Rolls-Royce ends production of best-selling Dawn convertible
The convertible and hardtop versions have bowed out, as the company looks towards EV future
Rolls-Royce has announced that production of its best-selling open-top model in its history, the Dawn convertible, has officially ended.
Designed as the successor to the Phantom Drophead Coupé, and aimed at attracting younger buyers, Rolls Royce says up to 80 percent of the car’s body panels were unique, since it was keen to avoid simply making a Wraith with the roof chopped off.
The Dawn made its debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. At launch, it was equipped with a twin-turbo 6.6-liter V12 engine, which delivered 563 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque.
This was enough to launch the convertible from 0- 62 mph in just 4.9 seconds, before reaching its top speed of 155 mph.
The roof took roughly 20 seconds to fold, and it could be operated at speeds of up to 31 mph.
Rolls-Royce later introduced the Black Badge version, which boosted the V12's output to 593 hp and 620 lb-ft of torque.
As Rolls-Royce now commits to an all-electric future, it is likely its next-generation convertible will be pure, battery powered.
This could be as a soft-top version of Roll's Royce's first all-electric model, the Spectre, which is due to launch towards the end of 2023.