Rolls-Royce’s Dawn showcases their untouchable class.
“This vehicle feels fast, even when it is standing still.”
When pondering over the epitome of motorcar luxury and prestige, there is one brand that stands out above the rest. This brand is of course, Rolls-Royce. With over 116 years of vehicle production experience, this esteemed English manufacturer has been impressing the world with its offerings since the early 1900’s, and has consistently set the benchmark for ultimate quality and status.
We at Hadag Magazine have been fortunate enough to test drive an array of deluxe vehicles over the years, however, this month we received the opportunity to test drive a model from this distinguished brand, namely the Rolls-Royce Dawn, compliments of the fantastic team at Rolls-Royce Bahrain. As soon as the vehicle came into view, we knew we were in for a real treat. The exterior of the Dawn maintains the timeless Rolls-Royce design principles with its elongated bonnet, short front overhang, long rear overhang and high shoulder line.
It has a powerful presence and athletic nature to it, accentuated through completely new panels that create a tighter looking surface. The striking front end is complimented by a tapered ‘wake channel’ on the bonnet, emanating from the Spirit of Ecstasy’s wings. The design of the recessed front grille and lowered front bumper draws attention to the vehicle’s rear shoulders, emphasising the distinctive elegance of this model. Chrome ‘blades’ complement the car’s horizontal lines increasing the perception of power and width. At the flanks, the graceful profile of the vehicle is enhanced with the flawless transition from body to soft top.
This top takes just 22 seconds to be silently lowered or raised and can be executed at speeds of up to 50km/h. In addition, 21-inch, polished wheels further highlight the sheer luxury of this Rolls-Royce. At the back end, the feminine ‘hips’ of Dawn taper towards the rear, incorporating the elegant ‘boat-tail’ design of the early RollsRoyce drophead coupés. Once inside the vehicle, our very first action was to put the top down, revealing the splendour of Dawn to the world around us.
As you would expect from a Rolls-Royce, all of the materials, trimmings and finishing are second to none, with the combination of wood and leather dominating the layout. The four perfectly designed bucket seats are exceptionally supportive and comfortable and place you a position reminiscent of a launch. This vehicle feels fast, even when it is standing still. The two-door car is a full four-seater, ensuring maximum comfort wherever you are seated. Seats are separated by a full-length centre console and there is ample room on offer for all occupants. As far as technology is concerned, Dawn has been fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, once again assuring this car is a cut above the rest.
The discreet placement of this model’s technology adds to the super-luxurious feel of the interior and increases the unique nature of the vehicle. Dawn houses the Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller, an intuitive, one touch solution that ensures effortless access to media and navigation functions. Emulating seamless smartphone functionality, characters for navigation input or media searches can be finger-drawn onto its surface, whilst its ‘pull and pinch’ feature adds to the system’s smartphone like capabilities.
Complete with a beautifully designed 10.25-inch high-definition screen and a one-touch call button located conveniently on the steering wheel, users can summon the car’s functions using simple voice commands. We found this system to be of the highest quality, easy to use and very novel in its makeup. Beside from the multitude of outstanding internal features, what is perhaps most impressive about this vehicle, is its performance capabilities. Powered by a twin-turbo, 6.6-litre V12 powertrain engine that produces 420kW of power and 780Nm or torque, this driving experience is nothing less than exceptional.
This beast of a machine can hurtle from 0 – 100km/h in just 4.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 250km/h. A newly designed suspension configuration, Rolls-Royce typical steering characteristics, a premium braking system along with remarkable traction control, ensures this is an experience no driver would ever forget.
Needless to say, we received plenty of envious looks as we made our way along the tarmac. All of these remarkable characteristics along with a range of top-of-the-line safety features, ensured we always felt secure and confident throughout our journey. In truth, we have only mentioned a fraction of what this car has to offer and have never experienced anything quite like the Rolls-Royce Dawn in all of our years of test-driving. We highly recommend this vehicle to anyone looking to purchase the pinnacle of premium motorcar perfection.
Rolls-Royce Bahrain: 1775 4754