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Wheels that'll be death of you

Here's one Rolls-Royce you're unlikely to drive and preferably won't even want to ride in - a luxury R5.1-million customised hearse.

Italian custom automaker Biemme Special Cars is well known in Europe for its luxurious rides and has dabbled in custom hearses for rich, though deceased, clients. The custom carmaker has created an opulent ride fit for any deceased Russian oligarch by tuning a Rolls-Royce Phantom into a funeral car.

EXTRAORDINARY HEARSE

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Hearse B12 is a four-door made entirely of aluminium and is seven metres long. It has a 6.7 V12 engine, handy if the undertaker is, er, running late...

Biemme believes death shouldn't be a dark experience so the coffin compartment has LEDs to illuminate the casket. Splashy extra fit for an eccentric mogul? Maybe. Hideously tacky? Absolutely.

Biemme spokesperson Dario Andreotto says: "For some time Biemme Special Cars has wanted to make something extraordinary, something that didn't pass unnoticed and could not be matched by anyone else.

"We created the Phantom Hearse B12 with the sole intent of being the world's most luxurious hearse. It's not easy to pass near the B12 and remain unmoved."

There have been a small number of Rolls-Royce hearses built in the past but this is believed to be the first "production" version. If you're keen on being laid to rest in this funeral chariot you will need to book early, since Biemme is planning on building only two a year.

Would you want to be driven to your grave in this expensive hearse? Share your thoughts in our comments section below!
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