifically for a particular driving situation. The software accesses pre-composed musical elements and, depending on the acceleration, speed and centrifugal forces in the car, changes the complexity of the mix of these individual elements, adding or removing tracks and sounds to rearrange everything again and again.

The technology partner for ‘Soundtrack My Life’ is Boris Salchow, a German film composer based in Los Angeles. He composes the many set pieces from which the car generates the music and he would have liked to have had the technology behind it much earlier. “When I moved to Los Angeles 16 years ago, I almost got out of the habit of listening to music in the car,” he said.

The eternal stop-and-go conditions on the streets of the Californian megacity were to blame. “The music I was listening to in the car just didn’t match what I was actually experiencing. And even back then I thought someone should develop something to compensate for this,” he recalled.

Development of non-linear music
Today, Salchow is one of those responsible for the more difficult part of the development. “Composing the material is sometimes more complex than tuning the algorithms,” said Friedenberger, who is a musician himself and has worked for, among others, the legendary electropop band Kraftwerk. “We’re talking about non-linear music, like in computer games. The temporal sequence of events is never predictable, but the music has to be able to take that into account. With classical linear tracks that have a beginning and an end, that doesn’t work.”

Friedenberger has spent about two years working on ‘Soundtrack My Life’ and it is important to him that the car does not combine the same sounds at every location but instead varies what comes out of the speakers each time – just as the daily drive to the office is never exactly the same.

“That’s what’s so exciting for the driver. They experience a new soundtrack every time. The format promises a long-lasting listening experience, at least three to five times longer than with linear music,” he said.

Prototype exists as smartphone app
A prototype of ‘Soundtrack My Life’ currently exists as a smartphone app. It has not yet been decided whether this will remain the case or whether a version of the app will also function as an integral part of Porsche Communication Management. Both solutions are feasible; both open up attractive possibilities.

‘Soundtrack My Life’ can already be used outside the car. “You can use it anywhere there is movement. It reacts to mobile data,” said Friedenberger. “In the future, the app could also be combined with geofencing – locking or unlocking certain locations, for example. In such cases, special soundtracks would only then be available in Los Angeles or on Alpine passes.”

Porsche is still considering ‘Soundtrack My Life’ and there are no plans to offer it yet. The core algorithm is basically ready. The focus now would be specifically on working with artists. The plan is to further individualise the music, to develop special editions with well-known composers in order to offer them as digital collectors’ items.

“The vision is clearly to produce exclusive material. We would work with artists specifically according to scenic specifications to create soundtracks for situations, scenery or moments: for example, for driving on country roads, at night, in city traffic or in particular regions of the world,” Friedenberger said.

The use of artificial intelligence is deliberately avoided, because the focus should be on people and their creativity. “People love music because it is made by people. The artist tells a story that the audience wants to hear. We give the artist a new format to express themselves and that is an extremely exciting process for both sides,” he added.

Music tuned to the mood
But the story doesn’t end there. As the technology evolves, ‘Soundtrack My Life’ could one day also detect the driver’s mood and tailor the music to it. Friedenberger also dreams of real-time sound development in the cloud and sharing music online. “You could listen to someone who’s on the road in New York or Tokyo right now. The catalogue of ideas and visions of where the journey might go are endless,” he imagines.

From today’s perspective, these ideas are still a long way off from becoming reality. And perhaps there is so much of the human factor in music after all that artificial compositions might never really catch on. But if they do, the car is the ‘predestined place’ for it, according to Salchow, especially with adaptive music. “It really is only when you’re sitting on the sofa,” he said, “that you don’t need adaptive music.”

Prototypes and studies Porsche has never before shown to the public

The Coachbuilt 2021 Rolls-Royce Boat Tail

Recently, Rolls-Royce announced that it has re-established its Coachbuild department which will offer customers a totally exclusive car of their own, well beyond the personalisation available from its Bespoke services. The Coachbuild department brings back a lost art and science of making cars which goes back to the earliest years of the motorcar, before mass production began in factories.

The carmaker must have been talking to some customers about this new development for some time as they already have a coachbuilt model to show. It has been commissioned by a customer and is known as the ‘Boat Tail’.

“Today marks a seminal moment for the House of Rolls-Royce. We are proud to unveil Rolls-Royce Boat Tail to the world, and with it, the confirmation of coachbuilding as a permanent fixture within our future portfolio. Historically, coachbuilding had been an integral part of the Rolls-Royce story. In the contemporary Rolls-Royce narrative, it has informed our guiding philosophy of Bespoke. But it is so much more. Rolls-Royce Coachbuild is a return to the very roots of our brand. It represents an opportunity for the select few to participate in the creation of utterly unique and truly personal commissions of future historical significance. This is authentic luxury. This is contemporary patronage in its truest form. This is Rolls-Royce Coachbuild,” said Torsten Muller-Otvos, Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce, at the presentation this afternoon in England.

Sweptail demonstrated coachbuilding expertise
The Sweptail, presented in 2017 as a demonstration of the coachbuilding expertise of Rolls-Royce attracted the attention of a number of customers. They approached the company to discover if they too could collaborate on a unique commission. The company was agreeable and this was the genesis of a permanent contemporary Coachbuild department at Rolls-Royce.

Within this group, it emerged that three potential customers shared a deep appreciation of contemporary nautical design. J-Class yachts were often referenced as points of inspiration, both for their purity of form and their requirement for hand-craftsmanship at the highest level to bring them into existence.

Customer-led creative expression
This customer-led creative expression established the contemporary expression of the Boat Tail typology, where coachbuilders would graft the hull forms of sailing boats onto the rolling chassis of a Rolls-Royce. When the idea of this design direction was proposed, the three customers made a single demand: “Show me something that I have never seen before.”

In consultation with the customers concerned, an agreement was reached whereby three cars would share a common body, but each would then be individually, highly personalised, reflecting the confluence between vision, capability and ambition of the marque and each of the individual commissioning patrons.

New realms of design opportunity
The manual techniques of coachbuilding offer new realms of design opportunity. Once the preliminary design proposal is penned by hand, the discovery of the form is enabled with a full-sized sculpture in clay, allowing hand-crafted manipulation of the expansive surfaces to perfect its shape.

Employing age-old individual hand skills and craft, a living canvas is created from metal–honing and optimising the aluminium body, creating a clarity of surface and continuation of line that is unable to be achieved by machine alone. The process is akin to yacht building with the process of hand-refinement repeated almost endlessly, without the pressure of time.

Who are the customers?
The first Rolls-Royce Boat Tail, unveiled today, is a curation of exceptional thoughts, concepts and items, which culminate to form the customer’s perfect experience. The commissioning customers of this unit are a globally successful couple and their desire was to create a response to a life of hard work, success achieved, and celebration required.

Their fascination of the Boat Tail form was furthered by a motorcar in their private collection – a 1932 Rolls-Royce Boat Tail, lovingly restored by them, in time for their modern Boat Tail’s completion. Thus this creation tells the romantic tale of Rolls-Royce’s history, echoing a Boat Tail design but not explicitly mimicking it, fusing an historical body type with a thoroughly contemporary design.

The visual connection to boats
While much of the car, almost 5.9 metres long, has all the elements of a modern Rolls-Royce, it is at the rear where the nautical references are apparent. The ‘aft deck’, a modern interpretation of the wooden rear decks of historical Boat Tails, incorporates large swathes of wood. Caleidolegno veneer is applied in a feat of Rolls-Royce engineering; the grey and black material which is typically housed in the interior, has been specially adapted to be used on the exterior, with no compromise to the aesthetic.

From the rear, one perceives a strong graphical composition marked by further horizontal emphasis, accentuating Boat Tail’s great width. An explicit architectural influence is discovered in the Boat Tail’s unconventional fixed-canopy roof. Adding to the sculptural form, the sweeping roofline concludes in delicate structural elements that touch down on the rear, redolent of flying buttresses. Of course, if rainy weather is encountered while the roof is removed, a temporary tonneau is stowed for static transitory shelter.

Blue bodywork and elements
The exterior of Rolls-Royce Boat Tail is swathed in a rich and complex tone of the customers’ favourite colour – blue. The hue, with an overt nautical connotation, is subtle when in shadows but in sunlight, embedded metallic and crystal flakes bring a vibrant and energetic aura to the finish. To ensure the smoothest possible application when rendering the exterior, a finger was run over the definitive body line before the paint had fully dried to soften its edges.

The wheels are also finished in bright blue, highly polished and clear coated to add to the Boat Tail’s celebratory character. A hand-painted, gradated bonnet, a first for Rolls-Royce, rises from a comparatively subdued deeper blue which cascades onto the grille, providing a progressive but informal aesthetic and a solidity of overall volume when viewed from the front.

The interior leather reflects the bonnet’s colour tone transition with the front seats swathed in the darker blue hue, recognising the Boat Tail’s driver focused intent, while the rear seats are finished in the lighter tone. A soft metallic sheen is applied to the leather to accentuate its pairing with the painted exterior while detailed stitching and piping is applied in a more intense blue inspired by the hands of the car’s timepieces.

The fascia is distilled in its appearance, purposefully reduced to provide a modern aesthetic. This minimalist canvas accentuates the jewel like features of the completely unique BOVET 1822 timepieces specifically commissioned by the customer for the Boat Tail. As collecting pens is another of the customers’ great passions, a particularly cherished Montblanc pen will reside in a discretely placed, hand-crafted, case of aluminium and leather, in the glovebox.

“This car should mark a sense of occasion and serve that occasion like nothing else”. Such was the brief of the customers. In response and in reflection of their character, the rear deck inconspicuously houses a highly ambitious concept never seen before in the automotive world. At the press of a button, the deck opens in a sweeping butterfly gesture, to reveal an intricate and generous hosting suite. Its complex movement was inspired by cantilever concepts explored by renowned architect Santiago Calatrava.

Unique rear compartment
The chest contains all that is required for a true Rolls-Royce al fresco dining experience – one side dedicated to aperitifs, the other, cuisine, complete with cutlery engraved with the name ‘Boat Tail’. A double refrigerator has been developed to house the customers’ favourite champagne, with elegant cradles created to stow the specific bottle size within the refrigerator, the surrounds are highly polished and colour matched to the bottle.

A classic design element of contemporary Rolls-Royce motor cars is the stowage of Rolls-Royce umbrellas in the doors, in anticipation of possible bad weather. In a delightful twist and to heighten the languid experience of the Boat Tail, a unique parasol is housed beneath the rear centreline in anticipation of fine weather. A telescopic movement opens this beautiful and whimsical canopy inversely, ensuring effortless deployment.

Cocktail tables, which elegantly rotate to mimic the offering of an attendant, open on either side of the hosting suite providing access to two highly contemporary minimalist stools, which are discretely stowed below. Designed by Rolls-Royce and created by Italian furniture-maker Promemoria, the slim-line interlocking stools are formed from the same technical fibre found on the exterior of the car.

“Boat Tail is the culmination of collaboration, ambition, endeavour, and time. It was born from a desire to celebrate success and create a lasting legacy. In its remarkable realisation, Rolls-Royce Boat Tail forges a pivotal moment in our marque’s history and in the contemporary luxury landscape,” said Muller-Otvos.

Rolls-Royce re-establishes its Coachbuild department to go beyond Bespoke

Rolls-Royce re-establishes its Coachbuild department to go beyond Bespoke

‘Coachbuilding’ may sound like an old or outdated term and it is indeed old – as old as the motorcar itself – but it is not outdated as it refers to the art and science of creating bespoke (custom-made) bodywork on a pre-assembled chassis. It was actually how cars were made before Henry Ford introduced mass production and that virtually ended coachbuilding – except at a few manufacturers, among them Rolls-Royce.

More than a century of coachbuilding experience has given Rolls-Royce its unique Bespoke capabilities which have developed in the modern era. This has made it possible for those who buy a Rolls-Royce to personalise virtually every aspect of their cars’ appearance and specification.

Constraints still existed
Although, in theory, a coachbuilt Rolls-Royce could be any shape the customer desired, in practice there were constraints. Rolls-Royce cars were designed on proven technical principles that were, in the minds of the company’s founders, unarguable and inviolable. By insisting on fixed dimensions for the bulkhead behind the radiator, they were able to ensure the bodywork maintained the essential proportions that visually identified it as a ‘true’ Rolls-Royce.

Those proportions remain enshrined in the marque’s design tenets to this day. Examine any contemporary Rolls-Royce and it exhibits the 2:1 ratio of body height to wheel diameter first established with the Silver Ghost in 1907. The body shape is defined by three fluid lines running the length of the car: the ‘waft line’ that gives the car its sense of movement; the ‘waist line’ that lends it purpose and presence; and the silhouette, which expresses its individual character.

Considerable scope
These basic principles allow considerable scope, as evidenced by the highly distinctive forms of Phantom, Ghost, Wraith, Dawn and Cullinan. Patrons and designers therefore enjoy considerable creative freedom in a coachbuilding project, within these fundamental design parameters. It will, after all, bear the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine above the grille – another immutable principle – so must be a genuine Rolls-Royce worthy of the name, and recognisably so.

However, while customers have always been able to personalise their car’s appearance in numerous different ways – beginning with a choice of 44,000 paint colours – their options for altering its overall outline have historically been limited by the underlying structure. For this reason, fully coachbuilt Rolls-Royce cars have been rarities in the modern era and much of the sensation around Sweptail arose precisely because it was such a unique event.

It was made possible by a seismic change in the marque’s manufacturing process, which was first deployed to great effect and global acclaim with the eighth and current generation of the Phantom. This Phantom was the first car to be built on the marque’s proprietary structure – an all-aluminium spaceframe chassis, designed and engineered from the ground up to be scalable for a range of different models.

In essence, it creates four fixed points at each corner of the car. The distance between them can be whatever the designers and engineers want it to be: bulkhead, floor, crossmember and sill panels can all be stretched or shrunk or increased in height as the design requires. The concept has proved brilliantly successful, forming the basis for the Cullinan SUV launched in 2019, and in 2020, the new Ghost.

New possibilities for coachbuilding
This flexibility opens up new possibilities for coachbuilding. By moving away from monocoque construction to something closer to a traditional rolling chassis, Rolls-Royce has reacquired the freedom to construct almost any body shape its customers can imagine, constrained only by fundamental design and engineering requirements.

This means that Rolls-Royce and its customers can now look beyond merely Bespoke and build the car itself, to personal requirements. In this way, it is perfectly aligned with a lifestyle in which the customer’s investments in luxury – property, clothing and jewellery to works of art, yachts or private aircraft – are personal, individual and unique.

Evolutionary and revolutionary
With the Architecture of Luxury, the marque has ushered in a new coachbuilding movement that encompasses both highly sophisticated 21st Century technology and materials, and a tradition extending back more than 100 years. It is both evolutionary and revolutionary.

“The ability to personalise almost every aspect of their motor car is one of the main reasons our patrons come to us. But we know some wish to go further still. In 2017, we stunned the world with our first fully coachbuilt motor car of the modern era – the spectacular Rolls-Royce Sweptail. This was, by definition, an entirely unique commission; but in our minds, it was the start of a journey,” said Torsten Muller-Otvos, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“We have formally re-established our Coachbuild department for those patrons who wish to go beyond the existing restraints, and explore the almost limitless possibilities this opens up for them. We are able to offer our customers the opportunity to create a motor car in which every single element is hand-built to their precise individual requirements, as befits our status as a true luxury house.”

Leading every Rolls-Royce for 110 years – the Spirit of Ecstasy

Custom specification for Aston Martin V12 Speedster

Aston Martin has revealed more details of its forthcoming open cockpit V12 Speedster, of which there will only 88 cars available. Customers will be able to choose a custom specification that is certain to underscore the cars’ instant collector’s item status.

Deliveries of the hand-built cars will commence from mid-2021 with the price of the car likely to be US$1 million (about RM4.14 million) or more after a customer customizes it further.

The new car aligns gracefully with a heritage that features not only the exceptional DBR1, but also the CC100 which was unveiled in 2013 as a celebration of Aston Martin’s 100 years of sportscar excellence.

The DBR1
The DBR1 is, to date, the most successful racing machine constructed by Aston Martin, having triumphed in the 1959 at both the 24 hours of Le Mans and the 1,000 kms of Nurburgring, also winning the latter in 1957 and 1958. After its debut in 1956, the DBR1 recorded a further string of famous victories which culminated in Aston Martin taking the World Sportscar Championship in 1959.

Although a car made for competitive racing, the DBR1 was also a precursor for some of the marque’s most well-known heritage ‘DB’ road cars. At the car’s heart from 1958 onwards lay a 2992 cc straight six engine mated to a David Brown 5-speed gearbox. It was capable of powering this 800-kg sportscar to an estimated top speed in excess of 240 km/h.

Produced as a pure racing model – not directly derived from a road car – just five examples of the DBR1 were ever built, one of which was for private use. Such a rich and important history has inspired the brand to create a dedicated optional DBR1 specification for the new V12 Speedster.

Elements from Le Mans winner
Featuring cleverly integrated custom elements reminiscent of the Le Mans-winning car, the V12 Speedster DBR1 specification offers highlights such as the iconic Aston Martin Racing Green paint finish, Clubsport White pinstripe and roundels, a Satin Silver anodised grille with Clubsport lipstick graphic, Conker saddle leather and Viridian Green technical textile/Caithness leather.

Unique Aston Martin Racing Green driver and passenger helmets sit under transparent ‘windows’, while solid silver ‘wings’ badges glint beneath transparent enamel. There’s also finely judged application of gloss carbonfibre, Caithness Green leather and satin silver brushed aluminium switchgear in the open cabin.

Satin black diamond turned 21-inch centre lock wheels are a feature of this specialist specification, which each Aston Martin V12 Speedster spending more than 50 hours in the painting process alone at the brand’s advanced paint facility.

700 ps V12 engine
At the car’s heart lies a high-performance variant of Aston Martin’s now 5.2-litre V12 Twin-Turbo engine, capable of generating an output of around 700 ps/753 Nm. Accompanied by a V12 ‘soundtrack’, this output flows to the wheels through a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission mounted towards the rear of the car. A 0 to 100 km/h time of 3.4 seconds is claimed, with a top speed of about 320 km/h.

“Creating a bespoke specification that nods to the glory of the DBR1 has been a huge privilege for my team and I, and I very much look forward to seeing these cars being driven with the same enthusiasm that we have applied to their design,” said Aston Martin’s Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman.

Porsche takes personalisation services to a new level

*Visit www.bhpetrol.com.my for more information.*

Henry Ford created a revolution when in introduced mass production, using high volume to bring the cost of making cars down significantly – and making them affordable for the masses. The more cars he could build and sell, the cheaper they became and the world was motorised.

But mass production also meant that thousands and thousands of cars of the same model looked the same and at one point, Ford even made customers accept his Model T ‘in any colour as long as it was black’. Colour did provide a little bit of differentiation but generally, mass-produced vehicles were all the same although as time went on, ‘variants’ were produced.

‘Personalising’ a mass-produced car is possible today to a limited degree as many manufacturers offer optional accessories. Perodua, for example, has its GearUp range which customers can choose from to add some items which other owners may not. Sometimes the manufacturers or their distributors will prepare limited editions with exclusive accessories, eg Isuzu Malaysia with its D-MAX ‘Stealth’ edition.

As you move higher up, the level of personalization changes and it’s no longer just accessories which are available to every customer. With brands that offer very expensive cars, personalization is something which is sophisticated and elaborate, with divisions set up to meeting personal customer wishes.

For Porsche, personalization has been offered to customers since the 1970s and in recent times, the sportscar manufacturer has set up business divisions such as Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, Porsche Tequipment and Porsche Classic for the purpose. The company now plans to respond to the wishes and needs of its customers to an even greater extent with a new and significantly extended range of products and services.

Rising demand for personalisation
This includes various options for individualization of Porsche sportscars, turning them into unique one-offs. The personalization options for individual components are extended directly in the Car Configurator, supplementing its offering for new, used and classic vehicles with a ‘Performance Parts’ range. According to Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, 25% all 911 models delivered worldwide have undergone extensive vehicle enhancement.

As part of its Co-Creation strategy, the company is also offering a new interpretation of the legendary Sonderwunsch (special request) program of the late 1970s. This will make it possible to design individualized one-off cars in future – co-created by the customer and realized professionally by Porsche.

The range of individualization options for new vehicles currently extends from personal customer consulting during the configuration process through to realization of limited small series. Through Tequipment, Porsche can offer numerous accessory products and retrofit options and even for classic models, spare parts supply and factory restorations are available.

“It is our goal to provide customers around the globe with even more accurately tailored and demand-based products within the context of classic, existing and new cars, and to also offer a comprehensive range of individualization options,” said Alexander Fabig, Vice-President Individualization and Classic. “With the new offerings we are responding to the great global demand for our products. Starting with new possibilities for individualization and personalization of individual components, through the additional range of Performance Parts, up to realisation of uniquely individualized sports cars, we have the right option for every customer.”

More personal than ever
Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur is expanding the range of products (currently more than 700) that can be individualized and personalized. Examples include various exterior wrap options, prints on the floor mats, illuminated door entry guards and logo projectors in the vehicle doors. In addition, customers can choose to become designers themselves in the ordering process, with advice and guidance from specialists at Porsche.

Using a digital application in the Porsche Car Configurator, it is possible to specify own designs for various items. For example, a customer can have their own signature embossed on elements in the vehicle interior. This could be on the cover of the centre console or the seats, while personalized wraps and decals can be placed on selected exterior areas and even individual paint finishes applied on the wheels.

New components for GT models/classic cars
Porsche will offer a large number of new components for new vehicles as well as used and classic cars under the name ‘Performance Parts’. The Porsche Tequipment range for new and used vehicles is aimed at drivers who are motorsport enthusiasts and amateur race drivers. Porsche Classic will offer new developments with a historical reference, components for performance enhancement and also lifestyle products for both young and older classic cars. These will increase the performance of the classic vehicles or improve their everyday usability.

With two show cars based on two first-generation Cayenne models, the Classic division is also providing a preview of possible additional individualization offerings with an outdoor and off-road focus.

One-off models
As part of its Co-Creation strategy, Porsche will make it possible to design individualised one-off cars in future. While this doesn’t mean totally unique designs, it does allow individual customer colour and material wishes to be conveyed directly in production and subsequent Factory Re-Commissioning and Factory One-Off after vehicle delivery to the customer.

Whereas Factory Re-Commissioning is also aimed at implementation of individual colours and materials, the Factory One-Off is a systematic technical new development. Depending on the age of the vehicle in question, either the technical experts at Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur or the specialists at Porsche Classic take care of implementation.

Porsche distributors worldwide can provide more information on the personalization services available. In Malaysia, this would be Sime Darby Auto Performance.

Rolls-Royce collaborates with Hermès to create the Phantom Oribe

The Bespoke division at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will create an exclusive car to a customer’s requirements whatever they may be (as long as safety is not compromised). For many years now, Bespoke’s business has been growing as virtually every person who buys a Rolls-Royce will want it personalised in some way. Some may be simple requirements while others may be quite sophisticated – like the Bespoke Phantom conceived in a unique collaboration with Hermès, the French luxury goods company.

Over 3 centuries of combined experience
This is one of the examples of Bespoke’s work which the world gets to see as not all of the models they prepare are publicised if their owners do not agree to do so. “This magnificent expression of our pinnacle product represents a landmark for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, bringing together two houses with more than three centuries’ combined experience and heritage. It is the result of a deep, genuine collaboration between the Houses of Rolls-Royce and Hermès, in which designers, materials specialists and skilled craftspeople worked side by side to create a truly one-of-a-kind Phantom. It has been an extraordinary privilege to unite on such a creatively challenging, technically demanding commission and bring our client’s remarkable vision so beautifully to life,” said Torsten Muller-Otvos, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

The one-of-a-kind Phantom Oribe reflects the personality and passions of its owner, Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa, who envisioned the car as a ‘land jet’, bringing the serene exclusivity of private air travel to the road. ‘Oribe’ comes from antique Japanese Oribe ware, which Maezawa-san collects.

Matching the glazes of Oribe ware
The car’s striking two-tone exterior matches the characteristic green and cream glazes of Oribe ware. The upper part is finished in Oribe Green, a fully Bespoke colour created exclusively for the client; in an unusual move, Rolls-Royce has made the paint available for use on the client’s private jet the Phantom will be paired with. Developed over many months by specialists in the Surface Finish Centre at Goodwood, it perfectly captures the lustrous, deep-green glaze that characterises these 16^th century ceramics. The effect is beautifully completed by the cream-white lower section.

The Oribe ware-inspired colourway harmoniously continues through the interior, created and realised through a true meeting of minds between Hermès designers and craftspeople and the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers and craftspeople. Together, they applied their shared expertise and ingenuity to ensure every individual component embodies the finest traditions of both companies.

Hermès leather
The interior is finished predominantly in Hermès Enea Green leather, extending to details that include the immediate touch-points of the client (eg the steering wheel, duchess handles, gear selector and controls for the climate settings). The leather flows around the upper instrument panel, interior pillars and parcel shelf. It also enrobes less visible surfaces including the glove compartment and luggage compartment lining, centre console, decanter stowage compartment and Champagne cooler.

Delicate Hermès piping adorns the headrest cushions and calf supports of the rear seats, while soft Seashell White accents and matching lambswool floor mats create a sense of light and space throughout.

Equestrian heritage of Hermès
The interior is also replete with examples of Rolls-Royce Bespoke design and handcraftsmanship. Wooden speaker frets, for example, are formed by meticulously perforating the Open Pore Royal Walnut veneer applied to the doors, creating a seamless, textured aesthetic and delicate haptics. Open Pore Royal Walnut is additionally applied to the centre and rear consoles and picnic table backs; in another first for Rolls-Royce, the interior features Hermès ‘Toile H’ canvas on the door armrests, centre and rear consoles and, most notably, the signature headliner.

Hermès brings its distinctive equestrian heritage and innovative craftsmanship know-how to the car, with the leather upholstery created using stitching and edge-painting techniques originally employed by master saddlers.

For the Phantom’s Gallery, a feature unique to Rolls-Royce, that runs the length of the motor car’s fascia, Hermès commissioned an artwork based on a design by the celebrated French artist and illustrator Pierre Peron who created many of the House’s iconic scarves. The work, inspired by the famous Hermès horse motif, is hand-painted on Open Pore Royal Walnut and is presented as though staged in an art gallery, behind glass.

“This unique Phantom is a fusion of East and West, ancient and modern, serenity and exhilaration. It was a great creative and cultural exchange working with Hermès; we learned a great deal from each other. It is always a pleasure when a client brings us a bold, clear and imaginative vision, and a great thrill to see it realised so perfectly,” said Michael Bryden, Lead Designer at Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective.

Exclusive Rolls-Royce Wraith with an astronaut’s view

DK Leather Seats Sdn Bhd enters Business-to-Consumer market

Demand for automotive leather seats has increased substantially since the 1960s with the rapid growth of the automotive industry. Once found only in the most expensive models, leather upholstery is now available as standard or as an option in all price ranges of cars.

With this trend taking place, DK Leather Seats Sdn Bhd (DKLS) has risen to the challenge of differentiating themselves by venturing into the Business to Consumer (B2C) market under their domestic retail arm brand, DK Schweizer. DKLS has always placed particular emphasis on quality, affordability and style as their signature for the product range that adds value to customers lifestyle. DKLS aims to provide bespoke services to end-users who wish to have their very own personalised and customised leather seat for their vehicle.

Global presence in leather upholstery business
Being a prominent leather upholstery manufacturer with a global presence for leather seat production since 1997, DKLS manufactures, distributes and installs automotive leather seat covers for the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) and Replacement Equipment Manufacturer (REM) market segments with multiple international marques.

Staffed with talented master craftmanship and leather from tanneries in Italy and South America, the DKLS factory is also equipped with the latest technology and automation, ensuring high production and efficiency to meet the demand of customers whilst minimizing wastage and keeping its carbon footprint small.

Pioneering innovation and creativity
Director of DK Leather Seats Sdn Bhd, Lesley Koek, said: “We strive to become a pioneer in combining innovative and creative car leather seat designs for the masses which embodies the latest technology, quality and styling that is value for money “.

DKLS has their own in-house research and development team that continuously works diligently towards developing materials and customisable templates for the latest car models, both domestic and foreign, with now over 10,000 seat patterns and car models in their database.

“Ultimately, we want our customers to experience the feeling of luxury and comfort at a reasonable price, regardless of the vehicle their own. These are first-of-its-kind product offerings in the region to meet individual expectations who desires to have an enjoyable driving experience. Also, customers would not need to worry about the leather fittings as we have an in-house test centre that ensures all materials and fittings are put through vigorous and meticulous Quality Control testing for durability and reliability are not being compromised,“ Mr. Koek said.

Tested and certified by TUV Rheinland Group
He added that, besides the company’s unwavering attention to detail, dedicated computerised airbag sewing machines for leather seat covers with airbags are used to ensure the finish products are tested and certified by Germany’s TUV Rheinland Group in compliance with airbag installation standards.

With the introduction of DKLS expansion into the B2C market, DKLS is set to be a game-changer and trendsetter for car seat personalisation and customisation whilst delivering quality, durability and value for money products for customers enjoyment at a premium level of comfort.

First Rolls-Royce Phantom with Hawaiian Koa Wood

‘Bespoke’ is customisation taken to a higher level and at the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective, consisting of designers, engineers and craftspeople, the limits of Bespoke are very high. Virtually any request will be met – while ensuring that safety is not compromised. In a world often dominated by luxury commodities designed for mass consumption, a Bespoke Rolls-Royce exemplifies the notion of true luxury.

A recent example is the latest Phantom Extended created in a 3-year collaboration between the customer and the Bespoke Design team, resulting in the creation of a deeply personal legacy. For the ultimate car enthusiast, Jack Boyd Smith, Jnr., this personal legacy features an unusual example of a rare species of Koa Wood.

Future classic for the JBS Collection
The realisation of Mr. Smith’s vision reflects both his personality and his love and passion for unique vintage cars. The one-of-a-kind creation joins his personal collection of more than 60 unique cars in The JBS Collection Museum. This latest Phantom Extended will undoubtedly become a future classic.

Referred to as the Koa Phantom, it is the first Rolls-Royce Phantom that incorporates Koa Wood, a rare species of tree that grows only on Hawaiian soil. The inspiration derives from Mr. Smith and his wife Laura’s love for the warmth and character of Koa Wood, having spent significant amounts of time in Hawaii. His ongoing connection to the Koa species is rooted deep within his family, with a Koa Wood rocking chair (pictured below) that has been a centrepiece in their home for many years.

Non-negotiable requirement
Mr. Smith was determined to bring the warm, familiar atmosphere of the wood to the interior of his Rolls-Royce. As they embarked on the creation, Mr. Smith quickly learned that his non-negotiable design would require allowing the craftspeople time to perfect their art. The unique Koa tree grows only in Hawaii and is protected in Hawaiian State and National parks. Koa Wood can only be harvested from private agricultural land and owing to the very specific growing conditions required, to find such a unique log from this extremely limited resource, is truly rare.

A Rolls-Royce Wood Specialist described the find as a ‘one in a million chance’. Some aspirant brands use more commonly available Koa Wood specimens but, for Rolls-Royce, only the finest example of this extraordinary species would do. Mr. and Mrs. Smith patiently waited for 3 years for their perfect veneer, as the Rolls-Royce Wood Specialist negotiated with a supplier for a highly prized log from his own, personal collection.

The specimen acquired displayed a unique depth of character rarely seen, with a figure in the grain that creates the effect of velvet. The craftsmen and women of the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Woodshop embraced the challenge of preserving this rich textural finish in the Phantom Extended.

Replicating an 80-year old finish
The Koa Phantom exterior shines a deep blue by day; by night, it is hidden in the darkness. The Bespoke ‘Packard Blue’ hue is colour-matched to Mr. Smith’s 1934 Packard Twelve Coupe, a rare motor car in his personal collection. Creating an exact match to an 80-year old finish was no small feat, and even included shipping parts from vintage cars to the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood. After testing on more than 40 test panels, the formula was finally deemed a perfect match.

An elegant hand-painted coachline in Dove Grey runs the length of the deep, dark blue Phantom, matching the wheel centre pinstripes. The driver’s door bears the personalised initials ‘JBS Jr’ while the passenger door bears the initials of Mrs. Smith, ‘LAS’.

On opening the coach doors, a personalised treadplate reads, ‘Hand-built in Goodwood, England for Laura & Jack Boyd Smith, Jr.’ Across Phantom’s fascia lies the Gallery – an uninterrupted piece of glass behind which clients can commission unique works of art and design. For the Koa Phantom, the wood itself takes centre stage, preserved and exhibited at the heart of the car, showcasing its natural beauty.

Koa Wood embellishes the Dove Grey leather interior that is matched to the Packard Twelve and offset by Navy Blue highlights and piping. Above, a Bespoke handcrafted starlight headliner consisting of 1,420 fibreoptic lights on navy-blue leather, depicts the constellation of the night sky above Cleveland, Ohio, on Mr. Smith’s date of birth.

The Rolls-Royce monogram on the headrests is matched to the exterior finish while the rear compartment is adorned with a Champagne fridge, accompanied by a pair of crystal champagne flutes and decanter, engraved with the clients’ initials.

A Picnic Hamper too
A hand-crafted Koa Wood Picnic Hamper completes this unique project. Koa Wood, saddle leather and stainless steel are meticulously crafted in a process that takes more than 500 hours to complete. The saddle leather trim and interior leather is Dove Grey, matched to the interior of the one-of-a-kind Bespoke Phantom. Stainless steel features on both the exterior and interior of the hamper; with plaques that read, ‘Laura & Jack Boyd Smith, Jr.’

The hamper includes hand-made wine glasses and decanters from the Ajka Crystal factory in Hungary, famed for its traditional techniques. The stainless-steel cutlery is hand-made in England. The 12-piece set is produced to the highest standards by expert craftspeople using traditional polishing and grinding techniques – a tribute to British steel heritage. Wedgwood porcelain plates add a final flourish to the hamper.

‘Reindeer Eight’ shows the expertise of Bentley Mulliner to meet any customer request

While most of Bentley’s customers would prefer not to be identified, there are some who allow the company to tell the world about the cars they have commissioned. From time to time, we are treated to some very personalised models prepared by the company’s bespoke and personal commissioning division, Mulliner. As it is Christmas time, Bentley can show off the ‘Reindeer Eight’, a unique and festive Flying Spur V8 commissioned by ‘a world famous customer’.

Every commission is important and this was in fact, one of Bentley Mulliner’s most important yet because of the customer’s own global and extensive list of expectant fans. It drew on its rich history and expertise of fine craftsmanship to meet the specific requirements of the customers.

One of 62 shades from Extended Range
The one-off ‘Reindeer Eight’ is finished to the exterior in deep red Cricket Bauble paint finish, a unique shade created for the customer based on Cricket Ball which is available as one of the 62 shades offered by the Extended Range.

Leading the car from the front, a gold three-dimensional printed reindeer can be found in lieu of the Flying B mascot, and to the sides the V8 badges have been replaced by a special ‘Reindeer Eight’ badge signifying the powertrain the customer is more familiar with.

Following the lead reindeer, the standard chrome bonnet strip has been re-trimmed in gold, and coordinating hand painted fine line details shimmer from the rear of the Bentley wing badges.

Maximum aerodynamic performance
To emphasise the speed and performance required to cover the significant distance planned by the owner, a gold styling specification has been included, comprising of a carbonfibre diffuser to the front and rear bumper, carbonfibre side sills and a bootlid spoiler – for maximum aerodynamic performance at cruising altitude.

The Mulliner Driving Specification with 22-inch golden wheels and diamond finish, representing the snow peaks crossed, completes the exterior theme. Given the cold climate of the customer’s primary residence, All Season tyres have been fitted.

Personalised embroidery with 11,100 stitches
The interior of the ‘Reindeer Eight’ showcases Bentley’s expertise in creating a modern cabin of unrivalled luxury and innovation, capable of comfortable seating for four or five. The customer specified a monotone Cricket Bauble interior with gold personalised embroidery and hand cross-stitching, including his name stitched into the driver’s seat and that of his wife alongside.

Festive gold hand cross-stitch highlights the attention to detail and skill of those working at the Bentley factory. It takes 18 hours for a craftsperson to complete the 11,100 hand-sewn stitches throughout the cabin, and consumes 115 metres of special thread (equal to the height of Big Ben).

The seats of the ‘Reindeer Eight’ feature a twin-flute design and increased functionality, including heating, ventilation, multi-mode massage, adjustable bolsters and top tilt which should keep the customer alert yet relaxed over the extensive mileage that he will be covering. With the Mulliner Driving Specification chosen by the customer, the new three-dimensional leather combines with traditional stitching and embroidery work.

Sweeping horizontal veneer flows across the dashboard and into the doors, emphasising the spacious width of the cabin. At Mulliner’s suggestion, the Grand Black veneer displays a North Pole winter night scene with inlays to fascias and door waistrails to depict the end of the night’s journey.

The industry-first Bentley Rotating Display features in the ‘Reindeer Eight’. When the engine start button is pressed, and after a welcome sound of sleigh bells jingling, the veneer section in the middle of the dashboard rotates to reveal a 12.3-inch touchscreen, displaying multiple menus. A Naughty and Nice list integrated in the navigation system allows the customer to quickly know whether his fans have been bad or good.

The second side of the display reveals three elegant analogue dials showing outside temperature, a compass (vital for the customer to find home at the end of the long work night) and a chronometer. Finally, the third side offers the seamless Grand Black veneer fascia, continuing around the cabin, representing the North Pole winter night scene.

“What fun it is to ride in a 542 horsepower sleigh. Plus, there’s space in the back for all my subordinate Clauses. I’m looking forward to putting 66 million kilometres on the clock before the end of the year,” said the bearded customer.