Luxury Insider

Every panel of the Phantom Drophead Coupé bodyshell is new, and customer requests that the bonnet be done in brushed stainless steel and that the boot lid have the two-section design – both unique and salient features of the 100EX show car – have been granted.

The rear-hinged coach doors that are now a Rolls-Royce hallmark, allow easier access to the interior. As with the rear doors of the limousine, they can be effortlessly powered shut at the touch of a button.

The nautical deck planking aft of the rear seat shown on the 100EX has also been retained. Apart from looking terrific, this is a slightly tongue-in-cheek reference to a land yacht.

Rolls-Royce design chief Ian Cameron told us that the opulent sculpting of the body sides took its cues from old-timer America’s Cup J-Class racing yachts. That said, at this level, the true competitors to a car of this type are not so much other cars as a yacht or an aircraft.

In the past, driving a Rolls-Royce convertible was a rather two-dimensional experience – corpulent in feel and vague in response is the description that springs to mind. Today’s Phantom Drophead Coupé however, is a revelation with fine road manners and effortless pace rounding out the gravitas of its physical presence.

When the Rolls-Royce marque was founded over 100 years ago, all cars were open and it was the best car in the world. With the debut of the Phantom Drophead Coupé, Rolls-Royce has come full circle in more ways than one.