In 2017, Rolls-Royce unveiled the Sweptail, a Phantom-based one-off that turned probably the most costly new autos ever at $13 million. The thought for the uncommon coupe got here from a buyer that needed to convey again coachbuilding, the method of designing a brand new physique and inside that rides on a longtime platform. Other than grabbing worldwide headlines, it allowed the British carmaker to point out the world what it may do when introduced with a clean cheque.
The Boat Tail adopted in its footsteps in 2021, pushing this concept even additional. It was additionally a one-off, costing $28 million this time, and added additional complexity due to its retractable roof. These two automobiles represented the work accomplished by Coachbuild, the model’s in-house workforce that tackles these distinctive automobiles. Right now, throughout Monterey Automotive Week, Rolls-Royce unveils the third car of this sequence, the Droptail.
In contrast to its predecessor, the Droptail is not a one-off. Rolls-Royce plans to construct 4 in whole, with the primary being “La Rose Noire,” proven within the pictures above. At 17.4 toes lengthy and 6.7 toes extensive, its dimensions mirror these of the Ghosts, whereas the opposite one-offs are Phantom-based and even bigger than their manufacturing counterparts. The Droptail should still function two large doorways, nevertheless it solely presents seating for 2 inside, making it a correct roadster.
Its roof folds robotically and is fabricated from carbon fiber, whereas earlier Rolls-Royce convertibles all featured material roofs. The purpose was to offer the Droptail the look of a roadster and a coupe. Its electrochromic glass permits it to change the quantity of sunshine that comes into the cabin.
Each physique panel on the Droptail is new, even all the way down to its lighting components and entrance grille. The Coachbild division angled the model’s Pantheon grille barely to offer the Droptial a sleeker aesthetic whereas shrinking its headlights. Nonetheless, its daytime operating lights align with the grille’s higher edge, creating one interrupted line. A line that transitions onto the shoulder line runs uninterrupted from the grille to the tail lights.
The Droptail proven above is known as “La Rose Noire” after the Black Baccara rose. The flower seems virtually black within the shade however showcases a vivid purple underneath direct daylight. As such, this automobile’s exterior options two purple hues, “True Love” and “Thriller,” whose names have been chosen by the commissioning buyer. To attain its distinctive end, Rolls-Royce needed to develop a brand new paint course of, which took over 150 iterations to excellent, mixing completely different tones of purple to finish the color-shift impact.
Its distinctive wheels function the darker Thriller shade and distinction properly towards the first physique colour. Its trim items make the most of the identical chrome plating course of because the Black Badge fashions however get a novel end named “Hydroshade.”
Inside is maybe the place the Droptail impresses most. Its inside options an intricate paintings show fabricated from Black Sycamore wooden. It options 1,603 hand-finished and hand-assembled triangles, 1,070 of which characterize a background, whereas 533 purple items depict scattered roses. Because it was achieved by hand, this artwork piece alone two practically two years to finish.
As if that wasn’t unique sufficient, the client commissioned a one-off watch by Audemars Piguet. It is a 43-millimeter Royal Oak Idea Break up Seconds Chronograph GMT Massive Date, with a novel Calibre 4407 motion. Like the inside show, it’s colour matched to the remainder of the automobile and lives nested into the Droptail’s dashboard.
On the efficiency facet, the Droptail options the model’s 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V12 producing 593 horsepower and 620 pound-feet of torque, each figures elevated barely over the usual manufacturing mannequin.
Rolls-Royce hasn’t introduced when the remaining three commissions will debut, however given this automobile’s announcement, they need to be arriving comparatively quickly.