Dawn in the Land of the Rising Sun

Japan is expected to be the largest market for Dawn in the Asia Pacific region, following an overwhelming response at exclusive closed-door customer previews of the car in Tokyo in summer 2015. Rolls-Royce’s new Dawn delivers a cool, contemporary interpretation of what a super-luxury four-seater convertible motor car should be – rare, refined and the most social super-luxury car there is. It takes inspiration from the Silver Dawn, a famous and rare Rolls-Royce name that was only ever applied to 28 very special dropheads between 1950 and 1954.

In the most challenging times, the phrase “It is always darkest just before the dawn” resonates as a beacon of hope. This early morning darkness, where apparitions such as phantoms, ghosts or wraiths have been imagined, and where one’s apprehensions lurk, is brushed aside by an energising burst of early morning sunlight as one awakens to a new dawn and the endless possibilities of a new day.

Rolls-Royce’s design ethos has created a car that conveys all the hallmarks of the brand’s peerless craftsmanship combined with a philosophy of effortless, yet invigorating driving experience. “At Rolls-Royce, we pride ourselves as creators of fine motor cars that also serve as social spaces,” comments Rolls-Royce’s Design Director, Giles Taylor. “The idea of creating a car like Dawn that can be used in comfort by only two adults on a day to day basis is anathema. In creating Dawn we have accepted no compromise to the comfort and luxury of four adults who want to travel together in the pinnacle of style.”

Rolls-Royce’s engineers have paid great attention to Dawn’s roof, which delivers the silence of a Wraith when up and operates in just over 20 seconds at a cruising speed of up to 50km/h. Working with a fabric roof configuration, the goal was to make the quietest convertible car in the world today.

This quest for silence applied to all aspects of the roof’s engineering and by extension the new motor car. The engineering team even went so far as to invent a phrase for what they wished to achieve with the roof mechanism: The Silent Ballet.