Market Snapshot

CONVERTIBLE ADDED TO ROLLS-ROYCE LINEUP

According to Ward’s Auto, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveiled its new Phantom Drophead Convertible in France. It will be handcrafted at the automaker’s headquarters in Goodwood, United Kingdom. The first vehicles are expected to be delivered in late summer.

The Drophead will be a two-door, four-passenger vehicle, measuring 220.8 inches in length and 78.2 inches in width, with a wheelbase of 130.7 inches. It’s powered by a 48-valve V12 engine, putting out 453 hp and 531 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,350 rpm. 

Some of the other features include a rack-and-pinion, speed-sensitive, variable-rate steering system and ventilated disc brakes. The top-speed rating for the Drophead is 149 mph, governed. And it will travel from 0 to 62 mph in 5.9 sec. The Drophead will be available in nine different colors. The rear deck is made from teak, and a Rolls-Royce press release indicates that the vehicle “is a less formal interpretation of the classic Rolls-Royce design” and “combines a lightweight, extremely stiff aluminum spaceframe with the lean and elegant body of a Drophead Coupé.” Pricing has not yet been released for the vehicle.

Sources: Ward’s Staff. (July 11, 2007). “Rolls-Royce Unveils New Convertible.” Ward’s Auto. Retrieved July 11, 2007 from www.wardsauto.com. http://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com.