Rolls-Royce Dawn - New Four-Seater Convertible

Rolls-Royce has unveiled the latest addition to its slowly-expanding car range: the Dawn four-seater soft-top convertible.

Inspired by the classic Silver Dawn Drophead from the 1950s, the Dawn is aimed at a “younger” and “more socially-aware” customer who wouldn’t necessarily be catered for by flagship Phantom Drophead Coupe.

Rolls-Royce Dawn – 80% New Components

Despite the perceived similarities to the Wraith fixed-head coupe, the Dawn is claimed by Rolls-Royce to be an all-new model for the company, with 80% of the components allegedly being brand new for this car (the only bodywork pieces shared between the Dawn and the Wraith, for instance, are the suicide doors and front grill surround).

Part of the radical overhaul is presumably due to the Dawn being engineered from the outset as a true four-seater. A good portion of those extra parts are expected to be the result of Rolls-Royce ensuring the Dawn has comparable rigidity, stability and refinement to the Ghost and Wraith.

Roofless in 22 Seconds

Rolls-Royce has also poured plenty of hours into the development of the soft-top. Not only did the roofline need to be “completely harmonious and homogeneous” with the Dawn’s svelte styling, but it also had to possess enough sound deadening to ensure the interior remains as silent as possible with the roof up. This electric mechanism that can raise or lower the roof in 22 seconds is also claimed to operate in “complete silence”, too.

Interior with Lots of Space

Interior-wise, the Dawn has been laid out to maximise the space and practicality that Rolls-Royce believes is sorely lacking in the car’s “compromised” contemporaries. The interior is also finished with a few unique styling cues that are exclusive to the Dawn – the wood finish on the rear deck, for instance, “flows” down behind the rear seats, with the chosen type of wood also featuring on the door panels.

563bhp, twin-turbocharged 6.6-litre V12 engine

As with the Ghost saloon, the Dawn is powered by a 563bhp, twin-turbocharged 6.6-litre V12 engine – not quite as lofty as the Wraith’s 624bhp output, but enough for Rolls-Royce to claim the Dawn to be the most powerful luxury four-seater convertible in the world. The engine is also paired up to a GPS-assisted eight-speed automatic transmission, which first appeared on the Wraith a couple of years ago.

Whilst being a heavy car (at 2,560kg, the Dawn is a fifth of a ton or so heavier than a Wraith) with a huge engine, fuel economy is fairly respectable – Rolls-Royce claims up to 19.9mpg is attainable, making the Dawn one of the more efficient luxury four-seater cabriolets on the market – a Bentley Continental GTC W12, for instance, can only return 16.5mpg.

How Much Will it Cost Me?

Pricing and release dates are yet to be disclosed, though we expect the Rolls-Royce Dawn will official go on sale in the first half of next year, with prices starting some way north of the £235,000 that Rolls-Royce charges for a Wraith. More information is expected to be revealed during the car’s official public debut at next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show.