Rolls-Royce Dawn promises a striking, seductive
encounter like no other Rolls-Royce to date, and begins a new age of open-top,
super-luxury motoring. Dawn is a beautiful new motor car that offers the most
uncompromised open-top motoring experience in the world. It will be the most
social of super-luxury drophead motor cars for those who wish to bathe in the
sunlight of the world's most exclusive social hotspots.
Compromise is not a word recognised in the Rolls-Royce
lexicon. Indeed the company continues to live by the clarion cry of co-founder
Sir Henry Royce to "Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the
best that exists and make it better. When it does not exist, design it. Accept
nothing nearly right or good enough."
The first part of this maxim - "Strive for
perfection in everything you do" - guides the company's every action
particularly during the creation of a new motor car. The second - "Take
the best that exists and make it better" - has been clearly evidenced in
the success of both Phantom Series II and Ghost Series II as they were
carefully updated in 2012 and 2014 respectively. And when Rolls-Royce judged
that it was time for an authentic gentleman's Gran Turismo to return to the
world stage, it was guided by the third part of Sir Henry's maxim: "When
it does not exist, design it." And thus, Wraith was born.
Now, the final part of this maxim has guided the
Rolls-Royce design and engineering teams as they have worked to initiate a new
age for open-top, super-luxury motoring. In a sector exclusively populated by
the biggest of automotive compromises - the 2+2 seat configuration -
Rolls-Royce has chosen to "accept nothing nearly right or good
enough."
And so, the new Rolls-Royce Dawn, the world's only
true modern four-seater super-luxury drophead, is born.
"In the world of Rolls-Royce, day to day
mathematical norms don't always apply. That's why I say in the case of the new
Rolls-Royce Dawn, 2+2 does not equal 4."
Giles Taylor, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor
Cars.
Studying the open-top motor car sector, and
specifically its high-value luxury niche, it became apparent to Rolls-Royce's
designers that customers were being short-changed. The myopic focus on one
specific configuration - the 2+2 setup - was, in the view of Rolls-Royce, a
compromise too far.
Commonly held, a 2+2 is a configuration with seating
for the driver and one passenger in the front plus two smaller seats for
occasional passengers or children in the rear. Space in the rear is most
noticeably absent in terms of longitudinal leg-room, thereby reducing the
comfort and practicality of the car. In the case of a convertible body type,
this reduction in space is often the result of the manufacturer's inability to
package the convertible roof together with boot and rear passenger space. The
result is a sector populated exclusively by open-top cars that Rolls-Royce
would consider compromised and 'anti-social'.
"At Rolls-Royce, we pride ourselves as creators
of fine motor cars that also serve as social spaces," comments Taylor.
"The idea of creating a car like Dawn that can be used in comfort by only
two adults on a day to day basis is anathema. In creating Dawn we have accepted
no compromise to the comfort and luxury of four adults who
Exterior design
The Rolls-Royce Dawn maintains timeless Rolls-Royce
design principles - 2:1 wheel height to body height, a long bonnet, short front
overhang, a long rear overhang, an elegant tapering rear graphic and a high
shoulder line.
All this tradition is delivered in a beautiful and
thoroughly contemporary design. Like an athlete, Rolls-Royce Dawn appears
poised, taught and ready to go. The latent acceleration and tension in the
surfaces are increased through completely new panels which evince curvature
that creates a tighter surface and a more powerful silhouette which hints at
what lies beneath.
Rolls-Royce Dawn's powerful and striking front end gives
it a sensuous yet edgy, almost masculine look whilst the bold sweeping shoulder
line becomes more sensuous as it flows over the swell of the rear wheels,
accommodating a wider track. A tapered 'wake channel' on the bonnet, emanating
from the Spirit of Ecstasy's wings, evokes the sight of a jet's vapour trail,
hinting at the car's dynamism. With its high shoulder line, massive C-pillar
and horizontally narrow side window aperture, when viewed from side-on and roof
up, the car looks akin to a low-slung 'hot rod'.
At the front, the grille is recessed by approximately
45mm whilst the lower front bumper has been extended 53mm compared to Wraith.
This has been done to focus the eye on the jet air intake face and to make the
car feel focused, even when standing still. The grille design helps accelerate
the tension of the car towards the rear shoulders, again emphasising the unique
elegance of Dawn.
The grille and bumper focus attention on the
horizontal lines of the car rather than the traditional vertical lines of the
other members of the Rolls-Royce family. The bumper now incorporates the number
plate surround and a new focused lower air dam. The mesh in the lower valance
is recessed and black in colour, helping create a sense of depth which
supplements the depth in the grille. Also, chrome 'blades' act to plant the car
while also complementing the horizontal lines and accelerating the flow of the
eye around the car thus increasing the impression of power and width.
When viewing the Rolls-Royce Dawn in side profile,
one's eye is instantly drawn to the elegant profile of the car. The soft top
shape is completely harmonious and homogenous without the ugly concave areas or
sharp struts seen in other manufacturers' soft tops. In addition, new 21"
polished and 21'' and 20" painted wheels ensure Dawn remains a perfectly
executed, contemporary expression of Rolls-Royce luxury.
The rear end of the car, having swelled over the
feminine 'hips' of Dawn, tapers in towards the rear, echoing the elegant design
of early 'boat tail' Rolls-Royce drop head coupés and indeed the beautiful motor
launches of the early 20th Century that inspired them.
The silent lowering of the soft top transforms the
Rolls-Royce Dawn, delivering a true Dawn moment. In hero specification of
Midnight Sapphire exterior and Mandarin leather interior, night becomes day as
rays of sunshine burst forth, bringing the inside out, joining this social
space with the wider world of possibilities.
Roof down, the sexiness of the Rolls-Royce Dawn is
even more apparent. From the side the steep rake of the windscreen, the swage
line that flows over the rear haunches plus the high beltline that rises along
the profile give the impression of effortless swiftness. The very same rising
beltline wraps around the rear passenger cabin akin to the collar of a jacket
pulled up to protect the neck.
The stainless steel waist line finisher that wraps
around the cabin encompasses the deck that covers the soft top when stowed, and
integrates the high-level brake light. This beautiful metal feature works in
harmony with the stainless steel door handles, polished wheels, visible
exhausts and front and rear bumper jewellery, to create a priceless look and
feel.
The deck itself is an amazing work of modern
craftsmanship. Clothed in open-pore Canadel panelling that traces the
horse-shoe shape of the rear cabin, it demonstrates the great advances that the
craftspeople in the Woodshop at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood have made
in wood crafting technology and techniques.
The wood on the deck, chosen by the customer to suit
their individual taste, flows down the 'Waterfall' between the rear seats, and
around the cabin clothing the interior door panels and enticing the owner to
enter Dawn.
Interior design
Once again Rolls-Royce's unique coach doors come into
their own in a drophead format. The coach doors are impressive and graceful.
The doors complement the long front wings and relaxed waft line, creating a
long body profile and a cosseted cabin.
Evocative of the classic sports car profile, they add
considerably to the easy entry and egress of rear passengers from Dawn's
luxurious embrace. The rear passengers do not merely 'get out' of a Rolls-Royce
Dawn, but rather stand and disembark as if from a Riva motor launch onto a
glamorous private jetty in Monaco or on Lake Como.
Of course as one would expect of a Rolls-Royce, the
coach doors also serve a more fundamental purpose than simply a means of
access. Perhaps just as importantly, they also add significantly to the overall
strength and stiffness of the body as they allow the construction of an
uninterrupted A-pillar.
The first impression upon entering Dawn is of the four
separate bucket seats set in the midst of a sumptuous and sartorial slingshot
of wood and leather. The slingshot concept runs from the driver's A-post
towards the rear of the car, around the rear seats before returning to the
passenger A-Pillar.
The slingshot form is reminiscent of a barchetta,
pulled back, poised and ready to launch the occupants of the car to the
horizon, even whilst stationary. This design complements the accelerated
tension seen in the exterior of the car. The interior complements the exterior,
a place of opulence, security and presence.
The Rolls-Royce Dawn offers four very individual,
cosseting seats. The vehicle is a full four seater and so there is no
compromise in comfort wherever you sit. The seats have been designed to help
emphasise the energetic, yet elegant intent and sense of purpose of the car,
complemented by an intersecting full length centre console. The upper seat back
houses the seat belt harness, which together with the pillarless bodywork
enhances and emphasises the slingshot of wood or leather with no breaks in the
flow-lines. The wood on the surfaces of the trays are also book-matched down the
centre console in a chevron pattern pointing forward providing an accelerated
feel.
The instrument dials have also undergone subtle
enhancements with individually applied polished metal chaplets around the dials
evoking the precision design of hand-made, luxury wrist watches, whilst the
matt chrome centres 'float' in the middle of each instrument. In addition, a
new clock design featuring the new motor car's name has been introduced.
ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
Without question, the engineering highlight of the new
Rolls-Royce Dawn is the new roof. To be a true Rolls-Royce, Dawn had to deliver
the hushed driving experience associated with all Rolls-Royces. At the same
time the only choice for a Rolls-Royce was a fabric roof for reasons of
aesthetics, romance and brand appropriateness. There is nothing more romantic
than driving a convertible in the rain at night and hearing the drops pattering
on the roof. In conversation with its customers, Rolls-Royce realised that they
felt the same way.
Working with a fabric roof configuration, the
Rolls-Royce engineering team set themselves a challenging goal which they were
unwilling to compromise on - to make the quietest convertible car in the world
today. This quest for silence applied to all aspects of the engineering of the
new roof and by extension the new motor car.
Firstly, the passengers' on-board aural experience
roof up and roof down while in motion had to be pure Rolls-Royce. The design of
the roof had to be graceful, beautiful and sensuous whilst remaining one of the
largest canopies to grace a convertible car.
Of particular note is how the canopy wraps around the
rear seats and down over the window tops of Dawn thereby optically lowering the
roof line of the car to contribute to its low-slung appearance.
Another point to note is the small size of the rear
glass - a carefully-judged proportion which heightens the sense of a private
sanctuary when motoring with the roof up.
Two key techniques were employed to ensure the roof
not only appears beautiful and sensuous in its form, but also contributes to
the silence of the car in its function. A perfectly smooth surface, combined
with an innovative tailored 'French Seam' ensures that the air flow over the
car with the roof up creates no noticeable wind noise. Inside, the Rolls-Royce
Dawn is as silent as a Rolls-Royce Wraith - a first in convertible motoring.
Secondly, the actual opening and closing of the roof
mechanism had to be both beautiful and unobtrusive at the same time. The
engineering team even went so far as to invent a phrase for what they wished to
achieve with the roof mechanism. The Silent Ballet.
And a Silent Ballet is what they achieved.
Operating in complete silence in just 22 seconds, and
at cruising speeds of up to 50km/h this 'Silent Ballet' engages the majority of
one's senses as silence and seclusion are exchanged for the sounds, light and
aromas of the outside world. As if opening an airlock, Dawn lifts the lid on
the outside world and its cabin becomes a wider part of the owner's social
space.
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