And while there are [understandably] questions about performance and remarks on how BMW can improve on future designs, the consensus is that the German auto brand has finally caught up with the rest of the luxury auto world in creating vehicles that look like true luxury pieces.

But maybe there is more to this concept auto than a desire to prove that the BMW brand is still luxury.

Since 2017, Rolls Royce has offered the tail series as a highly-exclusive, coach-built model to its most select, loyal and discerning customers. These ultra-limited, custom-built models may have not been the source of the highest revenue for the brand year-on-year, but they have succeeded in placing the British brand as an undisputable producer of the most desirable-yet-uneasily-attainable luxury autos in the world.

Mercedes Benz has now caught on. In Monaco, this month, the German-born auto firm unveiled the first model in its newly launched exclusive Mythos series. The marque, the Concept Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed is an F1-inspired (which means, among other things,  no windshield) SL-based open-top, two-seater that the brand has said is a “strictly limited series of 250 units will only be available to the most dedicated Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts and collectors.”

And now, BMW appears to be trailing this same path with the unveiling of its Concept Skytop, a unique auto that is almost like nothing it has ever done. Although it does not seem like it is interested in creating a limited-edition series for the lucky few — in its official press release, the brand stated that “perhaps unique vehicles will not always have to remain unique – at Lake Como and the Concorso d’Eleganzaa Villa d’Este, automotive dreaming has always been allowed” — per Car and Driver, only 50, or possibly 100, of the Skytop would be produced as the vehicle is intended to be a ‘handbuilt collector’s item.’

To be fair, custom-built cars have always being a thing. However, creating special models geared towards a few is a trend that is beginning to catch on in the world of luxury autos. It just may have something to do with the increasing hyper-personalisation and hyper-exclusivity of luxury, which may be due, in part, to an increasing demand of luxury goods from a new generation of rich millennials and Gen Zs unwilling to maintain the tradition of scarcity, exclusivity and long waitlists and times that have characterised luxury from the beginning of time.

By restricting certain creations to only loyal clients and friends of the brand, luxury auto companies can safely maintain scarcity and exclusivity without irking new customers who do not want to be told that their interest in a product does not automatically translate to a free pass to everything and anything they desire from the brand. Becasue, whether we choose to admit it or not, the moment luxury goods become accessible to the general public, it may no longer be considered luxury.

The age of hyper-exclusivity has dawned, and luxury auto brands are showing us exactly what it looks like.

The post Luxury Auto Brands are Showing What Hyper-Exclusivity Looks Like first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post Luxury Auto Brands are Showing What Hyper-Exclusivity Looks Like appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

In commemoration of the end of a truly memorable era, BMW will produce a limited-edition series aptly named The Final V12. The Final V12 is a collection of a dozen M760i xDrives featuring the last BMW-produced V12 engine that, supported by two mono-scroll turbochargers, infinitely variable valve control (Double VANOS and Valvetronic) as well as high-precision direct injection, will deliver up to 601 hp available between 5,500 and 6,500 rpm.

These limited-edition M760i xDrives will be decked with special elements to set them apart from their standard counterparts. Expect to see a bold ‘V12’ icon at the rear in place of the ‘M760i’ badge, Threshold plates, and an engine cover with the ‘The Final V12’ lettering. A centre console-mounted plaque, marked with the words ‘The Final V12’ and ‘1 OF 12’ further confer the seal of exclusivity on this marque.

Eventual buyers would be given the option to customise their order, so while the interior will don a BMW Individual Piano Black Finish trim, they can choose from several tones of opulent Full Merino leather and a palette of over 80 colours for their exterior to further set their autos apart.

BMW will offer each of The Final V12 units in a fully-equipped configuration, which includes its Driving Assistance Professional Package, Icon Adaptive LED Headlights with Laserlight, Panoramic Sky Lounge LED Roof, and Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound Audio System as well as Luxury Rear Seating Package.

The sole bummer? The Final V12 is available to only US residents at a retail price of $200,000, which is exclusive of a $995 destination price. It is not clear why the German brand has made this decision, but, if you do not already own a V12, (and you want one badly) you can take consolation in the fact that this announcement is just for BMWs, not for other brands it owns, like say Rolls Royce. So, there may yet be a bit more time for you to lay your hands on a luxe auto with a V12 engine before they finally go extinct.

Source: HotCars

The post The Final V12 will be the Last BMW Auto with a V12 Engine first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post The Final V12 will be the Last BMW Auto with a V12 Engine appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.