The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe is 221 inches stem-to-stern and rides on 21-inch wheels. (right-hand drive version pictured).
F. Scott Fitzgerald penned those famous lines for his 1926 story, The Rich Boy, wherein he cited numerous privileges of the financial elite but failed to mention a most important distinction: Only the very rich can afford a Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupè--and very few of them at that.
First of all, it's only polite to pronounce the name correctly, so you mustn't call it a drophead "coupe." It's pronounced "koop-A" (as though there's also a "koop-B"), the proper English form of the word. That may sound a bit uppity to American ears, but this is a properly British car, and a decidedly uppity one to be sure.
It's been more than three years since Rolls-Royce produced a convert ... er ... drophead coupè, and the company has never produced very many. In its 103-year history, only about 100,000 Rollers of any kind have silently flowed off the production line, roughly the current monthly output of parent-company BMW, which purchased the Rolls-Royce name--and precious little else--for a prestigious $1.3 billion in 1998. Although company records are sketchy, best estimates are that drophead coupè production totaled less than 2000 in the last century, so ownership of one is an exclusive privilege indeed.
We got to be one of those exclusive owners in the equally exclusive surroundings of San Diego, California--or at least, we got to play one for a day. But what a day that was.
Kingly Proportions
When approaching the Drophead Coupè, the most striking aspect is its mammoth proportions. At 221 inches stem-to-stern, it's nearly as long as a Chevrolet Suburban, and its high beltline hovers above massive 21-inch wheels shod not with currently popular "rubber-band" tires but rather with donuts befitting the aforementioned SUV.
Almost instantly the eye is drawn to the classic Rolls upright grille topped by the equally-classic "Spirit of Ecstasy" hood ornament, which can be power-retracted for safekeeping. Another eye catcher is the block-long hood, particularly when finished in optional stainless steel, which also graces the windshield surround. You know you're in the presence of a car with presence, and there's little chance of mistaking it for anything else.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe's vault-like doors are hinged at the rear, so they open backward to normal convention.
But the Drophead Coupè isn't for mere mortals, and it's built this way because it's difficult for a car without the structural benefit of a roof to span a lengthy 130-inch wheelbase and not be a vehicular bowl of Jell-O over bumps. And the strategy works. But more on this later.
One doesn't enter a Drophead Coupè in the usual manner. Its vault-like doors are hinged at the rear, so the door opens backward to normal convention. And that's not just a gimmick; it really does make ingress easier, particularly to the rear seat. It would also make a fully open door easier to close--as the handle would be just a short reach away--if, in fact, you had to close the door yourself. But you don't, of course, as there's a button near the windshield pillar that, when pressed, activates a motor that closes the door for you. Of course.
Champagne Dreams and Cashmere Wishes
Once tucked comfortably in place, you'll notice there are few surfaces inside that aren't swathed in leather, wood, stainless steel, or chrome, and there's a vast amount of surface. Unlike the "sculpted" look of, say, a modern top-line Mercedes, panels here are predominantly straight and flat, lending the impression that a CEO's office was shrunk--ever so slightly--and encapsulated in a huge bar of aluminum billet.
A study of your surroundings reveals a complex blend of classic form and modern function. Placed before you is a thinly-sectioned, leather-covered, stainless-steel-trimmed steering wheel the diameter of a beach ball. Gauges are set in a stainless-steel panel that stretches the width of the cabin; in place of a tachometer is a "Percent of Power" meter. Audio and climate controls poke out of a full-width wood plank in your choice of elm, ash, mahogany, rosewood, or piano-black finish. (If none of those--or the 10 standard hues of leather--fit your fancy, Rolls-Royce has a "Bespoke" program that allows you to pick your own.)
The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe's interior is customizable with your choice of several combinations of premium woods and leathers (right-hand drive version pictured).
Leave Your Driver at Home
The push of a dashboard button beckons the engine to life, and with a finger's touch of the electronic gearshift flipper (right out of a BMW 7-Series sedan), you're rolling.
Once over the fact you're piloting a car that costs nearly twice as much as the average house, behind the wheel of a Drophead Coupè is a surprisingly relaxing place to be. Thanks to a torquey, BMW-built, 6.75-liter 453-horsepower V12, acceleration is far better than might be expected of a three-ton car and it never feels clumsy or cumbersome. (Rolls claims 0-60 mph in a quick 5.6 seconds, which is perfectly believable.) Most bumps are mere rumors, most noises are suppressed, and at any cornering speed, it feels remarkably competent, balanced, and perfectly at ease.
Top down, there's very little buffeting at highway speeds and impressively little wind rush. The windshield header is far enough forward to imbue a true open-air feeling (hardly common in contemporary drop-tops with their steeply slanted windshields), and bumps never caused a noticeable quiver; only once did the rearview mirror exhibit a hint of vibration, and that was when we intentionally tested the structure's mettle by launching over a rough railroad crossing. It quickly became evident that there are worse ways to spend a workday than sailing along the scenic, sun-drenched roads of Southern California in a gloriously opulent Drophead Coupè. As a matter of fact, it would be difficult to imagine a better way.
Shortly after reaching a curvy length of road in the foothills outside San Diego, the skies darkened and a mist of rain began to fall. Not to worry. Rolls claims the interior is designed to shrug off light moisture, and even at the lower speeds we were traveling, the drops were blown over our heads. We eventually pulled into a parking spot, and one push of a button summoned the top from beneath its teak-covered deck (an option Rolls claims takes a month to meticulously hand-craft). Twenty-five seconds later, we were snug as a bug in a cashmere-lined rug. That top, by the way, is immaculately tailored, with no unsightly hardware spoiling the view. Made up of five layers (the inside actually being a cashmere blend), it's thicker and better-insulated than the Queen's comforter, and when closed, you feel...enclosed--a sensation partly enhanced by the broad expanses of fabric that severely restrict vision straight back and to the rear corners. Perhaps as a result, fender-saving front and rear obstacle detection is standard.
The inside of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe's convertible top is lined with a cashmere blend (right-hand drive version pictured).
Golf, Anyone?
Since the sheer pleasure of motoring in a Drophead Coupè makes extended road trips a near-constant attraction, cargo space takes on an air of importance. At 11.1 cubic feet, the trunk is about the same size as that of a traditional midsize convertible, and Rolls claims it will hold three golf bags. The advantage here is that no volume is lost when the top is retracted.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe's trunk features a vertical tailgate for easy loading.
If You Have to Ask.....
In case you're wondering what it takes to acquire what is perhaps the most splendid road-going transportation device of the 21st century, one might consider the old adage that "If you have to ask, you can't afford it."
But since you were just wondering and not really asking, the answer is ... wait for it ... $412,000. And that's before adding the optional 21-inch chrome alloy wheels, teak tonneau cover, and brushed stainless-steel hood and windshield frame (which, seemingly, everyone does) that bring the total to a cool $435,250--plus tax.
Oddly, for those who can afford it, that seems like a bargain. Yes, you could easily buy a line-topping Mercedes-Benz S65 twin-turbo V12 sedan and a Ferrari F430 Spyder for that money, but you couldn't drive both at once now, could you? Furthermore, your neighbor probably already has those, and why just keep up with the Joneses when you can flat outclass them?
And just who can "afford" it? Well, the target audience for the Drophead Coupè are those considered "Ultra-High Net Worth Individuals"--and if you have to ask what that constitutes, you probably aren't among them. According to Rolls-Royce, it means someone with liquid assets (not property investments) that would allow them to write a $30-million check that wouldn't bounce. You might think this lofty peak on the net-worth pyramid would be very exclusive indeed, yet it's estimated to include 85,000 individuals worldwide.
And just how
many of those 85,000 could put a Drophead Coupè in their coach house?
Perhaps not as many as you might think. Rolls-Royce built approximately
250 Drophead Coupès during 2007 and doesn't have the capacity to build
a whole lot more during 2008. Only 40 percent of production is destined
for the United States, and demand has been such that anyone placing an
order today won't see his or her car until sometime in 2009. That's a
rare situation in the automotive world these days, and introduces the
very rich to a very plebeian concept: waiting in line.
What's the price of high luxury? The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe will set you back around $412,000 (right-hand drive version pictured).