As previously reported, Rolls Royce newest creation is the revitalised Rolls Royce Dawn (last seen 1952). Before we relied on eye-straining covered Dawn’s. Now we can take in one of the most gorgeous convertibles, soon to share the roads with us.
Even though its shares the same distinct body styling as the Wraith, 80% of body panels are brand new, doors and a few other bits and pieces contribute to the remaining 20% that’s borrowed from the Wraith. To the untrained eye, it’s an impossible task to determine what’s old or new. Rolls Royce doesn’t want customers to think it’s a Wraith soft top though (even though it pretty much is).
Rim size comes standard as 20-inches with an option to upgrade to 21-inch wheels. Both options follow in the footsteps of previous Rolls Royce’s with weighted wheel caps (anything else would be a step back!). For those unsure what weighted wheel caps are; when the vehicle is rolling, Rolls Royce’s double R logo will always stay upright no matter how many revolutions the tyre makes.
Underneath the bonnet is a 6.75 litre petrol engine pumping out 563 horsepower and 780 Nm of torque. It’s practically the same engine as the Wraith. Top speed is electronically capped at 250 km/h and has a 0-100 time of just 4.9 seconds!
Inside the option for a starlight lined roof or a sunroof has been chucked off the extra list for obvious reasons, now you can really soak up the sun or view the beautiful night skies. We really like the attitude in the specs above as well, too bad we don’t see more RR’s like this!
Sophisticated interior is here to stay, bespoke leather covers all four seats. A variety of colour options are available, upon request any colour can be chosen for a slight fee. Expect all the usual features such as cooled front seats, navigation, Bluetooth pairing, cruise control plus more to be inside the cabin. As for Rolls Royce’s traditional analog clock adorning the wooden trimmed dashboard, it’s here to stay now bearing the motor cars throwback name, Dawn.
Rolls Royce wants the Dawn to be the quietest convertible on the market as the roof will fold silently into the boot without a single squeak. For those that love a bit of noise, a bespoke acoustically tuned 16-speaker sound system has been implemented inside the cabin.
The Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller (yes the round dial inside actually has a name) receives an upgrade. A simple one-touch system to access navigation and other applications displayed on a new 10.25-inch screen is now even easier than before! Numerous safety features present in the Wraith carry over into the Dawn including heat detection system to pick up heat signatures of humans and animals in areas of low light and heads up-display.
An 8-speed ZF automatic transmission jumps ship as well, which by the way is satellite aided to ensure smooth gearshifts and effortless driving. It’s been around since the Wraith made its debut in 2013 and collects data using GPS.
It may be late to the party compared to the Bentley Continental GTC, which has graced asphalt since 2005 its got heaps of ground to cover if it’s to be a worthy competitor. Mercedes have also joined the fray with their S-Class Cabriolet (due out later this year), it may be the cheaper alternative, doesn’t mean it’s any less luxurious.
| Cars | Rolls Royce Dawn | Bentley Continental GTC | Mercedes-Benz S-Class (S 65) |
| Engine volume: | 6.75 litre/V12 | 6 litre/V12/Twin Turbo | 6 litre/V12/ Twin Turbo |
| Horsepower: | 538 hp | 567 hp | 621 hp |
| Torque: | 730 Nm | 700 Nm | 1000 Nm |
| Maximum speed: | 250 km/h | 314 km/h | 250+ km/h |
| 0 to 100 km/h: | 4.9 Seconds | 4.7 seconds | Unknown |
| Time to convert: | 22 Seconds | 25 Seconds | 20 Seconds |
| Max Speed to convert: | 60 km/h | 60 km/h | 60 km/h |
Rolls Royce haven’t let the cat out of the bag with an exact release date, although it’s likely to appear early 2016 in GCC countries. In the meantime check out new Rolls Royce and used Rolls Royce for sale in Dubai listings on dubicars.com.
