2011 Rolls Royce Ghost / Black On Black / Stainless Hood / Loaded W Options 2012 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Rolls-Royce to auction first Dawn in America for charity

Want to get your hands on the first new Rolls-Royce Dawn to reach North America? The automaker will auction off the first of its new convertibles in the US at the Naples Winter Wine Festival in January. All proceeds will go to charity. The Dawn is the new drophead counterpart to the Ghost and Wraith. The four-seat convertible features a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 good for 563 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque, channeled to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission for a 0-62 time of under five seconds. It's a suitable foil to the likes of the Bentley Continental GTC and Mercedes-Benz S-Class convertible. Rolls-Royce introduced the Dawn at the Frankfurt Motor Show just a couple of months ago, and will begin arriving at dealers in April. The example pictured here will be the first to arrive in North America. It'll be outfitted by the Bespoke division in Arctic White with a Deep Red roof and a corresponding interior with Indian Rosewood trim and unique treadplates. It's valued at over $400,000, but bidding will start at $335,000 at the wine fest scheduled for January 29-31 at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, FL. Proceeds from the auction will go towards the Naples Children & Education Foundation. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Offers Once-In-A-Generation Opportunity To Own The Sexiest Rolls-Royce Ever Built Bidder at the 2016 Naples Winter Wine Festival will become the first North American customer to receive the new Rolls-Royce Dawn WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., Nov. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Bidders at the 2016 Naples Winter Wine Festival will have a truly exclusive opportunity to become the first North American customer to receive the sexiest Rolls-Royce ever built. The all-new Rolls-Royce Dawn marks a new horizon in the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars' lineup of pinnacle motor cars, and the brand has offered the very first delivery in North America to benefit Naples' charities. This Dawn will be offered at the Naples Winter Wine Festival to be held from January 29-31 2016 at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Florida with proceeds benefiting the Festival's founding organization, the Naples Children & Education Foundation. A true four-seater, Dawn is the most social of super-luxury drophead motor cars. Its effortless elegance and luxurious, yet approachable demeanor fits seamlessly into the backdrop of the 16th annual Naples Winter Wine Festival.

This exploding Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow is angering, mesmerizing

Between Las Vegas and the emirates of the Persian Gulf, we're sure there are Rolls-Royces to be found in the desert all the time. And we don't doubt that, given those locations, one gets torched every so often. There'd probably even be someone in a tuxedo or evening gown running for cover when it happens, too. The thing is that we're seldom if ever there to watch it go down, much less capture it in stunning high-definition, frame-by-frame video when it does.
That's where this four-minute clip by Tyler Shields comes in. The American photographer and filmmaker staged and captured this Silver Shadow being doused in gasoline (or at least what we're supposed to believe is gasoline) and set afire in the Mojave Desert, along with actor Cru Ennis and actress Ana Mulvoy-Ten.
It's heartbreaking but mesmerizing, and you'll want to watch the video for yourself to see which side you fall on. If it's the former, take solace at least in the fact that the Silver Shadow is far from a rare beast. In fact, it remains by far the most prolific Rolls-Royce ever, with over 30,000 made between 1965 and 1980... so we doubt this one will be missed terribly.

Rolls-Royce Dawn becomes two-seater Silver Bullet convertible

Rolls-Royce has transformed the Dawn, the only convertible in its range, into a two-seater roadster named Silver Bullet. It's a limited-edition model that's part of the company's client-commissioned Collection Cars line. The stately Silver Bullet is "a contemporary interpretation of the classic roadster spirit and driving experience," according to the BMW-owned firm. It's clearly based on the Dawn, both models share their front and rear fascias, but it's finished in a specific hue named Brewster Silver Paint that's a tribute to past Rolls-Royce models, like the Silver King and the Silver Silence. Subtle black trim add a finishing touch to the low-key design. Bigger modifications are found inside, where designers removed the Dawn's rear seats and replaced them with a tonneau cover the brand calls an Aero Cowling. It features a finisher made with vapor-blasted titanium. The images released by Rolls-Royce don't fully reveal the Silver Bullet's interior, but it previously noted each example will feature an open-pore carbon fiber insert and a quilted transmission tunnel inspired by leather jackets. We'd expect nothing less from the purveyors of the most expensive regular-production SUV in the world. Power likely comes from the Dawn's 6.6-liter V12 engine, which is twin-turbocharged to 563 horsepower and 605 pound-feet of torque in its standard configuration. We think the 593-horsepower, 620-pound-feet evolution of the 12 found in the Black Badge model would suit the roadster's touring intentions much better, however. It was designed to be driven, and the brand will organize road trips to encourage owners to put miles on their Silver Bullet rather than storing it in a heated garage for a couple of years and later selling it at a big-name auction. Rolls-Royce noted it will build 50 examples of the Silver Bullet, though how many have been earmarked for the American market hasn't been revealed yet. Pricing information remains under wraps, too, but keep in mind the standard Dawn carries a base price of approximately $350,000 before options enter the equation. Autoblog asked whether any build slots remain available, and we'll update this story if we learn more. Related Video: