Andreas Rentz/Getty Images/Paramount Pictures

We haven’t followed the press juggernaut for Tom Cruise’s new film, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (notice the shift of the colon from the original Mission: Impossible title in everything but the official logo) as it made its way from the Far East to western Europe, but the German première at BMW Welt deserves a special mention for motorheads.
   While Cruise, co-stars Paula Patton and Simon Pegg, director Brad Bird (The Incredibles) and producer Bryan Burk have winged their way to location cities such as Dubai, with part of the movie set at the Burj Khalifa, it was BMW’s involvement that made the trailer, in our eyes, something special.
   For less than a second, we thought the BMW i8 made an appearance, making Mission Impossible 4 the first cinematic appearance for the electric car.
   BMW says it was the Vision EfficientDynamics concept car, on which the i8 is based, that Cruise drove in Mumbai scenes. Other BMW cars in the movie include the X3, the 6-series cabriolet and the new Einser, the 1-series.
   The film marks a deeper involvement for product placement. BMW features are integrated into the script, namely ConnectedDrive and EfficientDynamics.
   Other celebrities at the München première include Heydi Nunez Gomez, lena Gerber, Sven Hannawald, Verena Kerth, and Natascha Grün.

Andreas Rentz/Getty Images/Paramount Pictures

Top Paula Patton and Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Above Part of the new film is set at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE.

The trailer for the fourth modern-era Mission: Impossible film, subtitled Ghost Protocol, has been shown, starring Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner. The film has been produced by Cruise, J. J. Abrams and others, ending the production relationship Cruise had with Paula Wagner, who had worked on the first three.
   The trailer looks spectacular with more locations (Bangalore, Mumbai, Dubai, Prague and Vancouver) and stunts, and Brad Bird (The Simpsons, The Incredibles) directs.
   Simon Pegg (but not Ving Rhames) returns from the last outing, while Léa Seydoux (Midnight in Paris) increases her Hollywood acting résumé with the new film. Paula Patton (Déjà Vu, Swing Vote) is the female lead.
   BMW is behind some of the product placement in the movie, which sees both 6-series and i8 models appear.
   Fans of the late Peter Graves and the original series might want to look elsewhere for stories deemed canon (after all, the colon between the original title name has disappeared in the trailer), but it appears Cruise will, as before, pack in plenty of action into what may be his last Mission.
   In other entertainment news, we have declined to report on Cheryl Cole’s changing hair colour. However, ITN has compiled a “the rise of Cheryl Cole” report below for all those who had no idea who she was, showing where the former Miss Tweedy got her start, her brief marriage to Ashley Cole, the recent media interest in the US version of The X Factor, and a potential Girls Aloud tour in ’12. Cole turns 28 on July 1.

Bentley has created a limited edition of the forthcoming James Bond book, Carte Blanche (for the regular hardback edition, US$15·49 at Amazon; £9·99 at Amazon UK), by Jeffery Deaver, to be released on May 26.
   It continues a long tie-up between Ian Fleming’s literary super-spy and the Bentley car brand. Bond owned three Bentleys in Fleming’s 14 novels—a 4½-litre with an Amherst Villiers supercharger, a Mark VI, and a ‘Mark II’ (sic) Continental with coachwork by Mulliner—and the tradition was briefly revisited by John Gardner, when he was appointed by Glidrose Publications to write Bond novels in the 1980s and 1990s.
   The previous Bond novel, Devil May Care, by Sebastian Faulks, also had a limited-edition commemorative edition, which sold out within days.
   Bond’s latest choice in Carte Blanche is the Bentley Continental GT.
   The limited-edition book has been designed by Bentley senior designer Brett Boydell. ‘As a designer it doesn’t get much better than a brief of Carte Blanche!’ he says. ‘The design features radical concepts that we feel reflect the name of the book, the ideas inherent in the Bond legacy, and the design principles we are passionate about.’
   Inspiration also comes from the streets of Dubai, in which Bond finds himself in Carte Blanche.
   Each edition comes in a polished aluminium case in the form reminiscent of the new Bentley Continental GT, and retails for £1,000 each. It is limited to 500 copies worldwide.
   The book inside is bound in white Nappa leather, in the same grade as that used inside a Bentley. The use of red edging evokes the actual GT interior. Title, author’s name and the Bentley wings are embossed on to the spine. The text is printed in two colours on ivory paper, with matching red leather endpapers.
   A bullet hole has been die-cut into some of the pages of the book. Hidden within the pages is a single polished 9 mm bullet, individually marked with a number distinct to each copy. The text is positioned so that the bullet does not disturb the reading.
   Pre-ordering may be done through www.007carteblanchebentley.com. Delivery follows publication on May 26.

On the main part of the Lucire site, two stories about European designers. First, Pierre Garroudi might hail from Teheran, but he has a workroom in London, which our photographer Doug Rimington visited. It’s a beautifully shot story, as you can imagine from Doug.


   Secondly, Panos Papadopoulos, a good friend of this magazine, celebrates the 25th anniversary of his label, Panos Emporio, next year. To mark the birthday, he is launching a clothing line for the first time. He’s being sensible and keeping the theme close to his beachwear roots. We’ve been able to get his images first.
   Meanwhile, Christchurch, New Zealand is steadily recovering from the Canterbury region’s devastating September 4 earthquake. October 21 saw Nicholas Jermyn open a store there—its biggest in New Zealand—at 99 Cashel Mall.

   Also on store openings, French label Jennyfer returns to Dubai after a year’s absence. Five of the planned six stores are already running, the company claims, based on a partnership with H2 Fashion LLC, a UAE retail group.

This appeals to us on several fronts: Frédérique Constant SA of Genève has produced two limited-edition watches to celebrate the 2010 Austin–Healey Motor Challenge featuring a hand polished, 43 mm case diameter in either 18 ct plated rose gold (A$3,999) or stainless steel (A$3,790), automatic chronograph movement, leather strap and sapphire crystal. They are individually numbered to 1,888 pieces globally.
   Each watch is presented with a mechanical, hand-made stop-timer. Enquiries to Avstev on 61 2 9363-1088.
   Meanwhile, Alessandra Gucci—the daughter of Maurizio and granddaughter of Rodolfo—has released more of her AG Limited Editions handbags. She has also added a retail outlet at Galeries Lafayette in the Dubai Mall.
   For spring–summer 2011, Gucci—we don’t mean the house, we mean Alessandra herself—will launch another limited-edition series, Margherita. This collection comprises six bags covered with daisies, and Eclettica, available, on request, in any colour and a choice of materials: calf, suede, alligator, or ostrich.

Argentinian label La Martina has opened a second flagship shop at the Emirates Mall, following an earlier one at the Dubai Mall.
   La Martina’s owner, Lando Simonetti, says the opening was prompted by ‘double-digit growth in most prominent markets … including the UAE.
   ‘Our UAE sales are higher than many other major global markets.’
   The new outlet, with 400 m² floor space, has a complete range, including the core polo line. The décor reflects a sumptuous living room, marrying the La Martina style with Middle Eastern tastes. Antique furniture has been shipped from Argentina, the company says.
   The Emirates Mall location joins others around the world, including Saint-Tropez, Deauville, Megève, Madrid, Mykonos, Capri and Puerto Banús. Last year, HM Queen Elizabeth II opened La Martina’s polo pro shop at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor.

Oscar de la Renta recently launched its resort 2010 collection at its newly opened boutique in the Dubai Mall, in partnership with Retail Arabia International. The fashion company’s signature skirt suits, caftans and evening gowns dominate the collection, with accessories such as wide alligator belts, patent and snakeskin sandals, and leather Cordia tote bags completing the ensembles.

It’s quite a way to kick off our news coverage for the year: the opening of the Burj Khalifa, standing 828 m (2,716½ ft). Giorgio Armani has announced that it will open Armani Hotel Dubai in the world’s tallest building on March 18.
   The hotel is the first to open under the collaboration between Giorgio Armani SpA and Emaar Properties PJSC.
   The hotel has been designed by Armani and marks the designer’s début into the hospitality sector.
   The company says the Armani Hotel Dubai will be the most exclusive destination in the city.
   Online bookings commence later this month, with registrations now being taken at www.armanihotels.com.
   Milano will be launched next, with a resort planned for Marrakech and Armani Residences villas for Marassi, Egypt.