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Rolls-Royce Phantom DHC gets special Nighthawk treatment

We see info on a lot of special edition Rolls-Royces coming across our desks here at Autoblog, and most of them are destined for some far-flung Asian market. But not this one. This one is just for North America. It's called the Nighthawk edition, and it's based on the Phantom Drophead Coupe (Rolls-speak for "convertible"). It made its debut in Phoenix during the Super Bowl, but Rolls has just released the full skinny on it now. Limited to just nine examples, the Rolls-Royce Phantom DHC Nighthawk edition is "inspired by the sleek yet bold designs of stealth aircraft," the most iconic of them known as the F-117 Nighthawk. The Rolls cabrio features a metallic black paintjob with a matte black hood and windscreen frame and an interior decked out in carbon fiber trim, black and red leather and instruments with glowing orange tips. It's a stark take on a decidedly luxurious automobile, and only goes to show the extent to which the Rolls-Royce Bespoke department can transform one of its vehicles. ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM 'NIGHTHAWK' MAKES A BOLD NORTH AMERICAN DEBUT IN PHOENIX ARIZONA The latest Rolls-Royce exclusively created for North American customers has arrived in Arizona this evening. The first of nine Phantom Drophead Coupe 'Nighthawk' Bespoke Collection cars hit the streets of Phoenix, featuring bold design and a low profile inspired by stealth technology in modern aerospace development. 'Nighthawk' features a combination of modern materials and subtle colour to create a new contemporary interpretation of a classic Rolls-Royce motor car. Following its first public drive in Phoenix, Arizona this evening, 'Nighthawk' will be on display to millions of Americans during the festivities surrounding Super Bowl XLIX. Phantom Drophead Coupe 'Nighthawk' Collection These nine stunning Phantom Drophead Coupes showcase the unique design capabilities of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars' Bespoke team, and are now available through the company's 41 North American retail dealers. Inspired by the sleek yet bold designs of stealth aircraft, 'Nighthawk's' designers have used cutting edge technology and materials to ensure the stunning Rolls-Royce Phantom Bespoke Drophead Coupe will not go unnoticed. Incorporating the latest design and technology with the super-luxurious hallmarks of the brand, 'Nighthawk' features a lustrous Diamond Black Metallic paint with a Matt Diamond Black bonnet. The windscreen surround design is inspired by radar-absorbent material (RAM) coating used in aviation.

Rolls-Royce might 'enter into fuel cells'

Rolls-Royce released its first series-produced EV, the Spectre, in 2022, and the brand plans to launch additional battery-powered models in the coming years. It's not closing the door to other powertrains, however, and it's notably open to experimenting with hydrogen fuel cells. "Why not? I would say so when the time is right for us, and when the technology is so much advanced, that it is definitely something we would pursue as Rolls-Royce. Why not? We might exit batteries, and we might enter into fuel cells," company boss Torsten Muller-Otvos told British magazine Autocar. He stopped short of revealing whether engineers are currently testing hydrogen fuel cell-powered prototypes. It's too early to tell whether Rolls-Royce would develop a hydrogen fuel cell on its own or whether it would source some of the drivetrain's parts from parent company BMW, which has dabbled in this technology for decades. BMW notably began building an X5-based, hydrogen-powered prototype called iX5 in 2023, and it plans to ultimately funnel the feedback it gathers by testing the model into a production car. Muller-Otvos has already ruled out building a car powered by a hydrogen-burning engine, however. "I think a hydrogen combustion engine is nothing I would in any way look into, because that was tested already years ago. This is not the most efficient way to use hydrogen. If hydrogen will be used in the future, then it's fuel cells. And fuel cells are nothing different from a battery. It is just how you get the energy," he told Autocar, referring to the hydrogen-burning 7 Series prototype tested by BMW in the 2000s. Rolls-Royce, like nearly every brand looking at hydrogen technology, warns that the infrastructure needs to improve before the fuel cell can merge into the mainstream. "You can't obviously have hydrogen charging at home, whereas [with EVs] you have one big advantage, and all of our clients have big garages. There is lots of space at home and there is lots of space in office buildings to install charging," the CEO said. As it stands, Rolls-Royce wants to sell only electric cars by the end of 2030, and it hasn't announced plans to launch a series-produced hydrogen-electric model. It's not unreasonable to assume that this outlook could change during the second half of the 2020s, however.

Rolls-Royce reveals new Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament for electric era

It’s a big day in Rolls-Royce land, as the mega-luxury British car company just revealed a new Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament to grace its future vehicles. In the world of automobiles, the Rolls-Royce hood ornament is one of the most iconic, and now itÂ’s getting a new look for the electric era. Or as Rolls prefers, “she” is getting a new look. The first Rolls-Royce vehicle to wear this new Spirit of Ecstasy will be the upcoming Spectre electric car. Its design is tied to the brandÂ’s electrified future, too. Rolls-Royce says the new design is sculpted to both look and be more aerodynamic than the outgoing model. Instead of standing with legs straight, tilting at the waist and feet together, the new ornament is “braced for the wind, one leg forward, body tucked low.” Height-wise, the new ornament is 82.73 mm tall, while the outgoing ornament was 100.01 mm tall. Plus, the robes (they're not wings!) flapping behind her have been reshaped to be more aerodynamic and look more realistic. Left: Current Spirit of Ecstasy; Right: New Spirit of Ecstasy Why is aero such a great focus? Well, aero is everything when it comes to electric car range and efficiency. Rolls-Royce says its current Spectre prototypes have a drag coefficient of just 0.26, making the Spectre the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce ever. That figure is expected to be even better once the production design is finalized, Rolls says. “111 years ago today, the Spirit of Ecstasy became an official part of Rolls-Royce,” says design director Anders Warming. “Yet, she has come to represent a spiritual direction for our brand. Her form perfectly captures the marque – she leans forward, expressing our relentless pursuit of progress, and her dress gracefully flows in the wind, echoing the serenity of our products in motion. For Spectre and beyond, she becomes lower and more focused; braced for unprecedented speed and the exciting future her presence will define.” The ornament is the product of 830 hours of design modeling and wind tunnel testing. Instead of drawing it out on paper or real-life sculpting, though, this Spirit of Ecstasy was designed via digital “sculpting” on a computer. That said, the actual construction of the ornament will continue to be finished by hand after undergoing its “lost wax casting.” This hand finishing process means that even in the age of computers, Rolls promises that every single ornament will be minutely different from the next — itÂ’s about charm.