Skip to main content

Rolls-Royce’s murdered-out Dawn Black Badge is fit for Cruella de Vil

Traditionalists argue a Rolls-Royce should have beige leather upholstery and real wood trim on the dashboard. Customer tastes are changing, though, and the BMW-owned British company is evolving with them. The new Dawn Black Badge is a more contemporary spin on the exquisite Rolls experience designed to dazzle younger one-percenters.

The Dawn is the third member of the Rolls-Royce family to get the Black Badge treatment, after the Wraith and the Ghost. As you’d expect, the model is only available in a deep shade of black that has been painstakingly hand-polished. The convertible top, too, is only available in black, and the rear deck is upholstered with black leather. Do you notice a pattern yet?

Related Videos

The iconic Spirit of Ecstasy emblem is finished in dark chrome, as is much of the trim that’s usually shiny on the regular, non-dark Dawn. Turn the headlights off, and you might not see this drop-top when it’s pitch black outside.

Rolls-Royce created a brand-new material for the dashboard. Its Bespoke division wove tiny threads of aircraft-grade aluminum and bonded them in carbon fiber. Six coats of lacquer are applied before each part is left to dry for three entire days. In the world of automotive trim, that’s about as meticulous as it gets.

Rolls-Royce Dawn Black Badge

The trim parts show just how much attention Rolls-Royce paid to every minute detail as it was designing the Black Badge. If you’re not convinced, look at the air vents on the dashboard. They’re darker than usual, and an advanced surfacing method ensures they’ll never discolor or tarnish, which is important in a convertible destined to spend quite a bit of time tanning topless.

It’s not all about looks: Rolls-Royce tweaked the engine, too. The stock Dawn’s twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter V12 now belts out 593 horsepower and a mighty 619 pound-feet of torque. All that power is transferred to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. The list of mechanical upgrades also includes bigger brakes and a quicker steering rack.

“[Black Badge] is an alter-ego for our marque that captivates the disrupters, the innovators, and those that accept no limitations,” Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Otvos said in a statement.

Buyers can already order (or commission, in Rolls-Royce-speak) the Dawn Black Badge. Gerry Spahn, the head of Rolls-Royce’s communications department, told Digital Trends the package adds $50,000 to the Dawn’s base price before other options are factored in. That means pricing starts at about $370,000.

Updated by Ronan Glon: Added pricing information.

Editors' Recommendations

Rolls-Royce thinks autonomy could take us back to the good ol’ days of design
Rolls-Royce Sweptail

There is hardly a limit to how much well-heeled buyers will spend on a car when it's entirely custom-made. Rolls-Royce perfectly illustrated that trend last year by introducing the Sweptail (pictured), a one-of-a-kind model designed to an anonymous enthusiast's exact specifications. It cost $13 million. You would think such a car rarely comes around, but the company confirmed it's working on a second bespoke project.

Rolls-Royce design chief Giles Taylor told British magazine Autocar that the yet-unnamed model will be revealed in the "near future." While the Sweptail is a one-of-one car, Taylor hinted the upcoming project won't be quite as exclusive. The brand will cap production in the low single-digits. Each one will be unique.

Read more
Rolls-Royce hopes its first SUV will be as solid as a diamond, and as desirable
Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Rolls-Royce confirmed that its first SUV will be named Cullinan. Rolls has been using Cullinan as a code name to refer to the SUV since the project was first announced three years ago, but waffled over whether that name would be carried over to production. Rolls' decision to lock in the name indicates that the Cullinan is almost ready for its unveiling, but we don't have a firm date yet.

The name comes from the Cullinan Diamond, the largest flawless diamond ever found. The 3,106-carat gem was dug up in South Africa's Magaliesberg Mountains in 1905, and named after Thomas Cullinan, who owned the mine where it was found. The diamond was later cut into nine pieces. The two larges of those pieces became part of the British Imperial Crown and Scepter.

Read more
Airbus hybrid-electric plane project gets a boost from Rolls-Royce
hybrid electric passenger plane rolls royce e fanx 3d graphic

The electric flying taxi project led by Uber may be making progress, but how about a much larger, hybrid-electric passenger plane for trips further afield?

The ambitious plan isn't the work of some obscure company you've never heard of, either. Instead, it's the goal of big-name firms Airbus and Siemens. And now Rolls-Royce is joining the collaborative effort.

Read more