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Custom Coachbuild
Rolls-Royce currently offers three models in its lineup: Ghost, Cullinan and the new full-electric Spectre. All are built in very limited numbers, so buyers are in possession of something exclusive. But what if a customer wants something even more exclusive, different from standard Rolls-Royce fare? On rare occasions, the famed British marque will build a unique coachbuilt vehicle. The latest example is the stunning La Rose Noire Droptail which debuted in Pebble Beach, California.
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Resetting What’s Possible
“Today, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveils Droptail, an exquisite coachbuilt motor car that resets our understanding of what is possible in the luxury sector,” said Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Torsten Muller-Otvos. “Indeed, our dedicated Coachbuild department is the only place in the world where true patrons of luxury can create a motor car not for their image, but in their image,” noted the CEO, who also observed that “Droptail, the most involved, progressive and refined Coachbuild to date, is not a concept car or a design study — it is a motor car that has been built to be driven.”
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Beyond Bespoke
Every Rolls-Royce customer has the opportunity to customize colors, materials and other features of their new automobile, but Rolls-Royce Coachbuild goes a step beyond. A small group of clients are willing to go further to own something special, and they work with designers and engineers to create something unique, beyond what Rolls-Royce offers publicly. This arrangement with Rolls-Royce Coachbuild led to the unique Droptail, a vehicle that took more than four years to complete.
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How Much?
Rolls-Royce isn’t releasing the exact price of this elegant, one-of-a-kind, Rolls-Royce. However, based on previous coachbuilt examples, the La Rose Noire is likely priced north of $30 million. Clearly this is not an undertaking for just any buyer, and Rolls-Royce is very selective when it comes to accepting a customer’s request for a special coachbuilt vehicle.
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Custom Body
The Droptail is not the first modern, custom-bodied Rolls-Royce. In 2017, Coachbuild was responsible for the creation of the Sweptail 2-door coupe, as well as the open-top Boat Tail in 2021. However, this is the first time Rolls-Royce has created a 2-seat roadster, and it is one of the most ambitious projects the company has ever undergone.
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Coachbuilt Roadster
This latest iteration of a Coachbuilt Rolls-Royce is a modern version of the 2-seat roadster, and only four of these will ever be built. The first to arrive is the La Rose Noire, inspired by the Black Baccara rose. This special flower originates in France and is a favorite of the matriarch of the family that commissioned this elegant automobile.
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Rose Noire Color
The colors of the Black Baccara rose change from almost black to a pearlescent red in sunlight, and the color of the La Rose Noire mimics this. The color effect was a complex process to achieve, developed after 150 iterations. The primary color is covered in five layers of clear lacquer, and each is blended with a different shade of red to create the mesmerizing result.
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Unique Grille
The traditional Pantheon grille is one of the most recognizable aspects of any Rolls-Royce. For the Droptail, the grille has been altered for the first time so the top angles back, tucking in under the hood and famed Spirit of Ecstasy ornament. This kink in the grille creates a shadow line that gives the appearance of connecting the slim headlights, giving the car a wide stance. The lower front air intake was digitally designed and 3D printed for a unique look.
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Sail Cowls
Behind the cabin are “sail cowls” that not only provide a distinct styling feature for this elegant roadster — they also provide downforce for better performance. Designers determined that a rear wing would take away from the elegant droptail styling, so after two years of design iterations among aerodynamicists and engineers, the designers were able to create a shape that provides the needed downforce.
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Custom Wheels
The La Rose Noire rides on custom 22-inch wheels with a dark finish that appears black but lights up with red undertones in sunlight.
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Extensive Interior Treatment
Even more impressive is the Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire cabin decor. Continuing the rose theme, the cabin is surrounded by the most intricate parquetry ever created in a Rolls-Royce. The development and installation took nearly two years to complete. With an abstract design representing falling rose petals, the inlaid woodwork comprises 1,603 pieces of Black Sycamore wood specially sourced from France. Each triangle was cut, sanded, and positioned by hand, with one single craftsperson responsible for creating this intricate woodwork. The level of concentration for this endeavor required that only one hour was spent at a time, at a maximum of five hours per day.
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Champagne Dreams
The new owners of the Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire arranged for an exclusive vintage of Champagne de Lossy — one of their favorite winemakers. This special champagne will be carried in a custom chest built with rose parquetry that matches the vehicle’s cabin and carries hand-blown crystal champagne flutes. The chest’s exterior converts to a serving tray made from the same Black Sycamore wood used in this special Droptail.
© Rolls-Royce
Removable Top
The Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire works as an open-top roadster or sleek hardtop coupe, with a removable hardtop of carbon fiber. Even with the top in place, passengers can enjoy views above via an electrochromic glass roof that changes from opaque to clear at the touch of a button.
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Lightweight and Strong
Even the underpinnings of the Droptail are bespoke, thanks to a monocoque constructed from aluminum, steel and carbon fiber. The extensive use of carbon fiber results in light weight with outstanding rigidity.
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
