Rolls-Royce has announced a partnership with Beverly Hills-based designer Bijan Pakzad. Bijan will work closely with the super-luxury automaker to turn out a handful of special edition Phantoms, complete with the designer’s own personal touches. So far, we’ve been left in the dark about exactly what kinds of changes to expect, though Rolls-Royce says that Bijan will lay out a host of specifications for the company’s craftsmen to meet. Considering that the designer’s personal car is a bright yellow Phantom Drophead Coupe, we can bet that the new Phantoms will be anything but subdued. ab

It’s time to dust off the periodic dream of a new Volkswagen Microbus. The UK’s Auto Express reports that Klaus Bischoff, chief designer for the Volkswagen brand, thinks a new version of the classic Camper is a fundamental part of his job. This rumor has come around before, and the New Beetle’s ten-year run might help underscore the business case for a revival. There were plans to offer a production version of the 2001 Microbus concept that made a splash at that year’s Detroit Motor Show, but cost considerations put an end to that project. A new Microbus is back on, according to Bischoff, and Volkswagen is trying to figure out how conventional or creative to go. VW’s design offices across the globe are being asked for their input to develop a vehicle with wide influence, and platforms and powertrains are up in the air. If this rumor sticks, we’re likely to see a concept in 2012. ab

Presented as the new Landmark edition, the special Discovery can be ordered in either Santorini Black or Fuji White with coordinating interior in either ebony or ivory – the latter being offered for the first time in a Discovery. To complement the stark exterior color, Land Rover has also given the grille, roof rails and 20″ alloys a darker finish and fitted it with tinted glass. The Discovery 4 Landmark is powered by a twin-turbo diesel V6, and comes packed with all the features you’d expect from a Land Rover, plus a little touch of the exclusive. ab

The autonomous Audi TTS built by Volkswagen Group Electronics Research Lab, Stanford University and Audi has taken an important first step toward its ultimate goal: participating in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The self-driving TTS officially completed a test run – all the way to the 14,110 foot summit – earlier this year, clocking a time of 27 minutes, which is pretty good considering that race officials typically expect a human driver to do it in around 17 minutes. Audi says that the car used a combination of brand-new software, algorithms and hardware to tackle one of the world’s most challenging hill climbs. The 12.42 mile course is a gauntlet of tarmac and loose gravel that snakes upward with a number of instant switchbacks. According to Audi, the autonomous TTS managed to hit a top speed of 47 mph during one stretch! ab

The last time we heard from Automoblox was over a year ago when company owner and designer, Patrick Calello, debuted an all-new type of his unique toy cars: hot rods. This Christmas, the company is offering all three hot rod styles as full-size Automoblox cars (The red HR1 for $45, yellow HR2 for $50 and blue HR3 – above for $50), as well as debuting a new Hot Rod Trailer set ($120) that includes a full-size hot rod, pickup and trailer. And though you’ve probably seen Automoblox at more mainstream toy retailers this year, these full-size hot rods are available only at Automoblox.com for the time being.