Rolls-Royce has unveiled the Droptail roadster, limited to four examples each believed to be the most expensive new car ever produced. Each car will be substantially different in detail, if not in overall form. This dark, daring, and dramatic coachbuilt masterpiece is a symphony of design, engineering, and artistry, carefully curated to symbolize cherished experiences and moments of an extraordinary family.
Rollls-Royce Droptail design draw inspiration from early Rolls-Royce models including the 1912 Silver Ghost ‘Sluggard’ and the 1925 Silver Ghost ‘Piccadilly’. The Droptail, which took five years to make, has a sleek exterior made from steel, aluminium and carbon fibre. It has a 6.7-litre V12 engine and 593 horsepower.
The Droptail includes a removable hardtop designed to give it two distinctive looks. The long, low-slung roof gives the car a dramatic coupe appearance and features an electrochromic glass section, which transitions from opaque to near-translucent at the touch of a button. When removed, the Droptail becomes a lithe, open-top roadster. The upright elements in the grille are angled for the first time, and the lower air intake features 202 individual rectangular projects, a three-dimensional twist on mesh, 3D printed and using 202 hand-polished steel ingots finished in a unique coating flanked by LED headlights.
The vehicle, like the flower, changes colour depending on the angle from which it is viewed. The ‘La Rose Noire’ wears pomegranate-coloured paint, said to have been inspired by the Black Baccara rose, and offset by dark finishes on the exterior detailing.
Inside, 1603 pieces of black sycamore wood trim veneer sourced from France are used to create a design that suggests rose petals scattered in the wind. A custom-designed Audemars Piguet watch is mounted into the dash but also can be removed and worn. There’s also a champagne and cooler storage compartment in the car.
At more than $30 million, the Droptail is one of the most expensive and is a staggering sum for a non-vintage car.