The Rolls-Royce Dawn is a
convertible
A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...
luxury grand tourer
A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving, due to a combination of performance and luxury attributes. The most common format is a Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, front-engine, rear-wh ...
manufactured by
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited is a British luxury automobile maker which has operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW AG since 2003 – as the exclusive manufacturer of ''Rolls-Royce''-branded motor cars. The company's administrative ...
. It was announced at the
2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.
[Rolls-Royce Dawn unveiled](_blank)
, Derek Fung, CarAdvice, 8 September 2015[Rolls-Royce's new Dawn is a glorious, £250,000 super-convertible](_blank)
, Jason Barlow, Top Gear, 8 September 2015
Overview
The Rolls-Royce Dawn was built in order to replace the earlier 2-door open top car model, the
Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé
The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé is a luxury grand tourer manufactured by Rolls-Royce that debuted at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, on 7 January 2007. It is based on the 2003 Rolls-Royce Phantom and ...
.
The Dawn was built on the basis of the
Rolls-Royce Ghost
The Rolls-Royce Ghost is a full-sized luxury car manufactured by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The "Ghost" nameplate, named in honour of the Silver Ghost, a car first produced in 1906, was announced in April 2009 at the Auto Shanghai show. The produ ...
, unlike the earlier model which was based on the
7th Generation Rolls-Royce Phantom, the flagship car model of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars until the arrival of the
8th Generation and the
Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé
The Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé is a luxury car manufactured by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars that debuted at the 2008 Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland, on 6 March 2008. The platform is based on the 2003 Rolls-Royce Phantom and ha ...
.
The Rolls-Royce Dawn is the last open top combustion car made by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Wraith and Dawn are the only remaining Rolls-Royce vehicles using a BMW platform, so their demise was quite expected. It's confirmed that the Spectre replaces the Rolls-Royce Wraith Coupé and the Dawn Cabriolet.
Specifications and performance
Engine
Performance
The car has a limited top speed of and weighs . It can accelerate from in 4.9 seconds.
Design
Interiors and exteriors
File:Rolls-Royce Dawn front.jpg, Rolls-Royce Dawn Standard Edition front view
File:Rolls-Royce Dawn rear.jpg, Rolls-Royce Dawn Standard Edition Rear view
File:RRDhk160520 6958besg.jpg, Rolls-Royce Dawn Standard Edition Bespoke orange interior, seating configuration
File:RRDhk160520 6959besg.jpg, Rolls-Royce Dawn front Cockpit view
The
front grille gets a design recess compared to the
Wraith. The
front bumper has been extended by . The car has 20-inch polished wheels.
Body
Rolls-Royce has said that 80% of its body panels are new compared to the
Wraith.
To balance exclusivity and efficiency, Andreas Thurner designed the Rolls-Royce Dawn hand in hand with the Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II and the Rolls-Royce Wraith (Co-Designer Rolls-Royce Wraith)
Variants
Rolls-Royce Dawn Black Badge
The Black Badge Dawn is a performance-oriented edition of the Dawn. Its exterior features are painted black (including the
Spirit of Ecstasy
''The Spirit of Ecstasy'' is the bonnet ornament sculpture on Rolls-Royce (car), Rolls-Royce cars. It is in the form of a woman leaning forwards with her arms outstretched behind and above her. Billowing cloth runs from her arms to her back, ...
) and has a new rim system. Its interior consists of carbon fibre applications and black coloured leather seats. The Black Badge marque has also been applied to the
Rolls-Royce Cullinan
The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is a full-sized luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) manufactured by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars as the brand's first all-wheel drive vehicle. It is named after the Cullinan Diamond, the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever disc ...
and the
Rolls-Royce Wraith.
Rolls-Royce Dawn Landspeed Edition
Unveiled online alongside the
Rolls-Royce Wraith Landspeed in June 2021, the Landspeed Edition is a limited version of the Dawn Black Badge made to pay homage to captain
George E.T. Eyston.
The Interior bears new features such as the Eyston's OBE, Military Cross and Chevalier de la Légion and some features of the exterior are coloured yellow.
Rolls-Royce Dawn Silver Bullet
The Rolls-Royce Dawn Silver Bullet is a special edition of the Rolls-Royce Dawn built on the basis of the roadsters of the 1920s.
The exterior and interior designs are inspired by classic
open top cars and has a newly redesigned
convertible
A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...
roof that drops down in 22 seconds. The interior features new retro-styled applications.
The production is limited to only 50 cars worldwide.
Special editions by car tuners
Mansory Dawn
The Mansory Dawn is a car modified by the German car modification firm
Mansory based on the Rolls-Royce Dawn.
The car features a new lower bodywork scheme and a new rim system. The car's interior has new leather applied seats and the interior has been customised using polished aluminium, carbon fibre, burl wood or highly polished piano lacquer surfaces.
The original engine has been tuned making the Mansory Dawn accelerate from in 4.5 seconds. The maximum speed has been increased from .
See also
*
Rolls-Royce Ghost
The Rolls-Royce Ghost is a full-sized luxury car manufactured by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The "Ghost" nameplate, named in honour of the Silver Ghost, a car first produced in 1906, was announced in April 2009 at the Auto Shanghai show. The produ ...
*
Rolls-Royce Wraith
*
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited is a British luxury automobile maker which has operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW AG since 2003 – as the exclusive manufacturer of ''Rolls-Royce''-branded motor cars. The company's administrative ...
*
Bentley Continental GT
The Bentley Continental GT is a grand tourer manufactured and marketed by British automaker Bentley Motors since 2003. It was the first car released by Bentley under Volkswagen AG management, after the company's acquisition in 1998, and the fi ...
References
External links
*
*
First Drive Review
{{Rolls-Royce vehicles
Dawn (2015)
Cars introduced in 2015
Luxury vehicles
Convertibles