Sale Price: $329,999.00

Suggested Retail: $484,550.00

Quantity: 1

Features:

Introduction:
Although 10 inches shorter than the standard Phantom, the Drophead Coupé (pronounced coop-ay in fine British tradition) is still 20 inches longer than an Audi Q7 and only 2 inches shorter than a Suburban. It weighs more than both. The Drophead is also incredibly wide, which makes maneuvering in tight spots akin to piloting the Flying Lady through a lazy river.

The Drophead is special in plenty of other ways as well. Most notable are the rear-hinged "coach" doors that have essentially been extinct on two-door cars since the 1930s. Of course, only the finest materials have been used to create a truly one-of-a-kind cabin. No fewer than 18 bovines sacrifice themselves for king, country and interior. But this is all standard Rolls-Royce fare. The Drophead Coupé stands apart with a special optional tonneau cover for the five-layer soft top that is finished in 100-percent genuine teak and is said to resemble the deck of a luxury yacht. Rolls sources blonde green teak grown in hilltop regions of Southeast Asia. Each "deck" features 30 separate pieces cut from the same tree to avoid any variation in grain patterns. Those pieces are bonded and then black caulking (the same as yacht builder's use) is applied to the grooves before the entire deck is sanded and finished.

There's a car under all this pomp and circumstance, and we're happy to report it's a mighty fine one. Meticulously engineered by BMW and Rolls-Royce, the Phantom Drophead Coupé perfectly blends the dynamic virtues of a modern German car with the style and panache expected of a classic British luxury automobile. The power from its V12 is vigorous, its ride is supple, its handling surprisingly un-yacht like. There are other high-end luxury convertibles, but none can truly stand toe to toe with the 2010 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options:
The 2010 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé is a four-seat ultra-luxury convertible with two rear-hinged doors. Everything you'd expect from a luxury car is standard, along with 21-inch wheels, run-flat tires, an adjustable air suspension, power-closing doors, bi-xenon headlights, LED running lights, a two-piece "picnic" trunk lid, a five-layer convertible soft top, parking sensors, front and rear heated seats, power front seats, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering column, memory functions and multi-zone climate control. Within each rear door is an umbrella which is released at the touch of a button. Electronic features includes Rolls-Royce emergency telematics, keyless ignition/entry, voice commands, Bluetooth, a navigation system and a 15-speaker Lexicon surround-sound stereo with an in-dash single-CD player, in-glove box six-CD changer, an auxiliary audio jack and satellite radio with a lifetime subscription.

Powertrains and Performance:
The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé is powered by a 6.7-liter V12 that produces 453 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission sends that massive power to the rear wheels. Rolls-Royce estimates that the Drophead will go from zero to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. Fuel economy is likely to be better than your yacht's.

Safety:
Safety equipment includes run-flat tires, antilock brakes, traction and stability control, a pop-up rollover protection system, active front head restraints, front knee airbags, front side airbags and Rolls-Royce emergency telematics. Front and rear parking cameras are optional.

Interior Design and Special Features:
Believe it or not, the 2010 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé has a pretty nice interior. Almost every surface is adorned in beautifully crafted veneer, shiny chrome, soft cashmere or the sumptuous hides of Bavarian cattle. The dashboard has so much wood on it that you might mistake it for a clothes bureau. The driver is greeted by classically simple gauges and a minimalist control panel. The climate controls are mounted a little low on the dash, however, and consist of strange thumb wheels instead of dials or buttons with a digital display. More complex functions like the navigation system are managed by an interface similar to BMW's iDrive system, with the trademark mouse-like controller hiding inside the center console when not in use and the LCD screen disappearing behind the classic analog clock.

Thanks to the rear-hinged "coach" doors, ingress and egress are far easier than in traditional coupes. Within each rear door is an umbrella which is released at the touch of a button. After use, it can be stored even when wet: special drainage channels are incorporated into the coach door, and the umbrella material is coated wîth Teflon to ensure that it will not rot. The doors are impressively large and quite heavy, though one doesn't have to yank them shut, as they are power-operated. Although not nearly as spacious as the Phantom sedan's enormous rear quarters, the Coupé's backseat still provides plenty of adult-sized comfort for hours of high-class travel.