This was the Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe that he got himself for his 47th birthday. The cost apparently got around to or more than $400,000. That certainly is big enough to treat oneself for a birthday. But anyhow, this is the information that I got from my research:
Rolls Royce, now owned by BMW, is for most of us a surreal brand which wouldn’t even be affordable with a large lottery win. The Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe is powered by a 453 bhp 6.75 litre V-12 gasoline engine. Zero to 60 mph takes 5.9 seconds. Top speed is limited to 149 mph. Prices start at $400,000.
When creating the Phantom Drophead Coupé, design team drew inspiration from the classic J-class racing yachts of the 1930s. The fastest yachts of their time, these pedigree vessels possessed a spectacular combination of ability, versatility and fitness for purpose. Thanks to the use of the finest materials in their natural state, they were also exceptionally beautiful. It’s this sense of functionality, immediacy and exposure to the elements our designers admired, and what they have striven to capture in the Phantom Drophead Coupé’s thrilling lines. The use of steel and wood – design highlights first seen in the 100EX experimental car of 2004 – cement the maritime theme.
Honesty and integrity were paramount in the design process, which is why the Phantom Drophead Coupé has a soft-top, rather than a folding metal roof so beloved by the rest of the car industry. As Ian Cameron, Rolls-Royce’s Chief Designer, says, ‘It was very important that we didn’t create a folding hardtop, because that is an unclear proposition. Our customers wouldn’t own a reversible jacket, so why would they buy a convertible that looks like a Coupé? Besides, there’s nothing more romantic than sitting in a soft-top car and listening to the rain pattering on the cloth hood.’
It was also important for the styling to give a clearer hint at the Phantom Drophead Coupé’s performance, which is why the front is more rakish and the radiator grille is a more streamlined shape. A car to be enjoyed in a more spontaneous, less formal way, it’s fitting that the Phantom Drophead Coupé’s vibrant character is expressed in such unmistakable style.
A little biography of Eddie Murphy:
Eddie Murphy’s father died when Eddie was quite young, and he, his brother, and step-brother were raised by his mother, a telephone-company employee, and his stepfather, a foreman at a Breyer’s Ice Cream plant. His comic talent was evident from an early age, and by 15 he was writing and performing his own routines at youth centers and local bars, as well as at the Roosevelt High School auditorium. Eventually, Murphy made it to a Manhattan showcase, The Comic Strip. The club’s co-owners, Robert Wachs and Richard Tienken, were so impressed with Murphy’s ability that they agreed to manage his career. Wachs and Tienken succeeded in getting Murphy an audition for the revamped “Saturday Night Live” (1975), where he was eventually cast as a featured player, but by the end of his first season, however, he had moved up to star status.
Though he has grown up a lot since his fast-lane rise as a superstar in the 1980s, Murphy has lived the Hollywood lifestyle with controversy, criticism, scandal, and the admiration of millions worldwide for his talents. As Murphy had matured throughout the years, learning many lessons about the Hollywood game in the process, he settled down with more family-oriented humor with Doctor Dolittle (1998), Mulan (1998), Bowfinger (1999), and the animated smash Shrek (2001), in a supporting role that showcased Murphy’s comedic personality and charm. In spite of being vocal in interviews about his career, Eddie Murphy continues to live a happy life with his wife and kids and has said that if his career would to end tomorrow he would be content just being with his family.
