Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé: The Luxury Liner

By Motoring Channel Staff - 17/Jan/2006

Detroit, USA — Launched at the Detroit Motor Show 2006, the Phantom Drophead Coupé is the second new model from Rolls-Royce since BMW Group became custodian of the marque in 1998. The 2-door, four-seat convertible is a less formal interpretation of classic Rolls-Royce design and uses the lightweight rigidity of an all-aluminium spaceframe along with modern technology to create a sleek, streamlined convertible body.

Its exterior lines echo the timeless styling of the great Rolls-Royce cars: a long bonnet, large-diameter wheels, short front and long rear overhangs and the quintessential dynamic line descending along its flanks. Inside, the design emphasises the airy openness of top-down motoring, embracing the elements and creating a stunning, social environment.

The Phantom Drophead Coupé has been carefully crafted to be aesthetically pleasing, yet practical too. Wood, leather, chrome and brushed steel have been used where most appropriate. Form and function have equal billing. The simplicity of the design belies a car built to provide years of effortless service.

The Phantom Drophead Coupé offers owners an unparalleled convertible experience, says Rolls-Royce, combining compelling driveability with exceptional engineering, technology and design – hand-crafted from the finest materials to an exceptional level of quality.

Exterior Design

From the outset, the design team at Goodwood were adamant that the Phantom Drophead Coupé should be more than simply a convertible version of the Phantom: "Designing without compromise meant that, to a certain extent, we had to start again," says Rolls-Royce chief designer Ian Cameron. 

"Simply removing the Phantom’s roof could have made a great convertible but it wouldn’t have made a perfect one. With the Phantom Drophead Coupé we had the chance to think about the very nature of convertible motoring and, in particular, what it means to Rolls-Royce."

It also features suicide doors that open into the wind instead of against it, which harks back to 1930s car design, and it is said the Phantom Drophead Coupé has been designed as a car in which to enjoy the elements. The all-weather surfaces of the interior have been designed to take what nature can throw at them. 

"We didn’t want owners to feel as if they had to pull over at the first spot of rain," says Cameron. 

Interior Design

To this end, a number of notable features can be seen throughout the interior. Firstly, the seats have no ridges in them, giving a smooth surface so that moisture can be wiped straight off. In place of traditional floor mats, wholly more practical sisal mats are used and even the carpet itself employs 21st century materials designed to deal with the moisture and humidity encountered in many areas of the world. 

Rather than take inspiration solely from the automotive world, chief interior designer Alan Shepherd looked elsewhere. "In 2004, when we were designing 100EX, we visited a boatyard in Southampton where one of the famous 1930s America’s Cup J-class yachts was being restored. We were struck by the variety and uses of different materials throughout. All of the J-class yachts have a tremendous sense of purposeful elegance about them, and this was something that we were keen to emulate."

The front seats are slimmer than the Phantom’s but still offer an uncompromised degree of comfort. Integrated seatbelts are mounted directly onto them, while active head restraints and seat squab airbags give further protection to the torso and head. The driving position is set deliberately high to give a commanding view of the road over the long bonnet, and the curved rear lounge seats offer an intimate, social environment for passengers. Rear legroom is excellent for a convertible (believed to be the best in its class) and marks the car out as a true four-seater.

An exceptional sound system has been specially designed for the Phantom Drophead Coupé, taking into account the differing acoustic properties of the convertible. Nine channels of sound arrive via 15 speakers, creating a stereophonic experience to impress the most hardened audiophiles.

Estimates from the 2007 Detroit Motor Show put the cost at around US$350,000, which is about A$446,000. The car is equipped with a 6.8-litre V12 engine that ensures the rear-wheel drive vehicle is far from slow, dispatching the zero to 100km/h sprint in just 5.5 seconds.

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