The 2016 Rolls-Royce Dawn convertible finally spied wearing its soft top

By Alexander Kalogianni June 9, 2015

Rolls-Royce Wraith — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Rolls-Royce is building on the success of its Wraith Coupé with a convertible version, and spy shots of the drop-top luxury cruiser have finally popped up, giving a glimpse of what to expect next year.

Dubbed the Dawn, the soft-topped Rolls-Royce gets its name from the classic coaches from the late ’40s and early ’50s. Previously, the car had been spotted testing preforming winter tests in the arctic circle, but the test mule was sporting a hard top — not the folding soft top that it will be produced with.

According to Autocar, Rolls-Royce head Torsten Müller-Ötvös is quoted in saying “Dawn is a beautiful new open-top motor car with a name that suggests the fresh opportunities that every new day holds — an awakening, an opening up of one’s senses and a burst of sunshine. It will be the most social of super-luxury motor cars for those beautiful people who wish to bathe in the sunlight of the world’s social hotspots.”

The short version? “Hey, fresh air is pretty nice.”

2014 Rolls-Royce Wraith — The 2014 Rolls Royce Wraith Coupé Image used with permission by copyright holder

Market-speak aside, a convertible version of the Wraith does sound like a great addition to the lineup, joining the yacht-like Phantom Drophead Coupé. The Wraith-based “baby Rolls” convertible will retain the two-door layout of the hardtop and, presumably still be powered by a twin-turbo 6.6-liter V12. This puts down 624 horsepower, which is plenty of grunt to send the Dawn racing towards the horizon.

We expect many of the hallmarks of the Wraith to find their way into the Dawn, including the plush carpeting and fine attention to detail. Like other coupes made by the classic luxury automaker, the Wraith was similarly smooth and quiet, even at high speeds. We expect the Dawn will be similar, with a bit of the noise cancellation sacrificed for the soft top.

Then again, we’re talking about Rolls-Royce, who aren’t really known for comprising. The luxury convertible is expected to hit the road next year and be priced in the ballpark of £250,000 (roughly $385,000).

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Alexander Kalogianni

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Alex K is an automotive writer based in New York. When not at his keyboard or behind the wheel of a car, Alex spends a lot of…

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