Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe

GOODWOOD, England — Rolls-Royce has revealed its new two-door Phantom Drophead Coupe in a series of official photographs ahead of its world premiere at the North American International Auto Show on January 7.

The upmarket convertible, previewed by the 100EX concept car in 2004, is the second new Rolls-Royce model to be introduced since the famed British carmaker was purchased by BMW in 1998. The coupe lines up alongside the larger four-door Phantom and will be assembled with it in limited numbers at Rolls-Royce's Goodwood production site in England.

In naming its latest model, Rolls-Royce decided against the oft-rumored Corniche name, preferring to give it the ultra-British "drophead coupe" designation for open-top models. Insiders say the Corniche moniker may now appear on a smaller Rolls-Royce model officially announced by Chairman Ian Robertson at the Paris Motor Show. That one is due out by the end of the decade as a competitor to the Bentley Continental Flying Spur and a heavily rumored entry-level Maybach.

The Drophead Coupe's exterior design draws heavily on that of the 100EX. Sleeker than previous Rolls-Royce models, it is far less formal than the Phantom, despite sharing certain cues. Among the more flamboyant elements brought over from the well-received concept car are its high-tech headlamps, raked grille, stainless steel hood and suicide doors.

The new car's vast fabric roof is claimed to be the largest ever applied to a production model. Engineered with the help of German specialist Edscha, it automatically retracts back into a dedicated well at the rear of the four-seat cabin. The trunk has a tailgate function designed to support the weight of two adults.

As with the Phantom sedan, the Drophead Coupe is based around an aluminum space frame. Rolls-Royce claims this decision let it develop the new car at a fraction of the cost of a conventional unit-body model. It has been heavily upgraded for use on the new convertible, with added strengthening to bolster overall stiffness despite the loss of the roof. Rolls-Royce goes so far as to describe it as the stiffest convertible on sale.

Powering the Drophead Coupe is the same 6.7-liter V12 engine used in the Phantom sedan. It produces 453 horsepower at 5,350 rpm and 531 pound-feet of torque at 3,500 rpm. Drive is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. Despite tipping the scales at a portly 5,776 pounds, Rolls-Royce claims the new model goes from zero to 60 mph in a rapid 5.7 seconds. Top speed is limited to 149 mph.

At 220.8 inches in length, the new car is 9.8 inches shorter than the Phantom. A 130.6-inch wheelbase liberates enough space for four in a plush cabin with materials influenced by 1930s America's Cup J-class yachts, according to Rolls-Royce design boss Ian Cameron.

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