Perhaps the world’s most prolific and prestigious manufacturer of luxury cars, Rolls-Royce has unveiled a new custom ‘Boat Tail’ retro convertible. Underpinned by the BMW-owned brand’s Architecture of Luxury aluminium spaceframe, the ‘Boat Tail’ is primarily based on the existing Rolls-Royce Phantom limousine. The car’s aesthetic is further inspired by J-Class yachts and ‘Boat Tail’ Rolls-Royces of the past, which were created when coachbuilders began grafting the hull forms of sailing boats onto rolling Rolls chassis in the 1920s and 1930s.
However, all exterior sheet metal has been replaced for this bespoke model, and 1813 unique parts were designed and produced specifically for the model. The car is road legal, and Rolls claims it’s undergone all the same dynamic testing as its core models. It also features a fully reworked rear-end capable of storing a cooled food and drink compartment, integrated umbrella, fold-out tables, and collapsible carbon fibre chairs. Even the stereo hasn’t escaped untouched, with the company adapting the 15-speaker system to use the whole floor structure as a resonance chamber.
Then there’s the “hosting suite”, which has five electronic control units and a unique wiring harness that took nine months to develop. With the push of a button, the rear deck opens butterfly-style to effectively reveal a picnic set. One side is dedicated to drinks, with a double fridge explicitly designed to hold the customer’s favourite kind of Champagne. The other side is for snacks and other food items. Furthermore, a parasol is fitted to spring up from the centre line for shade, and there are a couple of little tables and storage compartments for two stools.
The clock is also worth mentioning. Besides Rolls-Royces and Champagne, the owner of the car also collects Bovet watches. Over three years, Rolls-Royce and Bovet developed two tourbillon timepieces that can either be worn on the wrist or mounted on the Boat Tail’s dashboard.
Under the hood is a 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 lifted from the standard production car, which sends 420kW/900Nm to the rear wheels via an eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission.
Rolls-Royce is yet to quote a 0-100km/h time for the Boat Tail; however, in the Phantom, the 6.75-litre engine allows the benchmark sprint to be conquered in a claimed 5.3 seconds.
The company has not confirmed the vehicle’s pricing “out of respect for the client’s privacy”. However, a report from British outlet Autocar claimed a buyer had put forward a £20 million (AU$37 million) figure. If accurate, his would make it one of the most expensive new cars ever sold.