Feann Torr•12 Dec 2016

REVIEW

Rolls-Royce Dawn 2017 Review

Name: Rolls-Royce Dawn 2017 Review
Brand: Rolls-Royce

A luxury car like no other, this sumptuously-equipped vehicle stirs the soul in an unexpected fashion

Model Tested

Rolls-Royce Dawn convertible

Review Type

Road Test

Review Location

Sussex, England

Luxury objects are often defined as unnecessary but highly desirable, most often by virtue of their handcrafted, ultra-high quality. The $750,000 Rolls-Royce Dawn embraces this ethos with the passion of young lovers reunited, delivering a level of opulence that astounds. That it supplies power operated backward-facing doors, seats four adults at full stretch and has a big V12 engine generating buttery smooth thrust is icing on the cake. Is this the finest convertible in the world?

Cruising through the idyllic British countryside in any Rolls-Royce is a plum gig, but doing it in a Dawn, top-down, in unusually pleasant weather is something else entirely. It may be powered by a V12 but this car is all about sophistication, and the quietness of the Dawn lets you really appreciate what's going on around you. From the twittering of birds overhead to the floral scent of nearby blooms experienced within a vehicle whose operation goes beyond silky smooth, this convertible is almost unfathomable.

Until you fathom it.

The best way I can describe what it's like to drive the Rolls-Royce Dawn is to compare it to a luxury yacht. Despite having four wheels and a front-mounted engine, this British-built behemoth sails along the road as it if were made of honey, offering a serene, velvety ride while delivering a wind-in-the-hair feeling.

Ride comfort is incredibly good, the Dawn gliding over rough roads almost as if the local council forgotten to neglect them. Taking advantage of air-suspension coupled with adaptive dampers, you wouldn’t know the vehicle rode on 21-inch alloy wheels if they didn't blind you every time their polished surface reflected the sun.

Rolls-Royce calls the results of its super-smooth chassis setup the magic-carpet ride. I'm yet to ride a magic carpet in order to verify such a claim, but it's on my list of things to do.

Dawn sales are going through the roof

Wealthy customers are ordering Dawns in their droves and apart from the legendary badge and unrivalled level of hand-craftsmanship, it's popularity has been boosted in no small part by its convertible roof... You could say it's an open-and-shut case.

At the touch of a button – inside the car or remotely via the key fob – the roof takes a claimed 22 seconds to fully open or fully close, although our timing showed it to be slightly quicker than that. And we've got video to prove it – stay tuned for that one.

The roof can also be operated at speeds of up to 50km/h, just in case that pleasant UK weather turns foul mid-cruise.

Making use of a French seam to ensure a curved silhouette for an added touch of visual splendour, the roof is comprised of seven layers of sound- and weather-proof materials. With the roof in place overhead it's remarkably quiet, but even when cruising with top dropped there's not a lot of wind swirl or penetration into the cabin.

Take a seat, stretch out, relax

Like the front seats, the rear seats are absolutely huge and you sink deep and low into the absurdly soft cushions improving wind protection. And there's just so much room in the back, it's unlike any other convertible we've tested.

With the roof in place, the canvas comes quite low over the side of the window, which Rolls-Royce says delivers extra privacy.

After seeing first-hand during our Goodwood factory tour just how much work is required to fashion the wood inlays and leather upholsteries in each and every Rolls-Royce, it's great to experience the finished product. Because like a fine wine or a rare timepiece, understanding breeds appreciation.

The open-pore woodgrain is immaculate – see the video for evidence – and the suppleness of the leather beggars belief. The hand-stitched, laser-cut leather taken from only the finest alpine bovines provide incredible comfort. However, I wouldn't have picked bright orange leather if it were my pride and joy. But to each their own.

Ultimately there are infinite possibilities for interior finishes, so if you want customised marquetry or diamond-encrusted titanium accents – and you have the pecuniary wherewithal – you can.

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Check out our spectacular video tour of the Rolls-Royce Atelier Room within the company's Goodwood HQ for a behind-the-scenes glimpse at just how far car personalisation can be taken.

Power, luxury, and the time to appreciate it

Propelled by a substantial 6.6-litre twin-turbo V12 engine that generates supercar-rivalling power (420kW and 780Nm) I never felt compelled to gas the throttle while testing this car. This is a rare thing for yours truly… Although in the name of a robust and rigorous testing I did put the pedal to the metal once or twice, and yes, it hustles!

Acceleration figures are claimed at 4.9secs 0-100km/h, and if you don’t mind a lot of wind in your hair, it'll top out at 250km/h.

But a big part of what makes a car like this so satisfying is that it's such a lovely place to spend time, so finely tuned for comfort, so lavish to touch. Consequently, you'll rarely want to rush things.

Why check out of a luxury hotel if they give you an extra night gratis? Maybe to catch a plane… But I digress.

Driving a Roller is an informative experience. It's refreshing to cruise around serenely, knowing you've got enough power channelled to the rear-wheels to pull a house from its stumps, but rarely requiring it. It's telling that Rolls-Royce has a "power reserve" meter, not a tachometer or rev counter.

The engine is potent and shifts the car’s titanic 2.6 tonne bulk with an effortlessness that borders on arrogance. Who am I kidding, it's completely arrogant! But that only adds to the appeal. Throttle response is somewhat woolly, the steering is vague too but these traits are intentional, ensuring occupants aren't unduly jostled about in their mega chairs.

The eight-speed automatic transmission is peach-fuzz smooth and the 82.5 litre fuel tank provides a decent range, more than 500km, if you can achieve the claimed fuel consumption of 14.2L/100km.

I've driven a few classic cars in my career, a Jaguar E-Type among them, and one parallel can be drawn alongside driving the Dawn. It just feels tremendously special.

The car's extreme length and width makes it nerve-wracking to drive at times, the long bonnet tricky to judge at times too, but this only adds to its encounter thus guaranteeing a memorable experience.

It wouldn’t be difficult or unwise to throw $750,000 on something more exotic, faster and sharper, but you'd be harried by wannabe racers at every turn, you'd be unlikely to fit four people in it, and luggage? Forget it.

Make an entrance, without the boasting and bluster

The Rolls-Royce Dawn is a striking machine to behold, it's rear-hinged, power-closing doors, sumptuous interior and grandiose slab-sided design leaving many passers-by agog.

And it's refreshing to not have all that bravado, that machismo that often goes hand-in-hand with ultra-exclusive vehicles.

Unlike other vehicles in its price range, generally high-powered exotica, the Rolls-Royce Dawn doesn't throw practicalities out the window. The 480 litre boot is big, with enough space to hurl a couple of golf bags into, or perhaps several sand bags in case your rooftop Jacuzzi springs a major leak.

Okay, so the Rolls-Royce dawn weighs almost as much as a truck, is prohibitively expensive at $749,000 and only has two brolly holders… But golly-gee it makes you feel good. And unlike the vast majority of coupes that are transmogrified to convertibles, or politicians who will say anything to get into power, this particular cruiser makes few compromises.

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Best of British: Welcome to the show

That radar-cruise control is optional on a $750K car seems obscene and blind spot monitoring isn't even available. And if you want Apple CarPlay or Android Auto? Look elsewhere, because you can't get it here.

But this car isn't about techno-doodads and electronic wizardry.

A conservative brand by nature, Rolls-Royce builds cars for the world's wealthiest customers and although this vehicle won't be to everyone's taste, early orders suggest it's found a sweet spot with buyers.

Perhaps the inexplicably glorious weather had something to do with my fond memories of reviewing this car, but whether the Gods were smiling on the Dawn that week are immaterial. There's simply no denying the Dawn's grandeur, a vehicle that stirs the soul in ways so differently from virtually every other car out there.

2016 Make Model Type pricing and specifications:
Price: $749,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 6.6-litre 12-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 420kW/780Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 14.2L/100km (claimed)
CO2: 330g/km (claimed)
Safety Rating: TBA