We can already tell that 2016 is going to be a good year for high-rolling sunseekers, as they’ll have a number of new droptops from which to choose. And unless Maybach drops another Landaulet or Bentley finally chops the roof off theMulsanne by next year, no car company will allow the one percent to roll higher than Rolls-Royce, which is adding a second extravagant extrovert to its droptop lineup (below the Phantom Drophead Coupe). Its maker contends that the 2016 Rolls-Royce Dawn is “the sexiest Rolls-Royce ever built.”
Exterior: The Wraith of Dawn
Essentially a convertible version of the Wraith coupe, the Dawn is a lovelier creature than that fixed-roof model; in terms of exterior skin, Rolls says the two cars share only their doors and rear bumper. The rear-three-quarter view of the Dawn is gorgeous, with the rear fenders rising gently to create what Rolls calls—ahem—“the feminine ‘hips’ of Dawn” before tapering in toward the tail. Other noteworthy details are headlamps resembling those of the Ghost II, new 20- or 21-inch wheels, and, of course, the retention of the rear-hinged coach doors. Note how Rolls applied a tasteful pinstripe to the example in these photos to accentuate the Dawn’s newfound curvature. Contrary to the beliefs of most New Jersey car dealers, few of the world’s automobiles can make pinstripes work. This car can.
The top is rendered in thickly padded fabric, not Lalique-encrusted beluga whale skin as we had hoped, and the design incorporates a stainless-steel band at the leading edge of the flat trunk, giving the Dawn a more traditional three-box-coupe look than the fastback Wraith. The rear window is small by design, which “heightens the sense of a private sanctuary when motoring with the roof up.” Rolls describes roof operation as “a silent ballet”—we would expect nothing less in terms of verbiage—and the automaker further claims that the Dawn is the quietest convertible in the world, with French-style exterior seams designed to eliminate wind noise.
“2+2 Does Not Equal 4”
Proud that the car retains the rear-seat legroom of the coupe, Rolls-Royce is adamant about calling the Dawn “a true four-seater,” not a two-plus-two, which the company considers “anti-social” and a “compromise too far,” according to the press release. “2+2 ≠ 4,” they say. But even if it were a little cramped in the back, we’d still find a way to squeeze ourselves inside in order to savor the Dawn’s material opulence, which can be displayed in a fashion like no Wraith possibly can given that the top goes down. The combination of “Mandarin” and black cowhides on the Dawn seen here may not float everyone’s boat (many of us really like it), but no one can argue with the book-matched, herringbone-style open-pore Canadel wood applied in huge swathes on the dashboard, doors, rear tonneau, and the “waterfall” panel between the rear seats. The treatment is nothing short of spectacular. Other interior highlights include wristwatch-style gauges, an audio system from Rolls’ Bespoke customization outfit, and a Spirit of Ecstasy rotary controller with a touch pad rather than a center-stack touch screen, “which might leave unsightly fingerprints at driver and passenger eye level”—the horror!
Powered by a Ghost
The Dawn is propelled by a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V-12 that is lifted pretty much intact from the Ghost II, making the same 563 horsepower at 5250 rpm and 575 lb-ft of torque at just 1500 rpm. The transmission is the same “satellite-aided” eight-speed unit found in the Wraith that will use the GPS to prepare for upcoming hills and curves and select the proper ratio. As for performance, Rolls expects the Dawn will hit 60 mph in 4.9 seconds, while top speed is limited to 155 mph.
Elsewhere under the skin, the Dawn gets the expected structural bracing to ensure adequate rigidity, while the suspension has been reconfigured for the revised weight distribution and body-stiffness properties to facilitate “the expected Rolls-Royce ‘magic carpet’ ride.” Despite the Dawn tipping the scales at an estimated 5700 pounds—several hundred more than the Wraith—Rolls-Royce claims that the new droptop is lighter and more fuel-efficient than the majority of “compromised” two-plus-two convertibles on the market.
A Mighty Pretty Penny
Rolls-Royce says that the inspiration for the Dawn was the Silver Dawn cabriolet, only 28 of which were built between 1950 and 1954. We suspect that the new Dawn will surpass that number in a matter of weeks once production is up and running early next year. Orders are being taken now, with prices starting roughly 20 percent higher than those of the Wraith, according to Rolls, so don’t expect much change from your $400,000 bill. Yeah, that’s almost Phantom money. Then again, for the mega-rich, is that really all that much? And besides, owning “the sexiest Rolls-Royce in history” is a pretty powerful piece of marketing.
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