THE ROLLS ROYCE LA ROSE NOIRE DROPTAIL - A BESPOKE LAND YACHT WORTH OVER $30 000 000.
The Rolls-Royce name has always been associated with the best of the best automobiles, the absolute best in luxury and opulence. When someone buys a Rolls-Royce, a huge part is to make a statement to the world that says “I’ve made it”, or for the cynical; “Look how much money I have”. Either way, Rolls-Royce cars are built to different standards to most, and there’s no rush when putting one together on the coachbuilding side of the company. It takes about 6 months to hand-assemble a Rolls-Royce with a team of expert craftsmen, and with over 450 hours of labour you just know that translates into the selling price. That’s for a normal Rolls-Royce though, things are quite different when it comes to the bespoke coachbuilding of a unique commissioned car, like this Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail. This is easily the most beautiful modern creation from the Goodwood-based coachbuilder, and it damn well should be when it’s reportedly sold at $30 000 000. Yes, that is thirty million, or here in SA at the current exchange rate, a mere R559 931 315.09. That does seem a bit ridiculous, but that’s the way of the world when you’re part of the 1 % of the 1%. The La Rose Noire Droptail is one of four commissions undertaken by Rolls-Royce, and this one is inspired by romance and the allure of the Black Baccara rose. Over and above that amazing yacht-inspired bodywork, it’s the interior details that amaze. The parquetry is made from 1 603 hand-finished and hand-placed wood pieces that took nearly two years to complete making it the most complex parquetry in Rolls-Royce history. That’s saying something.
“Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail is a love story, thoughtfully captured and stunningly projected onto the canvas of a Rolls-Royce motor car. It is an expression of the deep and passionate partnership between a husband and wife who are the heads of a prominent international family – to be part of their remarkable story is a privilege. Furthermore, La Rose Noire Droptail stands as a testament to our brand’s relentless pursuit of perfection, where artistry and the vision of a single client truly harmonise. In every detail of this historic commission, there are echoes of both Rolls-Royce’s rich heritage and the commissioning clients’ character, from its captivating yet formidable form to its flawless and elegant romantic gestures. La Rose Noire Droptail, like the remarkable clients who dared to make such a potent and contemporary statement, will be written into Rolls-Royce history forever.” says Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
There’s clearly a lot to a car worth thirty million dollars, so here are some highlights. The car wears a new exterior paint process that required 150 iterations to perfect. There’s a base coat whose colour remains secret, followed by five layers of clear lacquer, each blended with a slightly different tone of red. The first red shade is named ‘True Love’, and the darker is named ‘Mystery’ and the combination appears to change colour when viewed from different angles. The brightwork matches the paintwork but is not painted, instead a specific chrome electrolyte is introduced in the chrome plating process and co-deposited on each stainless-steel substrate in a layer just one micron thick to create a dark yet reflective finish. The dark finish is called Hydroshade thanks to its liquid quality and that too was specially developed for this build. The hard top is removable and features an electrochromic glass section that can be darkened instantly. The lower front air intake is 3D printed and incorporates 202 hand-polished and painted stainless-steel ingots. The fascia features an integrated one-off Audemars Pigue timepiece, a 43mm Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph matched to La Rose Noire’s colourway, incorporating red counters and a red inner bezel, and it’s removable on request of the client. There’s also a matching champagne chest commissioned so the client can showcase his exclusive vintage champagne collection that’s no doubt actually from Champagne. While it’s more about the posing, the Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail is fitted with a twin-turbocharged 6.7-litre V12 rated to produce a decent 442kW of power with 840 Nm of torque. It’s not slow, and to help the land yacht in the agility stakes, there’s the addition of rear-wheel steering.
“Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail stands as one of the most progressive expressions of Rolls-Royce Coachbuild ever conceived. In capturing the romantic and glamorous spirit of the commissioning clients, our design team explored bold new artisanal processes and highly complex creative gestures in their pursuit of a deeply personal language of luxury. The remarkable execution of the wood elements of La Rose Noire Droptail in particular is a clear statement that time-honoured exquisite crafts have a place at the pinnacle of modern design. Indeed, the ambition of the marque’s clients and the peerless capabilities of its designers signal a long and exciting future for Rolls-Royce Coachbuild and its standing as the leading creative force in applied art at its highest level.” Anders Warming, Design Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Take a look at the YouTube video showing off the newest coachbuilt car from the masters of luxury - Rolls Royce. The droptop is something rather nice to look at, and we love that it's the size of the QEII but still only features two seats. The styling all round is on another level, but it damn well should be seeing as what you see here may just be the current most expensive car in the world. That takes some doing considering what's on the market these days from the niche hypercar manufacturers, take a loot and tell us if it's worth it: $32M Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail | World's Most EXPENSIVE New Car | Planet Car News
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