Driving with the top down is truly an experience to savour, especially when combined with the mix of great weather, nice roads, and an enjoyable car to help you fully immerse yourself in one of the greatest pleasures that you can have in an automobile. Nothing can beat that wind-in-the-hair feeling that only driving a convertible can bring.
Rolls-Royce enhances that sensation even further, adding a dose of class and luxury to that experience, with the all-new Dawn convertible. Of course, Rolls-Royce is no strangers to open air motoring, with convertibles featuring prominently in its history. However, the Dawn promises to bring the storied luxury carmaker into a new era by combining modern sophisticated design with traditional Rolls-Royce craftsmanship, making it a truly unique ride.
With the production of the Phantom Drophead set to end later this year, the Dawn will be taking its place as Rolls-Royce’s flagship convertible. It sits alongside the Wraith as the sportier Rolls-Royce models, designed to appeal to the keen and enthusiastic driver who also demands the uncompromising luxury that only Rolls-Royce can offer. Everything from the rising beltline that goes on to wrap the cabin from the rear, to the open-pore Canadel panelling with customisable wood on the deck, has been designed to create a luxurious and inviting space for passengers, while making sure that the Dawn has a presence that is unmistakably Rolls-Royce.
The fabric folding roof has been engineered to the highest of standards, and can be operated at speeds of up to up to 50km/h, taking just 20 seconds to fold up or down in absolute silence. Rolls-Royce dubs this smooth and noiseless operation the ‘Silent Ballet’, and the roof is one of the largest to grace a convertible car, rivalling that of the Phantom Drophead. With the roof up, the Dawn is the quietest convertible in the world today, and offers the same level of quietness in the cabin as the Wraith.
The Dawn can accommodate four adults in absolute luxury and comfort, and its 6.6-litre V12 engine ensures that those four are whisked away in a world of smoothness and power that is unlike anything else in the world. As Rolls-Royce’s Design Director, Giles Taylor, sums up, “In creating Dawn we have accepted no compromise to the comfort and luxury of four adults who want to travel together in the pinnacle of style.”
Story Credits
Text by Ben Chia
This article was originally published in Men’s Folio Magazine April 2016
