Used 2019 Rolls-Royce Dawn

The 2019 Rolls-Royce Dawn is designed to transport four passengers in complete opulence while enjoying the full open-air motoring experience. This car is a throwback to the classy and elegant coach-built 2-plus-2 convertibles of the last century. The Dawn is easily the most expensive 4-seat convertible available today — and it has been since the model launched in 2016. Other 4-seat drop-tops require the back-seat passengers to cram and contort to find comfort. Not here. Every seat in the 2019 Dawn is First Class and stitched with the finest hides.

The silken V12 is as potent as it is quiet. And speaking of silence, when that 6-layer cloth top is powered up, it creates a cocoon of calm on the inside. But all this greatness certainly doesn’t come cheap. The Dawn starts at just over $350,000. And because this is a Rolls-Royce, that number is just the beginning. It’s possible to option up this luxury soft-top to well over $400,000.

That buys you the freshest and most youthful convertible Rolls-Royce has ever made. There are more powerful and more tech-savvy ultra-luxury convertibles out there, like the Mercedes-AMG S 65 Cabriolet and new Bentley Continental GT, but even they can’t match the provenance of a Rolls-Royce.

One of the 2019 Dawn’s best feats is that, although it has a traditional soft-top, it is exemplarily quiet. In fact, Rolls-Royce boasts that when setting out to create the Dawn, it mandated that with its fabric top up, it must be as quiet as its sibling, the metal-roof Wraith coupe. Yes, it’s eerily silent.

But this car can be quite a bit of fun too. The Dawn packs a potent twin-turbo V12 delivering 563 horsepower connected to an 8-speed automatic that uses GPS signals to anticipate road conditions. it’s an odd experience to feel such a brawny, 5,600-pound convertible hustle to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds. But a full-throttle launch will certainly plaster a smile on your face. The Black Badge version packs another 30 horsepower, enough to trim a tenth off that time.

As fun as the Dawn might be to rocket from stoplight to stoplight, this isn’t the machine for aggressive back-road hustling. Eventually the mass will overwhelm those giant 21-inch tires. For the times you seek more adolescent-minded shenanigans, grab the keys to one of the other playthings in your garage.

More befitting the mission of a Rolls-Royce, it’s the 2019 Dawn’s ride quality that really impresses. The Dawn creates serenity in the cabin over a variety of rough road surfaces and unlike most vehicles it manages to do that while also feeling controlled and connected. This is a car that shines on long road trips gobbling up big, flat stretches of asphalt. It’s a car that wants you to take your time on that journey.

But parking in the city? That can be a chore. Even though it’s “just” a 2-door convertible, the 2019 Dawn is still over 17 feet long and nearly as wide as an F-150. And speaking of the F-150, unfortunately the Dawn drinks fuel like one. The EPA rating of 12-mpg city and 18 on the highway is abysmal. Even the intoxicatingly quick Mercedes-Benz AMG S 63 Convertible can return 24 mpg on the highway.

The Rolls-Royce Dawn convertible, like its hardtop sibling the Wraith coupe, has four individual seats that can fit four adults. And this is one 2-door that really does offer comfort for rear-seat passengers. Sitting in this Rolls-Royce is a very special experience. Open those rear-hinged front doors and the cabin offers a combination of leather, wood and metal that looks expensive, feels expensive and will impress anyone occupying one of the passenger seats.

The Dawn’s handcrafted interior can be customized to the owner’s taste too. It’s likely that no two Dawns will ever be optioned the exact same way. So, you’ll never mistake your Dawn for another one — if you ever see another one. These are rare machines. The rarest of the rare is the Black Badge Adamas Collection. Just 30 will be made featuring pearlescent leather, a wild color Starlight headliner that uses 1,340 individual fiber-optic lights and a dash clock with 88 black diamonds surrounding the face.

The Dawn does use BMW electronics so there’s an iDrive-like rotary controller to handle infotainment functions on a 10.25-inch central screen. There is a USB input deep in the central storage console, but neither Apple CarPlay nor Android Auto phone pairing is available.

When a 2019 Rolls-Royce Dawn arrives, it really makes an entrance. Not only is this the largest convertible currently in production but it has a presence like nothing else. All Rolls-Royce cars are special, but the drop-top’s proportions are perhaps the most elegant. Yes, there’s still that massive vertical grille, a Rolls-Royce signature, and a Spirit of Ecstasy emblem that rises above it.

But the Dawn also conveys a modern aesthetic; perhaps it’s the steep windshield rake, the chopped roofline when the top is raised or the way the fender seems to duck behind the rear tire. This is one very handsome car. As is customary for a Rolls-Royce, the Dawn features coach doors that are hinged at the rear. Those doors hide a pair of umbrellas that can be popped out when needed to keep you and your well-heeled passengers dry and perfectly coiffed.

COACH DOORS
Few traits outside of gullwing doors make a statement like those that are hinged at the back (not the front) so they open wide and outward from the rear. With the Rolls-Royce Dawn’s coach doors, one can’t help feeling like royalty when entering or exiting. Practically speaking, these also make those acts easier.

QUIET CONVERTIBLE OPERATION
“The Silent Ballet.” That’s the phrase the Dawn’s engineering team used in creating the roof’s mechanism. The result is a captivating mechanical performance that takes place in 22 seconds and can be done at speeds up to 31 mph.

The Dawn’s rather excessive 6-figure price tag means at least one good thing: This car comes loaded with gear. And at the top of that list is the smooth and torquey 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 paired to the 8-speed automatic. Yes, every Dawn rides like there’s a cloud beneath each tire and includes a beautiful leather and wood interior. But in terms of equipment the Dawn’s entry sticker price includes self-closing doors, cashmere headliner, massaging front seats, lane-departure warning, high-beam assist and a head-up display.

Far less expensive cars offer more tech for the money. But you don’t buy a Dawn to have the most technologically sophisticated convertible. You buy one for the prestige of owning and being seen in a Rolls-Royce. And that’s priceless.

Sure, you could buy a Rolls-Royce Dawn off the showroom floor. But what fun is that? Unlike an ordinary car, you don’t buy a Rolls; you commission it. Thus, its crafters in Goodwood, England, will hand-build your Dawn, drawing from a long list of options — or your personal inspiration.

For roughly the cost of a Ford Mustang you can add a sporty Aero Cowling to the back deck. And at the nose of the car, Rolls offers its Spirit of Ecstasy ornament in solid silver, gold plate or fully illuminated. There are seven different wheel choices alone. Beautiful Canadel wood paneling can be added to the dashboard, doors and rear decklid for a modern take on the 1930s’ Chris-Craft wooden boat vibe.

Tamer options include a 16-speaker bespoke audio system, ventilated front seats, special-order leathers and “RR” embossing on headrests and doors. A driver-assistance package includes night vision and active cruise control. However, you won’t find tech like blind-spot monitoring or rear cross-traffic alert, features commonly found on mid-priced Kias.

The 2019 Rolls-Royce Dawn uses a silky 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 that generates 563 horsepower and 605 lb-ft of torque. It’s that second number, the beefy torque, that you really feel when driving the Dawn because it takes very little effort from your right foot to gather speed quickly.

This V12 is the same basic engine used in the 2019 Rolls-Royce Wraith and Ghost. All that thrust is sent to the rear wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission. If you opt for the Black Badge treatment, the engine is tuned to make 593 horsepower. But like all Rolls-Royce vehicles, the Dawn has a relentless thirst for fuel, delivering an EPA combined rating of just 14 mpg. That’s terrible.

6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V12
563 horsepower @ 5,250 rpm (593 horsepower for Black Badge models)
605 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 12/18 mpg