Rolls-Royce unveils bespoke $36 million Boat Tail

A successor to the one-off ultra-exclusive Rolls-Royce Sweptail that draws direct inspiration from luxury yachts has emerged overnight, dubbed the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail.

Just three examples of the 2021 Rolls-Royce Boat Tail have been confirmed for production, with each car rumoured to have cost an incredible £20 million ($A36m), making it the most expensive Rolls-Royce ever to be offered for sale.

Resurrecting a name last used by Rolls-Royce back in the 1920s and 1930s, the maritime name refers to the unusual rear-end design that mimics a J-class yacht's hull.

Measuring in at 5900mm long, the Boat Tail has been designed to be a two-door, two-seater grand tourer, with each car heavily customised to individual buyers' preferences.

Taking four years to create from first sketch to final build, the new Boat Tail is the first model to spring from Rolls-Royce's new Coachbuild division that's been tasked with developing ultra-bespoke vehicles and individual one-off commissions.

Built on the British car-maker's Architecture of Luxury aluminium space-frame platform, the Boat Tail shares its 6.75-litre V12 and eight-speed auto with the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Power and torque have not been confirmed, but the Boat Tail is expected to produce around 419kW and 900Nm of torque.

Despite sharing an engine, almost everything else on the Boat Tail is bespoke, with every body panel unique and the front and rear lights designed especially for the big Rolls GT.

In total, Rolls-Royce says 1813 parts had to be created from scratch, while other existing parts, like the Phantom's sound system, had to be completely re-engineered to work in the Boat Tail.

For now, Rolls-Royce has only released pictures of a complete car that was commissioned by a customer who already owns a 1932 Rolls-Royce Boat Tail.

Painted in the wealthy client's favourite colour, the rear deck packages all you'd ever need for the ultimate picnic. That includes two fridges, one of which has been created specifically to house champagne.

There's also space for an entire cutlery and crockery set, plus two carbon-fibre stools, a pair of cocktail tables and a striking parasol that extends upwards from the rear deck.

That deck, meanwhile, splits in two at the touch of the button and, along with its running boards, is covered in something called open-pore Caleidolegno veneer, an Italian wood finish normally applied to the dashboard.

Up front, the Boat Tail's cabin is claimed to feature a minimalist approach to its design, with much of its tech, like its infotainment system, hidden away.

Despite a pared-back approach, designers still managed to sneak in not one but two Swiss timepieces that had to be specifically re-engineered for the car.

Other challenges engineers had to face included adding extra fans within the rear luggage compartment to ensure the food and drinks remain chilled even on the hottest days.

Speaking of heat, despite its look, the Boat Tail lacks a traditional folding fabric roof and has to make do with a removable one-piece hard-top.

If the weather turns, Rolls-Royce has supplied an emergency tonneau cover that can be used to keep the premium leather dry.

To enable all three cars to be fully road-legal and capable of being registered, the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail underwent full homologation testing that included high-speed testing.

Rolls-Royce has refused to announce what each owner paid for their Boat Tail, but reports suggest each car's extra bespoke touches went well beyond the one-off Sweptail, which cost more than $17.5 million.

This suggests owners shelled out almost twice the price on the car, plus extras.