In the automotive world, coachbuilding is the age-old business -- recently making a resurgence among the extraordinarily wealthy, interestingly -- of taking established, off-the-shelf production models and turning them into totally customized, bespoke works of art. Commissioning a coachbuilt car is one of the most excessive displays of materialism known to modern man, but at the end of the process, at least you've got a functional keepsake and an heirloom that can be kept in the family for generations. Cellphones, though -- let's just say they don't have the same staying power that an exotic car has, which makes luxury manufacturer Mobadio's new Grand 350PRL a tough sell. The previously-rumored phone represents the first model in the company's new Grand Line, which introduces a new industrial design distinct from its other two lines, but let's concentrate on what's really going on here: it's a dressed-up E71. Mobiado has taken a great (and great-looking) smartphone that can be easily had for under $300 and applied enough sapphire, stainless steel, and mother-of-pearl to raise the sticker well into "if you have to ask" territory. Sure, if that's your thing and you've already put a couple coachbuilt Ferraris in the garage, be our guest -- but don't come running to us when you realize that the E71 has a better keyboard anyway for a trivial fraction of the price.

[Via Unwired View]

Mobiado doesn't make the cheapest phones in the world; quite the contrary, actually, with models that run into the tens of thousands of dollars depending on metals, jewels, and your salesperson's insultingly high margin. MobileBurn has obtained shots of what could be a member of the company's new "Grand Line," a QWERTY set -- which would be the company's first -- with mother-of-pearl inlay properly conveying just how much better you and your phone are than those around you. No word on pricing, availability, operating system, or just how real this is, but if you're properly endowed, we're sure you'll be in touch with the proper folks to get on the waiting list.

Update: A close look at the the keyboard, chin, and microphone placement suggests that the device could be a reskinned E71 -- which would make sense, seeing how Mobiado's probably too small to be crafting its own QWERTY smartphone guts. Thanks, Craig!