What We Like
Powerful, recognisable design
Impressively quiet for a convertible
Powerful twin-turbo V12
Rides like a magic carpet
What We Dislike
Not as powerful as the Wraith
It's most at home cruising past luxury boutiques of Avenue de la Costa in Monte-Carlo, down Ocean Drive in Miami and parked below the Burj Al Arab in Dubai.
In the driver's seat, you can expect a man wearing Bulgari Flora shades, a Patek Philippe Ref 5016P and a Versace printed shirt. It's a drop-dead gorgeous, super luxurious drophead for those who wish to bathe in the sunlight of the world's most exclusive social hotspots.
At $1,468,888, next to the similarly priced Lamborghini Aventador S Coupe, it's practical. Road humps won't be a problem, there's more space, it's easier to get in and out of and no one is going to want to race you. Every one around you just stops and stares.
It is the new Rolls-Royce Dawn.
Grace
Rolls-Royce's latest drophead takes inspiration from the rare 1952 Silver Dawn. A new beginning for Rolls-Royce back then, the original Silver Dawn was the first bearing the Rolls-Royce badge to be made with a factory-built body. However, the drophead Rolls-Royces, which carried the Silver Dawn name, continued to be coach-built for individual customers as a promise of exclusivity and rarity.
And contrary to misguided belief, the Dawn isn't a drophead version of the Wraith. 80 percent of the Dawn's body panels are, in fact, unique to it. The two do, however, share basic drivetrain, structural elements and large-car architecture fundamentals of BMW. It rides on the same 3,112mm wheelbase as the Wraith and is only slightly longer overall.
From every angle, the Dawn is graceful, yet powerful and striking; even more so when its six-layer fabric top is down.
The front grille of the car has been pulled back by 45mm and the front bumper extended by 53mm compared to the Wraith. The Spirit of Ecstacy continues to take charge atop the bonnet and it's an uncompromised design aimed at a younger, more dynamic clientele.
Stowing away the Dawn's top is done in unbelievable silence, taking just over 20 seconds and up to 50km/h. You barely hear the intricate mechanisms working as the fabric top shuts tightly away. The goal was to create the quietest convertible in the world today and this achievement is given a name - the Silent Ballet.
Pace
Powering the Dawn is a 6.6-litre twin-turbo V12 in Ghost output of 563bhp and 780Nm of torque.
In the driver's seat, you can expect a man wearing Bulgari Flora shades, a Patek Philippe Ref 5016P and a Versace printed shirt. It's a drop-dead gorgeous, super luxurious drophead for those who wish to bathe in the sunlight of the world's most exclusive social hotspots.
At $1,468,888, next to the similarly priced Lamborghini Aventador S Coupe, it's practical. Road humps won't be a problem, there's more space, it's easier to get in and out of and no one is going to want to race you. Every one around you just stops and stares.
It is the new Rolls-Royce Dawn.
Grace
Rolls-Royce's latest drophead takes inspiration from the rare 1952 Silver Dawn. A new beginning for Rolls-Royce back then, the original Silver Dawn was the first bearing the Rolls-Royce badge to be made with a factory-built body. However, the drophead Rolls-Royces, which carried the Silver Dawn name, continued to be coach-built for individual customers as a promise of exclusivity and rarity.
And contrary to misguided belief, the Dawn isn't a drophead version of the Wraith. 80 percent of the Dawn's body panels are, in fact, unique to it. The two do, however, share basic drivetrain, structural elements and large-car architecture fundamentals of BMW. It rides on the same 3,112mm wheelbase as the Wraith and is only slightly longer overall.
From every angle, the Dawn is graceful, yet powerful and striking; even more so when its six-layer fabric top is down.
The front grille of the car has been pulled back by 45mm and the front bumper extended by 53mm compared to the Wraith. The Spirit of Ecstacy continues to take charge atop the bonnet and it's an uncompromised design aimed at a younger, more dynamic clientele.
Stowing away the Dawn's top is done in unbelievable silence, taking just over 20 seconds and up to 50km/h. You barely hear the intricate mechanisms working as the fabric top shuts tightly away. The goal was to create the quietest convertible in the world today and this achievement is given a name - the Silent Ballet.
Pace
Powering the Dawn is a 6.6-litre twin-turbo V12 in Ghost output of 563bhp and 780Nm of torque.
It's not as potent as the 624bhp Wraith, but it's the British luxury marque's most powerful drophead to date. And even though it weighs 2,560kg, the Dawn completes the century sprint in just 4.9 seconds - almost as quick as the BMW M240i Coupe.
The Dawn goes in a similar way an Airbus A380 would on ascent, but in a spectacularly refined fashion. Yet, the Power Reserve dial (in place of a rev counter) reminds you that you're only using about 10 percent of what's at your disposal. As you cruise along, it's whisper-quiet.
It's not a car you'd want to rush in. The GPS-aided ZF eight-cog auto shifts nearly undetected and the reworked air suspension, compensating for the drophead's reduced torsional rigidity, is sublime. Even over broken tarmac, the Dawn is secure, serene, and in total control.
Space
Inside, there is extreme comfort for four, with rear access eased by the rear-hinged doors. It's not as grand an affair as the Phantom's, but your one-and-a-half million bucks secures you very sumptuous materials and stitching.
The seats and panels, for one, appear to have been made from cows, which are specially raised in Goodwood on a diet of specially-grown grass and Acqua di Cristallo Tributo a Modigliani (the most expensive bottled water in the world). The glossy wood trim in our test car is perfectly matched, the steering wheel is wonderfully slim-rimmed and exquisite, the soft carpets provide perfect comfort for weary feet, and every knob and control operates with machined, oiled precision.
It undoubtedly has a style and character of its own - to the eyes of this writer, it's a beauty to behold. More than that, the Dawn isn't just an expensive work of art, there's real substance behind it - with quality, roominess and an astonishingly hushed drive, which makes even the most pampered, most well-heeled, most accustomed of individuals feel special everwhere they take it.
The Dawn goes in a similar way an Airbus A380 would on ascent, but in a spectacularly refined fashion. Yet, the Power Reserve dial (in place of a rev counter) reminds you that you're only using about 10 percent of what's at your disposal. As you cruise along, it's whisper-quiet.
It's not a car you'd want to rush in. The GPS-aided ZF eight-cog auto shifts nearly undetected and the reworked air suspension, compensating for the drophead's reduced torsional rigidity, is sublime. Even over broken tarmac, the Dawn is secure, serene, and in total control.
Space
Inside, there is extreme comfort for four, with rear access eased by the rear-hinged doors. It's not as grand an affair as the Phantom's, but your one-and-a-half million bucks secures you very sumptuous materials and stitching.
The seats and panels, for one, appear to have been made from cows, which are specially raised in Goodwood on a diet of specially-grown grass and Acqua di Cristallo Tributo a Modigliani (the most expensive bottled water in the world). The glossy wood trim in our test car is perfectly matched, the steering wheel is wonderfully slim-rimmed and exquisite, the soft carpets provide perfect comfort for weary feet, and every knob and control operates with machined, oiled precision.
It undoubtedly has a style and character of its own - to the eyes of this writer, it's a beauty to behold. More than that, the Dawn isn't just an expensive work of art, there's real substance behind it - with quality, roominess and an astonishingly hushed drive, which makes even the most pampered, most well-heeled, most accustomed of individuals feel special everwhere they take it.
